January 28, 2025 • 19 mins
When Georgia Inglis suffered a spinal cord injury at age 10, she didn't let it stop her from becoming a Commonwealth Games silver medalist in wheelchair basketball. But her greatest challenge and triumph would be becoming a mother. In this powerful episode of Diary of a Birth, Georgia shares her remarkable journey of adapting to pregnancy and childbirth with a disability. This rare and inspiring story showcases the strength of mothers living with disability, a perspective that's seldom shared in Australian media.
Diary Of A Birth features mums telling their miraculous stories of bringing life into the world, and we have all medical questions and concerns cleared up by Australia’s favourite paediatrician, Dr Golly.
If you’d like to share your birth story, we’d love to hear from you at podcast@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note here.
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CREDITS:
Host: Ksenija Lukich
Birth Story: Georgia Inglis
Australia’s Favourite Paediatrician: Dr Golly
Executive Producer: Thom Lion
Producer: Ksenija Lukich
Audio Producer: Scott Stronach
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
You're listening to a MoMA Mia podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Mamma Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
that this podcast is recorded on. We pay our respects
to elders past, present and emerging and feel privileged to
continue the sharing of birth stories and knowledge that has
been a fundamental part of Indigenous culture. Hi. I'm Cassenia
(00:45):
Lukic and this is diary of a birth. Today's story
is a rare one. The challenges of people with the
disability are seldom spoken about in Australia, let alone mothers
living with a spinal cord injury. But in speaking about
it today, I was in awe of the way today's
mum overcame the obstacles in her path.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
You've got to adapt in many ways, I guess, to
get things done. It's not necessarily the physical, like not
having been able to walk, But there's so much more
to having a spinal cord injury. And i'd beg part
that is that you have a neurological bladder and DAO.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
And did so with the sense of humor.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
So I've gone to the bathroom, I've gone to put
a catheter in, and as I've gone to put a
catheter in I could just feel his head, so his
head was just there and I just started screaming on
the toilet.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
So let's meet her now.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Hi, my name is Georgia Inglis and this is my
dary of a bath with little Austin.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Georgia Inglish is an Australian wheelchair basketball player. She was
part of the Australian women's national wheelchair basketball team and
is a Commonwealth Games silver medallist. But her proudest moment was,
of course becoming a mum in the face of so
many challenges because Georgia suffered a tragic spinal cord injury
(02:14):
as a child.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
I acquired my spinal cord injury when I was ten
years old. So we were in there a backyard of
a neighbor's house and pro'll be doing things that we
shouldn't have, playing around with a lawnmower. I often say
that my accident was a preventable accident, but a very
wise woman who once told me that I guess anything
is preventable. Literally with this second, things can change, So
(02:38):
it is what it is. But yeah, I was run
over by a rather lawmower, so just a tractor in
our neighbor's backyard by a young boy who was driving.
So my spun I've got injury resulted in a teach
one complete paraplegic, So that pretty much means like no
feeling from below the waist.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
After this life altering event, she built an incredible mindset
in her love of sport. It was in her blood.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
I got to learn, I guess how to adapt and
minimize my disability, if that makes sense. So like I
would make do I use the example of say my
friend I'd be saying at her house and she would
have stairs. I would just comb up the stairs is
what we call it when they and she would carry
my wheelchair. So like, I've just learned to adapt with
my disabilities. I come from an extremely sportive family. I
(03:31):
was always going to get into sports. After my accident.
It was just kind of finding what sport that would be,
and then yeah, I found basketball and it was life changing.
When I went to basketball, you kind of surrounded with
people who are very very similar to your disability, and
then there's a lot of opportunities that come with playing sports.
So I was able to go and travel to America
(03:51):
and play overseas. So I went to the University of
Alabama and I did my masters over there, which is
probably my proudest moment with sport.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
But Georgia wanted a baby so much.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
We were trying for a while, and to be honest,
I didn't really believe it. I a few years prior
had a miscarriage, so it was something that didn't really
feel real for the entire pregnancy, to be honest. But yeah,
we were super excited. It didn't feel real for so.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Long, so when it finds only happened, she was navigating
a whole new world.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
My partner and I, like were known to be very,
very cruisy, and we just didn't plan or do anything.
