FRONTIER
IN the nine short months before little Indie Grace Marriott was born, her mum Libby Cass read all the baby books and took two separate birth courses. A first-time mum, Libby wanted to be in control of the situation. Wanted to be prepared. “I had read and read and read so much about birth and thought that I had it in the bag,” Libby says. “I never in a million years imagined that Indie’s birth would be my first birthing experience.” After going into labour on September 16, 2016, Libby and her partner, Jack, packed their bags and went to hospital. But after only being there a few hours, the couple was sent back home to Zuccoli.
At home and in pain, Libby tried to get some rest but the contractions made it hard to relax.
Just a few hours later, Libby reached between her legs and felt the pressure of a newborn’s head.
“Jack walked into the room and I will never forget his expression – ‘I can see hair’ – the midwife on the phone told Jack to hang up and dial triple-0,” Libby says.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Libby wasn’t scared.
“I just knew what I had to do, the baby was coming and it was out of our control that it was happening at our home. I had 100 per cent confidence in Jack and I knew that he would be able to handle what was about to happen,” she says.
Dialling an ambulance, Jack was put through to an emergency medical dispatcher. THE next few minutes went by quickly. The operator kept the young couple calm, talking Jack through the next few steps.
“While only Indie’s head was out and between contractions, Jack and I both remember him saying to be careful after the next contraction and once the baby was out as it would be slippery,” Libby says. “Indie then made her entrance and was out, Jack placed her straight on my chest and went to grab towels to keep us warm. There were lots of tears and a congratulations from the phone sitting on speaker beside us.” The beautiful sound of Indie’s first cries soon filled the air, born at 5.43am on Saturday September 17, weighing a healthy 3.5kg. Respecting the family’s privacy, the dispatcher kept quiet, allowing the new family of three to enjoy some special time together. “He stayed on