Emergency Caesarean Positive Birth Story: Alana
Alana’s labour started early in the morning. She laboured until she was fully dilated, but then her baby was having dips in his heart rate when she was pushing. He was also presenting back to back. Alana and her husband used EBRAN to make an informed decision to have a caesarean section. Read this lovely emergency caesarean positive birth story…
Alana’s Emergency Caesarean Positive Birth Story
I woke at 3am Saturday 25th March feeling out of sorts and restless. By 4:30am my waters had started to come and contractions were tightening. I woke my husband and we started timing them whilst cuddled up in bed to keep the calm feelings going. Soon enough laying down on my side was uncomfortable so we got up and remained active around the house. I sat on my birth ball which was a nice sensation. Circling my hips through contractions, walked and leant over the back of the sofa whilst wearing my tens machine. I had a shower allowing the warm water to fall on my lower back during contractions. Then I decided around 10am I’d like to head towards the hospital as it was a 20 min drive.
At the Hospital
Once we arrived my midwife and student midwife got us settled and examined me as a stretchy 3-4cm. We were given the option of heading home or staying nearby and going for a walk to see how things progressed. I decided I wanted to stay nearby so we walked down the hill into town and got a toasted sandwich. Contractions soon started getting more intense and very regular so we made our way slowly up the hill. I knew I’d progressed as I had to stop, lean on something and concentrate on breathing through the contractions rather than walk through them.
Reminding myself I can do anything for 60 seconds and then quickening my walking pace between pains.”
The walk did the trick and I was 5cm and admitted in. The midwives asked about my birth preferences and started filling the pool at my request. My husband got our music sorted and helped me find a comfortable position leaning forward over the arm of the sofa. They sat back quietly and observed for this stage, allowing us to find our own space and calmness.
Monitoring Baby
The pool was filled. I was looking forward to removing my tens machine. I didn’t feel it was doing too much any more) and getting in. My blood pressure had other ideas. The midwives asked if I was happy to be put onto the monitor belly straps so that they could check baby. They did this wireless so I was still able to be up and mobile. Not long after this they noticed baby’s heartbeat slowing with contractions. They asked if I could lay on the bed on my left side. I knew this was important to monitor so did and my husband was still there reminding me to slowly breathe and constantly keeping his hands on my skin so that I knew he was there with me.
I asked for the use of gas and air and they showed me how to use it. Initially it made me feel a bit nauseas but I found what amount worked to take the edge off.
This last stage of labour was slower and more intense. The midwives gave me a peanut ball to help as I was finding the pressure hard when my knees were together laying on my side.
Time to Push…
The down breathing and urges began to strengthen so I asked to move onto my knees and lean over the back of the bed. We tried pushing but a small amount of cervix was still there so I was advised to conserve energy and breath the pains away. I focussed my mind and remembered Beth saying on one of the videos “you can do anything for 60 seconds.” I got to the the peak of the contraction using the gas and air and then breathed normally for the latter half of it.
10cm and time to push but something wasn’t quite right. The monitors couldn’t find baby. I was quickly asked to turn around and lay on my back so they could reposition the monitors… No still not working. They informed us that the buzzer will be pulled and not to panic but lots of people will be coming in. Within seconds I was in stirrups and a the doctor asking if she could scan to see which way baby was presenting. Back to back but also looking sideways towards my right hip.
A Change of Plans
The doctor explained that baby’s heart rate had not recovered well from the last contraction/pushing so she wanted to give me some options.
- 30mins to try pushing and hope baby turns on the way out.
- Manual turn and forceps with episiotomy in theatre
- Caesarean section
Making an Informed Decision
In our prep I had told my husband that I was really not wanting a forceps delivery, they scared me and it just wasn’t something I wanted. We used our EBRAN. This was an emergency. Baby’s heart rate was telling us that much. So pushing didn’t really cross my mind as an option. We told them I didn’t want forceps and asked if ventouse was possible? The doctor explained that the wrong part of baby’s head was presenting and also she could see swelling on the scan so ventouse was not an option but asked why I didn’t want the forceps.
After a discussion with them about the safety factors of forceps delivery and a brief exchange with my husband (contractions were very painful now and I wasn’t allowed to push with them for baby’s safety) we decided that they could try the manual turn first and have consent to revert to a caesarean section if needed.
I walked next door to theatre breathing through two more big contractions. They quickly had me sat on the bed with the epidural administered. My husband was then seated close to me and holding my hand.
The manual turn was not successful. Baby went straight back to the same place and slightly higher in my pelvis so they could no longer reach with the forceps anyway.
Emergency Caesarean: My Positive Birth
Knowing this was the safest thing for baby helped keep us both calm. The team explained everything as they did it. They asked our preferences for finding out our baby’s gender upon birth.
At 8:18pm our very squashed but perfectly healthy baby boy was born. Demonstrating to everyone that his lungs were in perfect working order!
This may not have been my ideal birth, but I felt in control of each situation and able to make informed decisions based on the facts we were given or asked about. The Bump to Baby Chapter helped my husband feel a lot calmer than he would have done without doing our birth prep. He was able to keep reminding me I could ask for more pain relief if I wanted it or that I could request to change position when he felt I was getting very uncomfortable.
Thank you so much! The course has lead to us both feeling quite calm and content despite the emergency situation it ended in.”
Baby Ellis – 7lb 5oz