We did all the main things for the pregnancy, But
I guess when I very first found out I wasnant,
I was searching, searching for what specialists or people that
had had experience with people with a spinal cord injury,
and I got talking to this lady. It was just
a brief phone call at the start of the pregnancy,
(04:46):
and she kind of was like telling me what to expect.
And then part of that phone call was she did
tell me she was like, you'd be amazed at what
your body can do. It will just take over and
give birth. And she was like, I've had experienced quadriplegics
and they've done nothing and then able to give birth naturally.
So she was like, if anything, I'm going to tell you,
it's just go to the hospital when you're in labor
(05:08):
because it will happen relatively quickly as your body will
kind of just take.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Over bathing in the glow of pregnancy. Georgia then ran
into some complications.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Throughout my entire pregnancy. I had a lot of kidney issues.
So like I would say, my pregnancy was relatively smooth
besides for a lot of having kidney issues. So as
I use a capatter to go to the bathroom, so
like that kind of leaves me vulnerable to infections and
like euties, so obviously with a low immune system when
(05:41):
you're pregnant, it kind of makes it ten times worse.
So yeah, I experienced a lot of utiyes and there
was a few times where it like went so quickly
up into my kidneys, like I'm talking within the day.
And that pain was the pain that I just cannot explain.
It was pain that I've never experienced in my entire life,
Like honestly, to this day. I've never had pain like
(06:03):
that with the kidney infection, so I had to be hospitalized.
I think it ended up being like three or four
times throughout my pregnancy, which was pretty traumatic. And then
on top of that, there was one time that was
really really bad infection and my body started like because
it was like, okay, I've just got to fight this infection.
So like it was projecting Austin, so it was like, yeah,
like spasmy like contracting almost to push Austin out to
(06:27):
like fight this infection. So that was super, super traumatic.
Besides for the kidney issues, my pregnancy was relatively normal.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
After overcoming her kidney infection. George's pregnancy was pretty conventional,
and her and her partner Mitch, approached the whole process
in a unique way.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
I guess we didn't really know what to expect because
it's your first pregnancy, and I'm someone who didn't really
look into it. I was just kind of like, okay,
like I'll just go along and experience it as it
is and I'm sure they'll tell me along the way.
So my partner and I we went to baby bunting
and this is like our first like like real shop
that we were going to do, and we went in
and we both just looked at each other and unbelievably overwhelmed,
(07:16):
and we just walked out and we went to the
tool shop next door and bought a dropsaw to like
do like renovations instead. We thought that was more important.
And like towards the end of my pregnancy, my mom
kept she was like, Georgie, you don't have anything, like
you need more than a pram and a bit like
you need more stuff. So we were just very, very
(07:36):
cruisy throughout the entire pregnancy.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Georgia carried her breezy outlook the whole way through.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
So like when I get to my birth, that was
kind of like could not have been more us if
we tried. I was finishing up for my PhD, So
I was just doing interviews, and I even had interviews
on the day that I gave birth because we weren't
planning to convert that day. My plan was to get
induced the following week because so I was like a
high risk pregnancy, and the doctors kind of wanted to,
(08:05):
I guess, control what they could control, so they were
going to plan to induce me and have me in there,
and so like I thought I had a list time,
so I hadn't packed a hospital bag, I hadn't done
any thinking like that. The room wasn't really even set
up yet. I just thought that I would get to
it once I kind of switched off from my PhD
and had the last day of that.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
I don't know about you, but I did not sleep
well during my pregnancy at all, so Georgia waking up
in the middle of the night didn't really cause her
much concern.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
So I woke up at two am, and like, I
just thought it was another you know, insomnia, and I
had read about Braxton Higgs contractions because I started getting
tight feelings over my belly and then on top of that,
I started getting a very very similar pain to when
I had kidney infections, so I was also thinking, Okay,
it's probably another kidney infection. And then previous tobout what
(08:59):
I would do is I would wait for my partner
to wake up. He's terrible on nose, like terrible, so
I was like, I'll wait for him to wake up.
