Empowering Caesarean sections do happen…

Caesarean sections can be beautiful, empowering, and positive.

That sentence is something you don’t often see, in fact, positive section stories can be extremely difficult to come across. Granted it’s major surgery and often the recovery can be difficult but these situations can still be just as beautiful as physiological birth. As a doula, I am super passionate about removing the shame from areas of birth such as c-sections, pain relief & interventions because ultimately, if the woman has made an informed decision to go down a path, who the heck am I to say it’s not the “correct” thing to do!!

This month, I have had a friend, Rachel, share her experience having caesarean section as a first time Mumma. I want to take the time to thank Rachel for showing that even when your ideal birth doesn’t happen, it can still be an incredible experience.

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The birth I planned, was a water birth which was medication free in the King Edwards family birth centre (FBC), but Bub had a different plan for us.  I applied for the FBC at 7 weeks and was accepted, I was then seen by a midwife there and she was amazing, we saw her from about 26 weeks up until the day I birthed. 

About 34 weeks our birth plan began to change. During a routine midwife appointment, I explained the movements I was feeling, I hard lump under my ribs that would take my breath away and lots of movements down in my pelvis. After being sent for a scan at KEMH we found out my baby was in breech position. We had appointments and discussions with our midwife about what my options were now. The midwife gave me information about turning babies and also VBB (vaginal breech births) which was the option I was I hoping to go if I couldn’t get Bub in position. 

With the help of my midwife, we booked in for a ECV at 36 weeks which is a medicated attempt to turn the baby. I found this extremely uncomfortable, and it was unfortunately this was unsuccessful, and Bub stayed put. But due to my meetings and conversations with my midwife I knew my options and had the courage to ask questions regarding my options. 

Although baby had other plans, Rachel equipped herself with information to make her own informed decision.

I then had a meeting at the east wing where we further discussed my options for moving forward. We went through the guidelines for a VBB at King Eddies. My midwife from FBC went with me to this appointment and helped advocate for what I wanted and answers questions I had. 

Our meeting at the East Wing was very emotional, during our meeting we discussed the guidelines, due to the size, position of baby and the fact it was my first baby a VBB would be dangerous for myself and my baby. Even though this was not the birth that I planned I knew that I had enough information and felt confident in my decision to book in for a c-section on 24th Dec 2020 

 On Christmas Eve my husband and I headed into KEMH, we were met by our midwife in the Day Surgery area. She told us that she would be around the FBC and would get called when we were going through so she could meet us. 

 We arrived at 7am in the morning to be checked in, that day they were multiple emergency c-sections. At 1.30pm we finally got taken through to surgery. I was prepped as to what would happen, spoke to my surgical team which made me feel at ease. When I was taken into the theatre, they made me perch on the end of the bed to have a numbing injection and then the spinal block. I instantly could feel warmth spreading as it was injected and they then assisted me lay back on the bed. They attached me to machines, offered me a blanket and placed the screen above my pregnant belly. The anaesthesiologist was a lovely man who asked me if I was ok and was able to give me something as I had the shakes but wasn’t cold.

 The surgeon let everyone know to not let us know the sex of our baby was as we didn’t know and everyone in the theatre knew that we wanted my husband to announce it. Whilst laying on the table I had a sense of calm, my husband by my side and we waited anxiously for Bub to come out. They do a test to ensure you can feel anything, by running a ice cube from my hip and chest and when I felt no cold sensation they began. 

I felt no pain, a strange sensation of pulling and movement as the surgeons performed the procedure. 

I remember one of the surgeons leaning across the table and over my bump to help get Bub out. When he was out they took him straight to the nurses station as he was in a bit of shock and I had lost quite a bit of blood. 

Once Bub was out I just wanted to hear that cry to know that everything was going to be ok and that Bub was breathing. He cried so loudly! My husband brought our baby over to me and told me it was a boy! Our little Hugo 💙  Our midwife came over and told me she was going to go with my husband and baby to the nursery as he needed a little bit of support with breathing and to get checked over. 

Baby Hugo

My husband and midwife stayed with Bub, they fed him the colostrum I had expressed and stayed with him til he was ready to come back to the room to meet me again. 

The recovery was way better than I expected! I hardly had any pain with the medications I was taking. I was up and walking by the evening as I wanted to go see Hugo as he had to go stay in the nursery. The nurses on the floor took me in a wheelchair to feed and see Hugo through the night before he came back to my room the following day. At KEMH we had our own room and Hugo then stayed with me until we left. 

We left the hospital after 5 days, when I got home, I was in no pain and wasn’t on any medications but was sent home with some just in case. My scar has healed amazingly and is hardly visible.

Hugo with his incredible Mumma, Rachel <3