This cheeky little bubba was clearly in a hurry to arrive before Mother’s Day, he made quite the entrance earlier than expected and via breech caesarean!

Archer Ryan was delivered on 5 April by Dr Sarah Roberts and Dr Emily Fiske, with assistance from private midwife Amy Corlass and our wonderful midwives and Theatre team.

Mum, Helen Mason was on her last day at work before maternity leave when she went into labour, and her husband, Mark almost didn’t make it to the hospital in time.

“It was a bit of a shock,” said Helen. “But the midwives and Theatre team did an amazing job of putting us at ease and welcoming us into the space.”

Helen’s obstetrician Dr Natalie Elphinstone was unable to make it to the birth in time.

“We had chosen to self-fund to have the baby at The Bays because I’d felt so heard and supported after my first appointment with Natalie. But we hadn’t even had the birth plan chat before I went into labour!”

“And yet the team at The Bays did everything I could have wanted. What could have been quite a traumatic birth was just so beautiful.”

“They were so supportive and really created such a safe space for me. Everyone smiled and looked at my husband when he walked into theatre. I felt heard, understood and in control.”

“And the paediatrician, Dr Cameron Smirk was phenomenal. Despite Archer being premature, Dr Smirk instinctively did everything that I wanted, from delayed cord clamping to immediate skin-to-skin for 20 minutes. I didn’t get that with my first caesarean birth, and it was a really healing and powerful experience.”

After birth, Archer was cared for in our Special Care Nursery for two weeks before going home, and Helen stayed on in the Maternity Unit as a boarder after being discharged.

“It was amazing to be able to stay close to Archer, to breastfeed and pump around the clock, and just recover. I don’t know how I could have coped at home juggling a toddler and premature newborn, while unable to drive after my caesarean.”

“The midwives were so lovely, supportive and caring, and felt like my friends. It could have been lonely and isolating being away from my family, but it was nice having women I could talk to.”

“Having my own room was also amazing, and The Bays is such an aesthetically pleasing place for a woman recovering from birth. The woman-centred care at The Bays was incredible, and so was the food!”

Thanks Helen for choosing The Bays, we are so pleased you experienced ‘The Bays Difference’!

Pictured: Helen, Mark, baby Archer and proud older sister, Matilda