His alarm was five point thirty, so it was two AM,
and I was kind of like just kind of like
in pain, but kind of just like rolling with it
and kind of going. I went into the lounge droom,
and I was like part of me thought, oh, oh,
(09:21):
maybe I am in labor, but then I was like,
surely not. So then I've gone like to the bathroom
and then like my waters had broken, but little did
I know that at the time, And then on top
of that, amitious plug later past, So like you think
I would put two and two together, but I just didn't.
I don't know why. So I just thought I pete myself.
(09:43):
So I'm just like deal with that. And then it
got to like four thirty maybe five ish, and like
my belly was starting to tighten, but again, it wasn't
what I pictured contractions to be like. And I'm sure
that I couldn't feel actually what was going on in
my body, so I just feel like it was very
like on the surface contractions. So I started to like think, Okay,
(10:06):
maybe I am in labor, like we seem sauce. So
then I called the hospital and I just kind of
told them some of like what was going on and
about the like nucus plug and stuff like that, and
I was like, Okay, bring your bag in, we'll just
check you out. And in my head I was like,
haven't you packed my bag? So it was like ten
(10:26):
past five this stage, and I'm like, okay, shit, I'm
going to pack my bag. So I'm like racing around
the house like trying to pack my bag, and my
partner wakes up and he was like, what's going on?
And I was like, okay, so I've been up for
the past few hours. I've called the hospital. They suspect
I'm in labor, and he's like, why did you not
breake me? Like what is wrong with you, Georga? And
(10:49):
I was like, I just thought i'd let you sleep
and like let your alarm go off. So then he's rased,
had a shower. I couldn't think I haven't barely packed
anything in the hospital bag. We got to the hospital
and they've like taken us into the room, and I
don't think they even really suspected that I was in labor.
They just kind of, you know, where they checked the baby.
(11:09):
So they've put like the thing to check his heart rate,
and then they were started distress because his heart rate
was really low.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
As her midwife was assessing her, Georgia was keen to
know how far how long she was.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
So yeah, she's so casual, and she does the sweep
and she kind of looks at me and I was like, well,
am I in labor, Like what's going on? And then
she calmly said to me, yes, you're about nine centimeters dilated.
I started crying because I just hadn't mentally prepared and
she was like why crying, and I was like, I'll
(11:44):
just stop ready, like I'm not ready for him, and
she was like, well he's coming regardless. So yeah. So
then they like took us up to the room and
they were just kind of waiting for me to be
ready to start pushing, and I just was not interested yet,
Like I was just like nope, Like I was just
kind of hanging out for a little while. And then
(12:05):
they explained to it, like they were like, Okay, maybe
it's good to go empty your bladder before you start pushing.
My partner and I laugh at this part of the
story all the time. But so I've gone to the
bathroom and I've gone to put a catheter in, and
as I've gone to put a catheter in, I could
just feel his head. Yes, so his head was just
there and I just started screaming on the toilet and
(12:28):
Mitch comes like running in and he was like, are
you okay? And I was like, I can feel his heads,
Like I could feel his head and he was like, well,
I'm not really sure what you want me to do,
but there is like four midwibes out there, so they
came rushing in and they're like, okay, get on the bed,
like we're going to start pushing. And then literally, as
I've transferred onto the bed, the rest of my waters
are broken, and it like it was like a movie scene.
(12:51):
It was like just sprayed everywhere all over Midt.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Given George's spinal cord injury, she doesn't feel labor the
way that most women might, but after half an hour
of pushing, she was close.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Even with pushing, I didn't know whether I was pushing,
so I pushed for twenty seven minutes, but like it
was taking a while at one point, and you could
see that they were getting stressed and I was like,
I don't feel like I'm doing anything, and she was like, no,
trust me. When you push, like something's happening, there is movements.
So it was nice to get that reassurance from her.
And then Austin Yeah, came into the world. So he
(13:28):
arrived and it was a moment of relief, like he
was here and just like absolute happiness. To be honest,
Like I almost agree the first few minutes because it
was like a bit of a shock to the systems.
