Gemma’s Unplanned Cesarean Section

Love reading positive birth stories? You’re in the right place! This positive birth story is with Gemma who says she had “the exact opposite” of the birth she envisioned, but it was still a “wonderful day to look back on and something you can genuinely enjoy”. Gemma had planned for a water birth on a maternity-led unit, but following an induction that did not progress Gemma used EBRAN to decide on an unplanned cesarean section.

So I had 2 sweeps one at 40 +2 and the other at 40+4 and I had booked an induction appt for 41 weeks if nothing happened. Which it didn’t lol. So Saturday 15th May at 41 weeks and the size of an adult walrus we went off to MAFU at 2.30pm for my induction appt. Had been told by community midwives my cervix was favourable and 2cm with bulging waters.

Upon reviewing the note midwife said that I would be booked in on Sunday for AROM and in the meantime she would sweep me again as it sounded like I was on the cusp and ready to go. So she examined me and it was so painful. She said that I was actually only 1cm dilated at the most and therefore she would put the propess in. So she did and off home I went with an appt to come back the next day. 

About 10pm I noticed I was getting regular pains so I started timing them and sure enough Freya said I was in active labour so I called the hospital and they said to stay home unless my waters broke or they got more painful/closer together. About 11.45pm I was laying on the couch and hubs was just dozed off on the other couch when I felt a sharp pain. Five minutes later I felt a small trickle then water POURED out. I fling myself off the sofa and squished my pad to myself and shouted “DARROLMYWATERSJUSTBROKE” and went to sit on the loo.

While hubs rushed about getting me things. I called the hospital and we went in for 1am. They examined me and said I was still only 1cm with baby High up. They were concerned about cord prolapse due to lack of water and also baby’s position and so I was transferred to the labour ward to see how I got on. Hubs and I were put in a delivery room which was lovely as we were together. This was about 3.30am. I labored until 9am the next day using only 2 paracetamol my TENS Machine (which was amazing BTW) and the hospitals birthing ball with best of Elvis on Spotify ?? 

When they examined me I was 2CM with baby high up ?….. So they said they would put me on the syntocinon drip and at that point I asked for an epidural which went in fine and was blissful. The drip caused regular strong contractions according to the monitor, but baby started having decelerations when I contracted and at one point her heart rate was very low. So they got a clip on her which was very much like being a farm animal examined by James Herriot on All Creatures Great and Small. They were able to monitor her better and confirm that my cervix was STILL no more than 2cm with baby High up and baby was not happy so they stopped the drip.

At this point I asked to the midwives if a C section was looking likely and she said yes. I said that was fine. It wasn’t what I planned or wanted but needs must. I asked her to go get the consultant and we could discuss it. Off she went and came back and introduced me as the “most pragmatic mum to be she had ever met”. I spoke with the consultant who basically said the drip was not working and we had run out of options and I agreed immediately. Hubs and I had both said we wanted the section now to get her out safe and well.

So I was prepped for a section and although I was nervous I wasn’t nervous about the procedure.

Baby Aurelia Kym Lynda Van Duke was born at 16.07 on 16th May 2021 through the sunroof ?? BUT it turned out she had the cord wrapped round her waist over one shoulder and wrapped round her arm so she probably would have never come out naturally anyway. So I probably would have had an emergency c section. 

The two midwives we had were amazing, chatty, friendly and they were there all day we actually all had an amazing time together it was a fantastic day. Hubs and I were sad when they had to go home on shift change. We’re going to send them some gifts as a thank you it was honestly like a day with 2 mates just chatting and laughing. I honestly would not have had such an amazing day if it wasn’t for this course. It was not my ideal birth but I had all the knowledge I needed beforehand to know what decision I would make if that scenario came up so nothing was a shock or surprise and I was totally calm and prepared.

I hope after all of this waffle you can take away that even if your birth goes completely the opposite way you had imagined it can still be a wonderful day to look back on and something you can genuinely enjoy. This course absolutely made the difference to me, I get terrible anxiety over the unknown or the unplanned (which birth always is) but because I knew about each of these interventions I was able to make confident choices.

Click the link for more information about The Bump to Baby Chapter’s Hypnobirthing and Antenatal Online Course. Know what you can do to stack the odds in your favour for the birth that you want. Videos, checklists, audios & a support group all created by a midwife to get you feeling excited, prepared and confident for birth.