It’s been an insane year. Quick run down:
- In-laws over Xmas and New Year. Great fun but no time for anything else, except:
- creating and publishing my father-in-law’s biography as a surprise for his 70th birthday
- Anxiety and pacing the house while bush fires raged within a few kilometres. Bags packed and ready to run. Thank goodness we didn’t need to.
- The following week my waters break three weeks early. Tigger is born beautifully at home with our two midwives making it with just an hour to spare.
- Our gorgeous baby develops colic and I can’t put him down during the day. Gradually learn to type one-handed while breastfeeding.
- The Australian government proposes legislation that will make homebirth with a midwife in attendance illegal. Freebirth (with no assistance) is still okay though. (Actually, it’s merely considered “collateral damage”. Lovely.)
- Still typing one-handed. Nine multi-page letters and/or submissions to Senate Inquiries on the legislation that affects homebirth.
- My grandmother passed away aged 91.
- Which brings us to August. Tigger and I braved a two-hour journey one-way on public transport (train and tram) with two platform changes to reach Nicola Roxon’s office in Melbourne for a Homebirth Rally organised at short notice. We were part of a 200+ crowd. Then two hours to get home again.
Tags: 2009, Australian government violating human rights, fighting for my right to repeat the best experience of my life, new parenthood, typing one-handed