So they've like brought him up, and you know how
they bring him up in.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
A rush like many of us, those first few moments
with Austin aside were not as Georgia expected.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Yeah, they brought him off onto me and I kind
of like was like, what is going on? And then
I felt sick afterwards, so like my partner had to
take him and do the skin in the skin and
I was just recovering. I think it was like for
like two hours.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
So after their first few nights and weeks together, the
mama instincts took over.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
I guess maybe it's normal, but I had overwhelming anxiety
in regards so I just had to protect him, which
I'm sure as partly normal. And then what I've learnt
later on is I just saw him as so vulnerable
and then having my injury also when I was younger,
I just it was like a little bit of a trauma,
if that makes sense. Like I was just so I
(14:31):
just wanted to protect him. And I was very, very,
very stressed the first few days, if not months, to
be honest, just because I guess anything could happen like
it did with me, so I was. It was very heightened.
I wish I couldn't say it was a beautiful time,
but I was just so heightened and so stressed. And
then Austin was like a severe colic baby for a
(14:52):
few months, so and not knowing obviously anything about a newborn,
it took me weeks to kind of realize that, like
something wasn't right and this wasn't normal what we're experiencing,
so like it was like a bit of a double whammy.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
As the storm settled, Georgia felt a deep sense of
gratitude for her village and her love for Austin. She
believes that village is vital for other mothers, but particularly
those women with a disability.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
I'm so lucky. My partner is beyond amazing. I don't
know what I would have done without him, So he
was kind of like my stability and rock throughout that,
especially the firstew weeks, both sides of the family, I
guess help us. It's very like a shock to the system.
A simple task just become so much more time consuming,
(15:41):
and like you've got to adapt in many ways, I
guess to get things done. I guess the one thing
that I've learned is that they also will adapt, so
your baby or your child adapts with you. And that's
probably been the most amazing thing to experience. Like Austin
is just so children, so happy. And I was actually
(16:02):
talking to a friend about this, who's a quadriplegic, and
he was saying how it's like his kids know, they
know when to mic around and I guess misbehave with
the parents and not too with another one. And that's
been the really, really, I guess, cool thing about it.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Georgia's story is very unique, so we've got Australia's favorite pediatrician,
doctor Gollie on hand to break down the medical perspective
on what their focus is when someone is giving birth
without any feeling below the waist.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Certainly, pregnancy and childbirth in particular present very unique challenges
for women who do have a spinal cord injury. There
are obvious reasons from a mobility point of view, but
they also require specialized care and awareness about specific complications
that may exist in those with a spinal cord injury.
So the easiest way to think about it is to
(17:01):
break it up to the pregnancy period and then the delivery.
During the pregnancy, there is a condition called autonomic dis
reflex out, which basically means that your autonomic system, which
controls your heart rage, your blood pressure, all the things
we don't have to think about, you can get sudden
spikes in blood pressure that can occur, especially if we've
(17:23):
got a spinal cord injury high T six above, et cetera,
and that specific this reflex can be triggered by labor
contractions or bowel issues bladder issues, which are very common
in this population. The other thing which is really problematic
is that there is reduced sensation, so you can't often
(17:43):
feel things beneath certain levels, which means that well, at
firstly you may not even recognize that you're going into labor,
but there's also more incidence of UTIs you attact infections
as well as pressure saws, your center of gravity. It
all changes, and it just adds another layer of complexity
to an already incredibly challenging thing. And also lung function,
(18:06):
so breathing is a really important part of maintaining a
healthy respiratory system is an important part of those with
spinal cord injuries, and it's even harder if you can
imagine the lungs are being squashed from the bottom up.
And then specifically, if we focus on the delivery, as
I said, detecting labor is a big thing, but then
(18:27):
also pain relief is important. You know, it becomes just
a little bit more complicated when we're talking epi drools
for example, and the choice needs to be made between
the pregnant woman and the obstetric team. Do you go
for a vaginal delivery do you go for a caesar?
And then there is the entire chapter as we discussed
and heard with Georgia about the postpartum care, so every
(18:52):
mom after delivery requires significant support. We are adding extra
layers of complexity when it comes to those with a
spinal cord injury and also just the ability to mobilize
and care for not only yourself as the mum who's
you're covering, but also a newborn too. As a final comment,
I just want to say, I think it is just
(19:13):
phenomenal how far we've come to see families have this opportunity.
