Eve Jeffery
Determined to be an April baby, Kayla Tutchen ignored the fact that May Day was approaching until about 7pm on the 30th when she sent mum into labour.
Chrys Tutchen started having contractions so the family had a quick dinner and got two-and-a-half-year-old big sister Luna ready for bed – but Luna was having none of that and when Chrys’s waters broke, the whole family got into the car to head to Byron hospital for a water birth.
Proving too uncomfortable for Chrys’s contractions, husband Duane transferred everything from the car to the van and buckled Luna into her car seat. ‘I started the van only to hear Chrys say the baby was coming out. Now! I raced around the van so I could help Chrys in the back with Luna.’
Duane lifted her skirt and could see baby’s head
Duane says Chrys was standing facing away from him and when he lifted her skirt and could see baby’s head. ‘The baby’s face was really blue and not moving at all,’ said Duane. ‘We got the midwife on the phone. We were having the baby right then and there.
‘The midwife said I needed to give the baby a gentle pull around the head to wiggle out a shoulder on the next contraction.’
Duane said it seemed like forever staring at the couple’s little baby’s still blue face. ‘I was trying to calm Luna who was in the seat right next to me crying saying she wanted mummy. I remember saying “we’re ok, we’re ok” to Chrys and Luna trying to calm them down but I was really scared.
‘I thought baby was going to be stillborn. She was really blue and lifeless.’
A big push and there she was
Duane said that on the next contraction Chrys gave a big push and he gently pulled the little head by putting my hands around the cheeks and back of the head.
‘Chrys was standing and baby came out quite easily. I just kind of caught this tiny slimy little bub and was holding everything in my hands. Chrys turned around and said, “the cord, the cord baby, the cord is around her neck”.
‘I held bub with one hand and unwrapped the umbilical cord from around bubs neck with the other hand. Instantly our little baby took her first breath and was making little grunts and noises. She was ok!’
Duane says he remembered a lot of what happened just Luna was born. ‘I remembered to get her skin to skin contact with mum asap and Chrys had her on her chest in no time. Once Kayla was on there she was going for mum’s boob straight away. Chrys and I kept saying to Luna, “you’ve got a little sister, you’ve got a little sister darling” and Luna was saying “my mummy had a baby, my mummy had a baby”!’
Duane says the rest is a blur. ‘After some hugs and kisses, I grabbed my phone and took pictures of Chrys, Luna and baby Kayla in the back of the van.
Big sister a big help
Luna was an amazing help said Duane. ‘She grabbed towels and stuff to bring inside and kept saying, “my mummy had a baby”! Chrys held the baby and walked from the street to the lounge, about 40 meters, with the placenta still inside and cord attached to the baby.’
Arriving exactly on her due date and weighing 3.9 kgs and about 55cm long give or take, Baby Tutchen arrived at 9.07 pm, just two hours after her mum went into labour. ‘I helped measure her,’ said Duane. ‘I felt like a first-year apprentice again, not really sure where I was holding the tape measure.
‘I’m so proud of Chrys. She was really calm throughout the whole thing was more concerned for Luna and baby than herself. She is a legit super mum!’
Kayla is just so precious and delicate. I love these girls and their mum so much that words can’t even describe’.
