A Birth Story – My First Born – The Breech Baby 

I know this birth story is already a few years old, but birth stories never get old do they?

I wish my grandmother were still with us, the stories she would have had to tell.

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball. My pregnancy had gone almost perfect. There I was, 2 weeks until my due date and off for my last ultrasound. I would have never dreamt that my home birth would be scrapped in the coming hour. I had even booked the birthing pool! That had a non refundable deposit!

By baby was lying frank breech. That’s talk for he had his feet by the exit, the doctor told us that it was rare but they could perhaps turn him.

I came back a few days later, it was very painful and my little one kept getting stuck under my one hip bone. I was then told that the baby was just too big.

My options were laid out.

• Wait and see if he would turn by himself. 
• Have a breech birth that no one wanted to deliver, and boy did they lay a guilt trip and horror story about heads getting stuck and blue babies down for that case. 
• Or have a C-section. 

I was already just over 39 weeks pregnant at this time, I am sure if you have been pregnant you know how us larger pregnant woman are! Get OUT baby!

After some thought we decided to have the c-sec. I had done no research on the topic and my beautiful home birth was gone to be replaced by a major surgery I knew nothing about! Some googling happened that evening.

Here is most of what I can remember from that day, my first born’s birth story.

It was a Thursday and I had hardly slept the night before, we headed to the hospital at about 5:30am as my csec was scheduled for 8am. I am so grateful that my midwife was able to make the birth as well, she was a real comfort, telling me what was happening and what to expect, such as being hooked up to the monitors for 30 odd minutes.

I recall the one nurse coming in asking why I was having a csec. I told her and she had a feel, “are you sure he didn’t turn overnight?” she asked. I shrugged and told her I had felt nothing of the sort. She then called for the portable ultrasound and yes, still breech.

My husband then got some scrubs to dress in, I got yet more pubic hair shaved and then asked a bunch of questions by the guy that does the spinal block and off to theater I went. The spinal block went in the second time and I started going numb from the toes up. I was then laid on the table, a blue divider put up and washed down with the stuff they use for surgery.

The doctor kindly asked if I could feel this, this being him sticking me with his knife. No. Next thing he says, you are going to feel a bit of tugging. No sh!t! Tugging didn’t cover it! Since my baby was breech they had to do alot of tugging! The assistant doctor put her hands at the top of my stomach and pushed down. This seemed to take forever and then.. crying..

I could breathe. It felt like a boulder had been lifted off my chest!

A few moments later a dripping little BOY was held up over the curtain for me to see. I was overwhelmed and just stared. I remember a drop of blood dropping off of my baby and onto my arm. That splatter is forever etched into my mind along with those huge hanging balls! yes, a boy indeed.

He was taken off to be weighed and measured. 8:25am 3,505kg, 52cm long. I then had a bit of an emotional cry.

My husband got to hold the little fella while I was stitched up, this took about 20 to 30 minutes after which I got wheeled to observation for blood pressure checking. Which is where our first born got his first picture. I think he is kinda saying “sooo, your my daddy..”

We tried a bit of breastfeeding, but he wasn’t that interested. Back in my room (I had no room mate in the other bed) we tried a few more times to get the breastfeeding going.

I think my body had not realized it had just had a baby. The nipples would not stand out and my midwife sent my husband off to get nipple shields. Which didn’t seem to help.

After much tweaking and way to many other peoples hands on my boobs! He slowly started latching and sucking. I had one snooty nurse tell me he was a formula baby. I promptly bite her head off and spat it out.

My first born got a few pricks on his heels for sugar testing since he was having problems latching and being generally sleepy. Drugs do that I guess. After 2 days in the hospital my husband convinced the doctor to release me home under my midwifes care.

Breastfeeding went a lot better on day 3, at home, all relaxed my milk came in as well. I spent the next 2 weeks in the new baby haze, with a sore csec area and some pain pills. (but that’s another post!)

Do you have a birth story to share?

Our first look via an ultrasound. 9 weeks.

7 days before baby. 38 weeks pregnant.

hooked up to the monitors before the csec

mommy looking ruff, drugged up and overwhelmed.

next baby bags all had nail clippers in them!

a week old, time goes so fast

About the author: Nicolette Roux

I am married with three children all currently under the age of 4 years. I am a stay at home mom, planning on homeschooling. I do most of those mommy things like bake, craft, sew, I can even crochet. My word for 2013 is LIVE and I so do plan to live life to the fullest!