As we've heard with Georgia, Mitchen and Bay awesome, but
with the right planning in preparation, anything is possible.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Thank you for joining us on Diary of a Birth,
where we celebrate all the amazing ways that we as
women bring life into the world. If you'd like to
share your birth story with us, we'd love to hear
from you. Details are in the show notes. Diary of
Birth was hosted by me Kasanya Lukisch with expert input
from doctor Golly. Our executive producer is Tom Lyon, with
(19:50):
audio production by Scott Stronach.
You're listening to a MoMA Mia podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Mamma Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
that this podcast is recorded on. We pay our respects
to elders past, present and emerging and feel privileged to
continue the sharing of birth stories and knowledge that has
been a fundamental part of Indigenous culture. Hi. I'm Cassenia
(00:45):
Lukic and this is diary of a birth. Today's story
is a rare one. The challenges of people with the
disability are seldom spoken about in Australia, let alone mothers
living with a spinal cord injury. But in speaking about
it today, I was in awe of the way today's
mum overcame the obstacles in her path.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
You've got to adapt in many ways, I guess, to
get things done. It's not necessarily the physical, like not
having been able to walk, But there's so much more
to having a spinal cord injury. And i'd beg part
that is that you have a neurological bladder and DAO.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
And did so with the sense of humor.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
So I've gone to the bathroom, I've gone to put
a catheter in, and as I've gone to put a
catheter in I could just feel his head, so his
head was just there and I just started screaming on
the toilet.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
So let's meet her now.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Hi, my name is Georgia Inglis and this is my
dary of a bath with little Austin.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Georgia Inglish is an Australian wheelchair basketball player. She was
part of the Australian women's national wheelchair basketball team and
is a Commonwealth Games silver medallist. But her proudest moment was,
of course becoming a mum in the face of so
many challenges because Georgia suffered a tragic spinal cord injury
(02:14):
as a child.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
I acquired my spinal cord injury when I was ten
years old. So we were in there a backyard of
a neighbor's house and pro'll be doing things that we
shouldn't have, playing around with a lawnmower. I often say
that my accident was a preventable accident, but a very
wise woman who once told me that I guess anything
is preventable. Literally with this second, things can change, So
(02:38):
it is what it is. But yeah, I was run
over by a rather lawmower, so just a tractor in
our neighbor's backyard by a young boy who was driving.
So my spun I've got injury resulted in a teach
one complete paraplegic, So that pretty much means like no
feeling from below the waist.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
After this life altering event, she built an incredible mindset
in her love of sport. It was in her blood.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
I got to learn, I guess how to adapt and
minimize my disability, if that makes sense. So like I
would make do I use the example of say my
friend I'd be saying at her house and she would
have stairs. I would just comb up the stairs is
what we call it when they and she would carry
my wheelchair. So like, I've just learned to adapt with
my disabilities. I come from an extremely sportive family. I
(03:31):
was always going to get into sports. After my accident.
It was just kind of finding what sport that would be,
and then yeah, I found basketball and it was life changing.
When I went to basketball, you kind of surrounded with
people who are very very similar to your disability, and
then there's a lot of opportunities that come with playing sports.
So I was able to go and travel to America
(03:51):
and play overseas. So I went to the University of
Alabama and I did my masters over there, which is
probably my proudest moment with sport.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
But Georgia wanted a baby so much.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
We were trying for a while, and to be honest,
I didn't really believe it. I a few years prior
had a miscarriage, so it was something that didn't really
feel real for the entire pregnancy, to be honest. But yeah,
we were super excited. It didn't feel real for so.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Long, so when it finds only happened, she was navigating
a whole new world.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
My partner and I, like were known to be very,
very cruisy, and we just didn't plan or do anything.
We did all the main things for the pregnancy, But
I guess when I very first found out I wasnant,
I was searching, searching for what specialists or people that
had had experience with people with a spinal cord injury,
and I got talking to this lady. It was just
a brief phone call at the start of the pregnancy,
(04:46):
and she kind of was like telling me what to expect.
And then part of that phone call was she did
tell me she was like, you'd be amazed at what
your body can do. It will just take over and
give birth. And she was like, I've had experienced quadriplegics
and they've done nothing and then able to give birth naturally.
