Home birth double blessing

RURAL WOMEN Pukeatua members Monica Anderson (right) and Leigh Gleeson meet the Jollys at Out in the Styx to provide a basket of home baking and food for the family - Dan (holding Madeline) Jeannette (holding Malachai), Annalisa (7), Joshua (5), Jaekob (4) and Luke (2). 222061AD

By Cathy Asplin

At 38 weeks pregnant Jeannette Jolly wasn’t overly concerned when her waters broke around 10am at her Pukeatua home. Although her husband Dan was in town, her two older children were already at school and her two younger children were playing happily at home.

With her midwife due to call in about 11am and no contractions starting she felt it would be some time before their fifth child would arrive. But by 10.30am contractions were going strong and she was pleased her husband had arrived home. As the midwife had to travel an hour to get to them, they decided not to call her as she would be there soon.

But there was no holding back this baby and daughter Madeline arrived safely around 15 minutes later, with the help of her father. The couple shared some precious moments, admiring their new born daughter and waiting for the placenta to arrive.

However, when Mr Jolly checked to see if the placenta was coming he was shocked to see two tiny feet wiggling back at him.

“It was then we realised that Jeannette was having twins and the second one was going to be a breach birth.”

While many people would have panicked, as parents of four children (including one born in the car on the way to hospital) the Jollys took it in their stride and soon after their son Malachai was delivered.

When their midwife arrived she was stunned to see the Jollys holding a child each. Mrs Jolly says it was a surprise to all of them.

“I had scans with all of the other children, but we decided not to have a scan this time. Looking back maybe we should have!”
She says the only real indication she was carrying more weight during this pregnancy was increased oedema (fluid build up which causes swelling).

“I didn’t seem to be much bigger than previous pregnancies and I had oedema with each of the others as well.”

The children weighed a healthy 2810g and 2550g, so she was certainly carrying a bit of weight.

With six children to care for now and calving season in full swing they certainly have their hands full. But that doesn’t really faze the Jollys either - the babies were put into the same cot, their vehicle is large enough to fit the whole family, Mrs Jolly is comfortably breastfeeding both babies and the household routines have carried on much the same.

It didn’t take long for word of the ‘surprise’ twins to spread around Pukeatua, however, and soon people were offering help.

“We really appreciate all the help from our local community - Pukeatua is an awesome place to live.”