With two kids under two, exhausted mum Rashae swore off having any more. But 24 hours after a relative’s baby shower, all hell broke loose…
Tiptoeing across the bedroom, I held my breath as I crept out of the door.
I’d spent more than an hour trying to get my little boy Kai, 11 months, and daughter K’zaleigh, two, to sleep, and could barely keep my eyes open.
With just 16 months between them, if one woke up and started crying, the other would follow suit.
Later that evening, as I crawled into bed beside my hubby Andrew, I turned towards him.
‘I’m done having kids,’ I sighed. ‘It’s just too hard.’
‘I completely agree,’ Andrew said.
We were only young ourselves — I was 21 and Andrew was a year older — and although we loved being parents, raising two children under two was physically and mentally exhausting.
My days were a whirlwind of nappy changes, housework and broken sleep.
Andrew worked away sometimes, so although he helped as much as he could, I was often on my own.
Going out to do the grocery shopping was like a military operation — from strapping the children into car seats, to avoiding meltdowns in the supermarket aisle.
A few days later, I found myself jumping on the trampoline with my little ones in our back garden.
'Let's get you to the hospital'
‘Careful, sweethearts,’ I laughed, as they bumped and jostled me.
If I wasn’t bouncing around with the kids, I was hoisting one or both on my hip, or running around after them.
Weeks later, I heard my sister-in-law Tara was expecting, and when she was three months pregnant, she had a baby shower.
I was thrilled to celebrate with her, but as I tucked into some cake, I was relieved I wasn’t in her position.
Thank goodness those hectic newborn days are behind me, I thought.
After enjoying some food and games, I hugged Tara goodbye and headed home.
The next morning, I woke up in agony.
There was a horrible pain in my right side that I just couldn’t shake.
At first, I thought my period was going to start, but when painkillers didn’t help, I wondered if it was something more serious.
‘What if it’s appendicitis?’ I said to Andrew, through gritted teeth.
‘Let’s get you to the hospital, I’m worried about you,’ he said.
I could barely walk, and the pain was getting worse.
Grabbing my phone, I called my mum, Jessica, and asked her to look after the kids.
Next, Andrew helped me into the car.
We lived an hour from the hospital, and as the pain intensified by the minute, I became more anxious.
What’s causing me so much pain, and when will it stop? I thought.
As Andrew drove, I kept screaming, and he had to pull over to check on me.
‘You’re going to be OK,’ he soothed, slamming on the accelerator.
Just over halfway into the journey, a police officer stopped us, saying he’d seen Andrew driving erratically.
‘I’m taking my wife to hospital, it’s an emergency,’ he explained.
I couldn’t stop crying out in agony, so the officer called an ambulance.
It felt like an eternity, but 30 minutes later, paramedics turned up and whisked me to hospital.
After I was wheeled through the doors, medics examined me and gave me morphine, but it didn’t make a difference.
‘We should do an ultrasound,’ one of the doctors suggested. ‘You might have ruptured something in your stomach.’
I couldn’t really take in what was being said, as the pain was so bad.
While Andrew was sent to wait in another room, the doctor stared at the screen.
Suddenly, his expression changed.
‘Oh my goodness, the baby is sideways,’ he said.
‘What baby?’ I cried, completely confused. ‘I’m not pregnant.’
Suddenly, several nurses rushed me to the labour and delivery ward.
My mind was spinning, wondering how this could have happened.
Although we hadn’t been using contraception, I’d had periods and there wasn’t a bump.
I’d been happily wearing my size-12 jeans as normal.
Plus, I’d been pregnant twice, and knew how it felt.
With K’zaleigh, I’d had the textbook symptoms of sickness and cravings.
With Kai, my bump had been quite small until month eight, but before I gave birth, there was no mistaking I was pregnant.
But just then…
‘You’re nine centimetres dilated, Rashae,’ a midwife said. ‘You’re about to give birth any minute.’
Suddenly, Andrew burst through the door.
‘Your wife’s about to have a baby,’ a doctor told him.
He turned pale and looked shellshocked.
As he squeezed my hand, I pushed three times, then heard a cry.
‘You’ve had a baby boy,’ the midwife said, holding him up for a second, before whisking him away to be checked.
'I can't even think straight'
Turning to Andrew, both of us were in shock.
In just 15 minutes from arriving at the hospital, my life had changed.
‘This is crazy,’ I said. ‘We’re going to have to tell everyone we’ve just had another baby.’
But suddenly, a nurse said I was bleeding heavily, and I was rushed into theatre.
I was still dazed and felt terrified.
While in recovery, I was told I’d needed two blood transfusions and two iron transfusions.
I’d lost around 40 per cent of the blood in my body.
My surprise baby has almost cost me my life, I thought.
As I tried to wrap my head around what had happened, my main concern was for my baby boy.
For the past nine months, I’d not taken any pregnancy vitamins or had scans.
I’d jumped on trampolines with my kids, and my tummy had been bumped and knocked.
What if he’s suffered some damage? I fretted.
Two hours later, Andrew walked into the room holding our little boy.
‘He’s 6lb and completely healthy,’ Andrew beamed, handing him to me.
It felt so surreal to cradle my beautiful new baby in my arms.
Is he actually mine? I thought.
Remembering Mum was still in the dark, I called her with the news.
‘You’re never going to guess what happened,’ I said, telling her I’d had another baby.
‘What?’ was all she could say.
Eventually, she asked what I’d like to call him.
‘I’ve got no idea, I can’t even think straight,’ I laughed. ‘You can name him.’
‘How about Kyler?’ Mum said.
‘That’s perfect,’ I smiled.
When I asked doctors why there had been no hint I was pregnant, they explained Kyler had been hidden behind my rib, which was why there was no bump.
My periods had just been light bleeding.
I was kept in hospital for two days, where I spent time bonding with my little miracle.
Gazing into his chocolate brown eyes, it hit me that I was a mum of three under three!
But I knew we’d muddle through.
When I took him home, K’zaleigh, who loved babies, was in awe and couldn’t stop patting him.
Both my kids took the fact that their baby brother had seemingly appeared overnight in their stride!
My family and friends were stunned when they heard.
They couldn’t believe I’d been at the baby shower, blissfully unaware that I’d be in labour less than 24 hours later.
Mum and my aunt were superstars, and ran around the shops buying us baby clothes and other essentials.
Thankfully, Kyler was a happy, calm baby, and it was as if he’d always been part of our family.
But I’m adamant there will be no more babies.
I’m on birth control, and even if I have the slightest twinge, I go straight to the doctor.
Three is definitely the magic number!
Rashae Serna, 21