Heather

We are having our first baby. We decided to wait until Cristen had a job and we had some stability. We are 34 weeks pregnant now. I had a few health problems which took me to hospital in the early months but I was starting to feel a bit better. I started to get excited. The house was getting in order and I was getting the baby clothes ready and then the flood happened.

There was a flood in about 2008 when we arrived and it was the year it came close to over topping the levee. We were told to evacuate and we did as we were new to the area. No-one else evacuated as they said there was no need. This time we were told to evacuate but we thought we’d be ok. We put sandbags down and at 11pm the police were telling us to evacuate. We stayed up and watched the water rise. 4am in the morning I was so exhausted I went to bed and as I hit the bed I heard the overtopping sirens go off. At that stage I still felt we would be ok. I dozed off and Kristin woke me, “There’s water coming in the house’ There was 10cm’s water on the bedroom floor and it was rising so fast. I was running around frantically grabbing cats and stuff. We managed to get up to the mezzanine level and I just watching it rise. We had moved things to higher ground.

I was lucky I didn’t lose my clothes, my books and a lot of my sentimental stuff I saved. We lost all our furniture except our bed. The water came so close to our mattress and I am so happy we still have that. We lost all our baby stuff and everything in the garage. A lot of our belongings were only made of chipboard and melamine. Once that stuff gets wet it’s gone.

7am on the Friday morning I ring the SES and say we need to be evacuated. Because we had a dry part of the house we were a bit lower on the list of emergencies. As the morning went on and the water was still rising I told them I was 29 weeks pregnant and I was so stressed. No sleep, no food as I couldn’t swallow and so very stressed. By 3pm that arvo they said they were on their way but they got delayed so about 7pm I felt a contraction. 5 minutes later another. It kept happening so I called 000. They couldn’t get an ambulance obviously. The SES couldn’t come in the dark with a boat. We got a phone call from a midwife in Sydney to assess me and he’s saying, ‘Yes we need to get you to hospital’. They were looking at maps to see where they could land a helicopter.

The Westpac called me and said it looks like we have to winch you up to the helicopter. I’m terrified of heights. He said, ‘Get your partner out in the middle of the road and wave. When we find a safe spot we’ll come down and put a harness on you and winch you into the chopper.” The next thing the helicopter is hovering, power lines, trees. aarrgghh!!

The guy across the road had a big sign hanging off his verandah during the flood asking for someone to bring him chicken nuggets. It turns out later when he heard the chopper, he thought it might have been his chicken nuggets.

They dropped the Paramedic down and he was the sweetest, calmest man. He was so comforting. We wade out the front through the water and they had to lower me down on the ground. Right in the very middle of the road the water had receded. The chopper starts coming down closer and it felt like an alien abduction. All the wind, water spraying everywhere. Then the winch comes down. He hooks me up and at one time I opened my eyes and we were near the power lines. So freaky! We get to the top and the wind was so intense. Next thing we are at the hospital and I was so glad they have the helipad at Lismore Base now. The contractions ended up settling as it was just intense stress.

On the Sunday they let me come home to mud. We spent the next 3 weeks getting the house back. So many volunteers helped. Ripping up carpet, throwing out all our furniture. The water was so toxic. We have a smash repair 2 doors down and all their paints, solvents and oils were swirling around with all the sewerage.

We kept finding ourselves at the helping hands hub just to talk to people and get away from our house. Every time I looked at our rubbish pile I saw things that were my grandmothers and that was depressing. My car went under but we salvaged it…sort of.

People have donated baby clothes and a cot. I have a donated basinette coming. People have been so kind. On ANZAC day I thought I’d have a rest day. Next thing my pants were wet. I called the hospital and it was amniotic fluid. It was too early. They kept me in, did scans and I was just beside myself. I didn’t have anything ready for my baby. I was still trying to clean up from the flood. I didn’t even have a hospital bag packed. One of my good friends came and washed all the baby clothes I had been donated. Once I have the basinette I will be happy. It’s coming. I can’t put a carseat in my wet, stinky car.

I’m ok though and I’m home again. They are keeping me monitored so not sure if I will be induced early or whether this baby hangs in. I need to be organised. I don’t want my baby sleeping in a drawer. I went to pack my hospital bag and realised all our luggage was also stored under the house so it’s all gone too. It’s all those little things you don’t realise till they’re gone.

The Helping Hands have been amazing. I have a nappy bag and a suitcase and other goods. The people who donated the nappy bag also gave me a gift card. They have a 7 year old son who donated his teddy and he wrote a beautiful note saying ‘Please use this gift card to buy something nice for your Bub.’ He was so sweet. I gave him a big hug and he told his dad he felt the baby kicking.

I was in tears and blown away by all the help and the volunteers who have given their all.” Most people are stressed out just preparing for their first baby. Others are stressed out getting through a disaster and I’ve got it all at once but I still feel so blessed.”