So she was like, if anything, I'm going to tell you,
it's just go to the hospital when you're in labor
(05:08):
because it will happen relatively quickly as your body will
kind of just take.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Over bathing in the glow of pregnancy. Georgia then ran
into some complications.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Throughout my entire pregnancy. I had a lot of kidney issues.
So like I would say, my pregnancy was relatively smooth
besides for a lot of having kidney issues. So as
I use a capatter to go to the bathroom, so
like that kind of leaves me vulnerable to infections and
like euties, so obviously with a low immune system when
(05:41):
you're pregnant, it kind of makes it ten times worse.
So yeah, I experienced a lot of utiyes and there
was a few times where it like went so quickly
up into my kidneys, like I'm talking within the day.
And that pain was the pain that I just cannot explain.
It was pain that I've never experienced in my entire life,
Like honestly, to this day. I've never had pain like
(06:03):
that with the kidney infection, so I had to be hospitalized.
I think it ended up being like three or four
times throughout my pregnancy, which was pretty traumatic. And then
on top of that, there was one time that was
really really bad infection and my body started like because
it was like, okay, I've just got to fight this infection.
So like it was projecting Austin, so it was like, yeah,
like spasmy like contracting almost to push Austin out to
(06:27):
like fight this infection. So that was super, super traumatic.
Besides for the kidney issues, my pregnancy was relatively normal.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
After overcoming her kidney infection. George's pregnancy was pretty conventional,
and her and her partner Mitch, approached the whole process
in a unique way.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
I guess we didn't really know what to expect because
it's your first pregnancy, and I'm someone who didn't really
look into it. I was just kind of like, okay,
like I'll just go along and experience it as it
is and I'm sure they'll tell me along the way.
So my partner and I we went to baby bunting
and this is like our first like like real shop
that we were going to do, and we went in
and we both just looked at each other and unbelievably overwhelmed,
(07:16):
and we just walked out and we went to the
tool shop next door and bought a dropsaw to like
do like renovations instead. We thought that was more important.
And like towards the end of my pregnancy, my mom
kept she was like, Georgie, you don't have anything, like
you need more than a pram and a bit like
you need more stuff. So we were just very, very
(07:36):
cruisy throughout the entire pregnancy.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Georgia carried her breezy outlook the whole way through.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
So like when I get to my birth, that was
kind of like could not have been more us if
we tried. I was finishing up for my PhD, So
I was just doing interviews, and I even had interviews
on the day that I gave birth because we weren't
planning to convert that day. My plan was to get
induced the following week because so I was like a
high risk pregnancy, and the doctors kind of wanted to,
(08:05):
I guess, control what they could control, so they were
going to plan to induce me and have me in there,
and so like I thought I had a list time,
so I hadn't packed a hospital bag, I hadn't done
any thinking like that. The room wasn't really even set
up yet. I just thought that I would get to
it once I kind of switched off from my PhD
and had the last day of that.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
I don't know about you, but I did not sleep
well during my pregnancy at all, so Georgia waking up
in the middle of the night didn't really cause her
much concern.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
So I woke up at two am, and like, I
just thought it was another you know, insomnia, and I
had read about Braxton Higgs contractions because I started getting
tight feelings over my belly and then on top of that,
I started getting a very very similar pain to when
I had kidney infections, so I was also thinking, Okay,
it's probably another kidney infection. And then previous tobout what
(08:59):
I would do is I would wait for my partner
to wake up. He's terrible on nose, like terrible, so
I was like, I'll wait for him to wake up.
His alarm was five point thirty, so it was two AM,
and I was kind of like just kind of like
in pain, but kind of just like rolling with it
and kind of going. I went into the lounge droom,
and I was like part of me thought, oh, oh,
(09:21):
maybe I am in labor, but then I was like,
surely not. So then I've gone like to the bathroom
and then like my waters had broken, but little did
I know that at the time, And then on top
of that, amitious plug later past, So like you think
I would put two and two together, but I just didn't.
I don't know why. So I just thought I pete myself.
