Kate with baby Isla. 75599 Picture: JOE MASTROIANNI
By Vanessa Chircop
IT wasn’t the most conventional day to be born, nor was it the most conventional way – but little Isla Pither graced the world on Christmas Day.
And to make the birth even more interesting the four-week-old bub was born at home with mum Kate Gerritsen opting for a home birth.
The Newport mother decided to have her second baby through Sunshine Hospital’s home birth pilot program.
Early Christmas morning Kate and her partner Luke Pither’s Christmas Day plans were put on hiatus when Kate’s pre-labour contractions started at 6.30am.
Despite the early start to the day baby Isla almost missed her first Christmas – entering the world at 11.39pm, to a much relieved and tired mum.
Kate said she’d inquired about having a home birth for her first daughter Edie but without a public scheme available it would have cost her family $7000 to hire a private midwife.
Upon hearing about Sunshine Hospital’s pilot program Kate jumped at the opportunity for her second time around.
“I think it’s really nice for the family and the baby and a lot less stressful than a hospital situation,” she said.
“I had a good experience with Edie’s birth and I believe in having babies at home when you can and have known people who have done it.
“This program makes home births accessible.”
Despite not being the norm in Australia, midwife Karina Ireland said at-home births were just as safe as hospital births for low risk pregnancies and are becoming more and more popular in Victoria.
The Sunshine Hospital program has now delivered 100 babies since its inception less than two years ago.
“You see the same midwife all the way through and there’s a team on call for the birth,” Karina said.
Kate said she was more excited than nervous about Isla’s birth opting to use a birthing pool.
“We had a few different reactions when we told people we’d be having her at home,” she said.
“A lot of people were really excited … a couple of family members were really against the idea but they realised I would make my choice.”
“I would definitely do it again.”
Kate said one of the beauties of the at-home birth was dad Luke was the first person to touch baby Isla with mum holding her next.
For Graduate midwife Jayne, Isla’s birth was the second home birth she was part of.
“I now try and bring that natural mind frame to the hospital for when I’m part of hospital births.”
