By SHAUNA ANDERSON
This mum’s birth story is unlike most you hear.
Giving birth to her baby girl has just that little bit more significance than the rest of our run-of-the-mill births.
Because, you see, it wasn’t just the day she had her baby it was also the very day she found out she was pregnant in the first place.
It was August 11 and Kim Walsh a 38-year old Sydney woman went to her doctor’s office with stomach cramps.
Kim has a life long history of polycystic ovary syndrome.
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal condition involving high levels of insulin or male hormones known as ‘androgens’, which trigger a range of symptoms such as obesity, irregular or no periods, acne, excess hair growth, diabetes risk and infertility.
Throughout her 15-year marriage Kim had been told repeatedly she would never have children due to her condition.
A heartbreaking thing for anyone to hear.
On August 11 KIm’s stomach cramps were troubling her and so she went to her 2pm doctors appointment.
What he told her shocked her to her core.
She walked back to her car where her husband waited.
” I climbed into the car” she told The Sydney Morning Herald.”
He asked: ‘How did you go?’ I told him: ‘You’re going to be a father … today’,”
By 4.30pm that day Kim and her husband Anthony were parents.
“Sheer disbelief” was how she described it.
Through a miraculous twist of fate baby Shelby was born. But things could have easily gone wrong.
Kim’s doctor, Charles McCusker Fairfield hospital’s head of obstetrics and gynaecology told The Sydney Morning Herald that there were countless crossroads, which could have seen an entirely different outcome, a tragic one.
You shudder to think what may have happened had Kim decided to brave out the cramps at home or if her GP had not done a pregnancy test.
“The outcome would have been tragic,” he told Fairfax Media.
When Kim arrived at the hospital she was 170 kilograms and her baby was in extreme fetal distress, she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck.
Dr McCusker told of the dangers of her birth, but how it all came together to produce a beautiful result.
“It really was a case of Team Fairfield pulling together. Shelby arrived into this world surrounded by relief, joy and incredible happiness” he said.
If you are anything like me who was nauseous for six months in one pregnancy and had a pair of feet treating my ribs like a soccer ball for another you wonder how on earth didn’t she know she was pregnant.
Kim wrote on social media that the fact is the not-knowing is actually bittersweet.
“I wish I knew I was pregnant!!!!!” she wrote “Think of all the things I have missed out on. I don’t have an ultrasound picture of my baby. I had don’t have stories to be able to tell her or advise to give her when she has a baby of her own.”
Kim says her family and friends rallied around her after Shelby’s birth, providing her with everything she and Anthony needed for this new journey.
“We walked in the door without so much as a nappy. But everything we needed, and more, has since arrived through the goodwill of others,” she told Fairfax Media.
After going public with her story – in an effort to thank the amazing staff of Fairfield Hospital – Kim has had to deal with the usual internet trolls and fools.
The usual nasty comments.
The vicious spite spewed forth from anonymous keyboards.
But Kim has faced with it aplomb and dignity, instead choosing to delight in the sheer deliciousness of her baby daughter.
In response to a range of revolting insidious remarks on social media Kim wrote.
“All of you with negative comments, frankly I’m sorry you wasted your time because to me they are water off a ducks back. I have my baby, I have my family and I have my friends who I adore and Shelby will grow up with an abundance of love from them all. I don’t care you think it’s all “BS” and I am well aware that I am “fat” but your opinion is of no consequence to our life.”
Good on you Kim. May you enjoy every precious second of your amazing gift.
Top Comments
How does someone go on a woman's facebook page that they don't even know and insult her like that? I hope (but doubt) that Facebook would cancel those accounts. It's just cruel.
And that I why I have ALL my settings to "Friends Only", if she does too and they are her "friends"............
But I think it must be a public profile and that is the danger.
I canceled my FB acc't a while ago. Zuckerman's views on having everything out there so FB could work gave me a weird feeling
Congratulations to you all Kim - first of all to your beautiful baby and second of all for getting through what must have initially been a very difficult event for you. Don't listen to those who don't believe it - they just can wrap their heads around the reality of it. I also went through a concealed pregnancy at 19. To all of you who don't believe in this please choose if and when to air your opinions carefully. Although this sounds "interesting and unbelievable" to you, it is actually a terrifying and traumatic event to go through at the time. No-one would choose to go through it this way. Remember that your curiosity may well be someone elses trauma. I was lucky, I had an overwhelming amount of support from family and friends and my community, and now have a beautiful and healthy 11 year old son. Some people are not so lucky and have little support and having vocal doubters just because that wasn't your experience is not helpful. There are enough stresses and confusing emotions to deal with especially if the lack of prenatal care has resulted in difficulties for the child. I wish you all the best Kim and don't ever feel like you are obligated to justify yourself to anyone.