(09:43):
So I'm just like deal with that. And then it
got to like four thirty maybe five ish, and like
my belly was starting to tighten, but again, it wasn't
what I pictured contractions to be like. And I'm sure
that I couldn't feel actually what was going on in
my body, so I just feel like it was very
like on the surface contractions. So I started to like think, Okay,
(10:06):
maybe I am in labor, like we seem sauce. So
then I called the hospital and I just kind of
told them some of like what was going on and
about the like nucus plug and stuff like that, and
I was like, Okay, bring your bag in, we'll just
check you out. And in my head I was like,
haven't you packed my bag? So it was like ten
(10:26):
past five this stage, and I'm like, okay, shit, I'm
going to pack my bag. So I'm like racing around
the house like trying to pack my bag, and my
partner wakes up and he was like, what's going on?
And I was like, okay, so I've been up for
the past few hours. I've called the hospital. They suspect
I'm in labor, and he's like, why did you not
breake me? Like what is wrong with you, Georga? And
(10:49):
I was like, I just thought i'd let you sleep
and like let your alarm go off. So then he's rased,
had a shower. I couldn't think I haven't barely packed
anything in the hospital bag. We got to the hospital
and they've like taken us into the room, and I
don't think they even really suspected that I was in labor.
They just kind of, you know, where they checked the baby.
(11:09):
So they've put like the thing to check his heart rate,
and then they were started distress because his heart rate
was really low.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
As her midwife was assessing her, Georgia was keen to
know how far how long she was.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
So yeah, she's so casual, and she does the sweep
and she kind of looks at me and I was like, well,
am I in labor, Like what's going on? And then
she calmly said to me, yes, you're about nine centimeters dilated.
I started crying because I just hadn't mentally prepared and
she was like why crying, and I was like, I'll
(11:44):
just stop ready, like I'm not ready for him, and
she was like, well he's coming regardless. So yeah. So
then they like took us up to the room and
they were just kind of waiting for me to be
ready to start pushing, and I just was not interested yet,
Like I was just like nope, Like I was just
kind of hanging out for a little while. And then
(12:05):
they explained to it, like they were like, Okay, maybe
it's good to go empty your bladder before you start pushing.
My partner and I laugh at this part of the
story all the time. But so I've gone to the
bathroom and I've gone to put a catheter in, and
as I've gone to put a catheter in, I could
just feel his head. Yes, so his head was just
there and I just started screaming on the toilet and
(12:28):
Mitch comes like running in and he was like, are
you okay? And I was like, I can feel his heads,
Like I could feel his head and he was like, well,
I'm not really sure what you want me to do,
but there is like four midwibes out there, so they
came rushing in and they're like, okay, get on the bed,
like we're going to start pushing. And then literally, as
I've transferred onto the bed, the rest of my waters
are broken, and it like it was like a movie scene.
(12:51):
It was like just sprayed everywhere all over Midt.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Given George's spinal cord injury, she doesn't feel labor the
way that most women might, but after half an hour
of pushing, she was close.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Even with pushing, I didn't know whether I was pushing,
so I pushed for twenty seven minutes, but like it
was taking a while at one point, and you could
see that they were getting stressed and I was like,
I don't feel like I'm doing anything, and she was like, no,
trust me. When you push, like something's happening, there is movements.
So it was nice to get that reassurance from her.
And then Austin Yeah, came into the world. So he
(13:28):
arrived and it was a moment of relief, like he
was here and just like absolute happiness. To be honest,
Like I almost agree the first few minutes because it
was like a bit of a shock to the systems.
So they've like brought him up, and you know how
they bring him up in.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
A rush like many of us, those first few moments
with Austin aside were not as Georgia expected.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Yeah, they brought him off onto me and I kind
of like was like, what is going on? And then
I felt sick afterwards, so like my partner had to
take him and do the skin in the skin and
I was just recovering. I think it was like for
like two hours.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
So after their first few nights and weeks together, the
mama instincts took over.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
I guess maybe it's normal, but I had overwhelming anxiety
in regards so I just had to protect him, which
I'm sure as partly normal. And then what I've learnt
later on is I just saw him as so vulnerable
and then having my injury also when I was younger,
I just it was like a little bit of a trauma,
if that makes sense. Like I was just so I
(14:31):
just wanted to protect him. And I was very, very,
very stressed the first few days, if not months, to
be honest, just because I guess anything could happen like
it did with me, so I was. It was very heightened.
