Positive Cesarean: Jen and Raeya
Love reading positive birth stories? You’re in the right place! This positive birth story is with Jen’s first baby. Jen went into labour and upon arriving at the hospital they discovered her baby was breech, leading Jen using EBRAN to chose an unplanned cesarean section.
My due date was 1st March and this is my first baby. At my 36 week midwife appointment baby was described as “almost fully engaged 2/5” but then at my 38 week appointment her head was no longer in my pelvis it seemed to be higher up. Midwives we’re still happy that baby was in the correct position and that she would move down when ready. I had a 4D scan at 28 weeks and at that point baby was breech so at 38 weeks when they said she wasn’t in my pelvis I started saying to my boyfriend “I think it’s her bum they can feel and she’s still breech as I don’t think I’ve felt her fully turn…”
Over the weekend me and my boyfriend spent our time getting the house clean, repacking hospital bags, and making sure everything was ready as due date was Monday meaning I only had a maximum of 2 weeks to deliver. Monday morning (due date) at 4.30am I went to the toilet. Every single morning in pregnancy baby has woke at 4.30am and I kept saying wonder if that’s a sign somethings going to happen then. While I was sat on the toilet I felt a little pop on one side of my pelvis and a big gush of fluid. I wasn’t sure this was definitely my waters, I was wondering whether baby had moved position that had helped me wee easier but I woke my boyfriend up anyway to let him know and went back to the toilet. From this point onwards water was constantly leaking so I knew this was more than just a wee. No contractions at this point. We phoned the hospital who advised me to clean up, have something to eat and then head in so I did just that taking my time. My plan was to go and get checked over and then come home to cook a joint of beef for tea ?
Just as I left the house I felt a pain that I thought may have been a contraction but I was so calm about everything at this point. By the time we got to the hospital it was 6am and these “little pains” – contractions were very obvious and I started timing them to discover they were every 3 minutes. I used my breathing techniques at this point and was managing really well just dreading the thought of how long everything was going to take. When I was examined in triage my contractions had ramped up and I decided to have some paracetamol at this point.
On examination the midwife said I was 4-5cm and my cervix was very thin. I genuinely couldn’t believe it. She was concerned however that baby wasn’t facing the right way so decided to scan me in order to check. And of course the scan quickly shown that baby was breech. She was still in the same position she had been in all along bum first with her feet in front of her face under my ribs. My contractions were really progressing fast and apparently with breech labours they can go much quicker so the next minute I had multiple doctors in my room discussing my options, inserting a cannula, and giving me some gas and air to take that edge off. My options were to attempt a vaginal breech delivery or to be taken straight in for an emergency section. I had been so calm about everything but at this point I had a wobble. They gave me 3 minutes to make a decision and I had no idea what to do. My boyfriend was so supportive and reminded me of the things I had learnt on this course. He reminded me to control the things I can and let go of the things I can’t and how to weigh up our options using EBRAN. He also reminded me that I was getting tense and to relax my shoulders and jaw.
Together we made a very quick decision to go for a section (which I never wanted, always wanted a natural birth) but that was the safest option for baby at the time which is all that mattered to me. My boyfriend had to literally run to the carpark for my bags whilst I went straight in for a spinal as he wasn’t allowed in at that point anyway. Minutes later we were in theatre together chatting away behind a screen and he was massaging my shoulders while we both kept each other calm and relaxed (laughing at the fact I thought I was making a joint of beef for tea that day). Whilst in theatre I was quickly examined again to ensure that I had not progressed too quickly for the section…I was around 7cm by then.
Shortly after at 08.09am we heard a cry….our baby girl was here. Happy and healthy weighing a good 8lb 1oz with no obvious complications. She has completed our lives and I couldn’t be happier with the decisions we made. Yes I had a wobble which lasted a minute or two and no I didn’t get the birth I “wanted” but I was calm, I handled contractions very well, I felt well informed about things that could of happened in order to aid my decision making, and honestly I was just really proud of myself. Midwives said it was obvious I had done some sort of hypnobirthing with the way I handled everything.Currently awake early hours of the morning with my gorgeous bundle of joy and had to just say a big thank you to Beth Kitt for this amazing course and to all the people in here who have helped me.
Raeya Jo Madden born on 01.03.2021 (her due date) weighing 8lb 1oz by emergency section with every single thought of what birth I would of liked going out of the window and yet I still feel it was all such a positive experience ?
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.