I wish I couldn't say it was a beautiful time,
but I was just so heightened and so stressed. And
then Austin was like a severe colic baby for a
(14:52):
few months, so and not knowing obviously anything about a newborn,
it took me weeks to kind of realize that, like
something wasn't right and this wasn't normal what we're experiencing,
so like it was like a bit of a double whammy.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
As the storm settled, Georgia felt a deep sense of
gratitude for her village and her love for Austin. She
believes that village is vital for other mothers, but particularly
those women with a disability.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
I'm so lucky. My partner is beyond amazing. I don't
know what I would have done without him, So he
was kind of like my stability and rock throughout that,
especially the firstew weeks, both sides of the family, I
guess help us. It's very like a shock to the system.
A simple task just become so much more time consuming,
(15:41):
and like you've got to adapt in many ways, I
guess to get things done. I guess the one thing
that I've learned is that they also will adapt, so
your baby or your child adapts with you. And that's
probably been the most amazing thing to experience. Like Austin
is just so children, so happy. And I was actually
(16:02):
talking to a friend about this, who's a quadriplegic, and
he was saying how it's like his kids know, they
know when to mic around and I guess misbehave with
the parents and not too with another one. And that's
been the really, really, I guess, cool thing about it.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Georgia's story is very unique, so we've got Australia's favorite pediatrician,
doctor Gollie on hand to break down the medical perspective
on what their focus is when someone is giving birth
without any feeling below the waist.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Certainly, pregnancy and childbirth in particular present very unique challenges
for women who do have a spinal cord injury. There
are obvious reasons from a mobility point of view, but
they also require specialized care and awareness about specific complications
that may exist in those with a spinal cord injury.
So the easiest way to think about it is to
(17:01):
break it up to the pregnancy period and then the delivery.
During the pregnancy, there is a condition called autonomic dis
reflex out, which basically means that your autonomic system, which
controls your heart rage, your blood pressure, all the things
we don't have to think about, you can get sudden
spikes in blood pressure that can occur, especially if we've
(17:23):
got a spinal cord injury high T six above, et cetera,
and that specific this reflex can be triggered by labor
contractions or bowel issues bladder issues, which are very common
in this population. The other thing which is really problematic
is that there is reduced sensation, so you can't often
(17:43):
feel things beneath certain levels, which means that well, at
firstly you may not even recognize that you're going into labor,
but there's also more incidence of UTIs you attact infections
as well as pressure saws, your center of gravity. It
all changes, and it just adds another layer of complexity
to an already incredibly challenging thing. And also lung function,
(18:06):
so breathing is a really important part of maintaining a
healthy respiratory system is an important part of those with
spinal cord injuries, and it's even harder if you can
imagine the lungs are being squashed from the bottom up.
And then specifically, if we focus on the delivery, as
I said, detecting labor is a big thing, but then
(18:27):
also pain relief is important. You know, it becomes just
a little bit more complicated when we're talking epi drools
for example, and the choice needs to be made between
the pregnant woman and the obstetric team. Do you go
for a vaginal delivery do you go for a caesar?
And then there is the entire chapter as we discussed
and heard with Georgia about the postpartum care, so every
(18:52):
mom after delivery requires significant support. We are adding extra
layers of complexity when it comes to those with a
spinal cord injury and also just the ability to mobilize
and care for not only yourself as the mum who's
you're covering, but also a newborn too. As a final comment,
I just want to say, I think it is just
(19:13):
phenomenal how far we've come to see families have this opportunity.
As we've heard with Georgia, Mitchen and Bay awesome, but
with the right planning in preparation, anything is possible.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Thank you for joining us on Diary of a Birth,
where we celebrate all the amazing ways that we as
women bring life into the world. If you'd like to
share your birth story with us, we'd love to hear
from you. Details are in the show notes. Diary of
Birth was hosted by me Kasanya Lukisch with expert input
from doctor Golly. Our executive producer is Tom Lyon, with
(19:50):
audio production by Scott Stronach.
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