Breech Babies Club

A perspective on breech water birth

By Maggie Banks, Birthspirit Midwifery Journal 2009; 3:15-19

“The use of deep water immersion with mal-presentation (read: breech) is contraindicated in hospital clinical guidelines on waterbirth, and the use of water is absent as a modality in vaginal breech birth guidelines. Embracing these, giving birth in water to a breech baby would be out of the question for some maternity providers. Yet others are very specific in seeing breech presentation as a positive indication for waterbirth because of the buoyancy afforded to the baby and umbilical cord, both of which are kept warm in the water until surfacing into the cooler air Ponette”

http://www.birthspirit.co.nz/a-toe-in-the-water-exploring-breech-waterbirth/

A successful unmedicated hospital breech birth for a first-time mum…

A successful unmedicated hospital breech birth for a first-time mum…

” I could feel how the bottom came completely out followed by the legs. It was amazing. This feeling made me stronger and I started to push again and I could feel that much more was coming.”

“It was just unbelievable to hold my little stubborn baby who wanted to come out with the little bottom first. My husband and I were so full of love.”

http://42weeks.ie/2013/05/24/first-time-mother-has-a-vaginal-breech-birth/

A planned breech home birth surrounded by mothers!

A planned breech home birth surrounded by mothers!

“Her fluid was perfect, her placenta was posterior, her cord was adequate, and she merely arrived bottom first in 4 of the most intense pushes that I have ever experienced. With vertex babies (my previous 4 were posterior vertex), the “work” is basically over once the head and shoulders emerge. The rest of the baby sort of slithers out quickly. Not so with breech babies.  I had to work for every inch of my baby daughter’s arrival. The first pushes of her birth exposed her bottom. (She pooped….not unusual for breech babies when their bottoms are exposed to the cool air).  The next brought forth her legs because her hips were flexed and her legs were folded Indian style against her body. I roared with the push that brought her shoulders, and lastly, one enormous push later her head was born and I couldn’t believe that Evelyn was saying, “Carla, take your baby!” in a shocked voice.

Evelyn never needed the special techniques to encourage her arrival. She never needed to help guide her legs down, help free the cord, or reach up to guide her head down by the chin. My daughter and I had done it together, and all my midwife had to do was wait and catch. She later remarked that what was poised to be the most challenging birth of her month ended up being the fastest and easiest.”

http://enjoybirth.com/blog/2008/08/21/beautiful-breech-homebirth-story/

A midwife-supported hospital breech birth

A midwife-supported hospital breech birth.

“At one point a midwife rushed into the room announcing I couldn’t possibly give birth on the floor – “it’s against hospital policy”. She stormed out again not waiting for a reply. Sarah and I looked at each other, nonplussed. Sarah left to have a discreet word with the ward manager – we didn’t see that midwife again.”

“The hospital midwife pressed the monitor against my tummy, even though the baby’s body was by now hanging outside. She was laughingly redirected.”

“In the end, it was not where I had the birth that mattered, but who was with me.”

http://www.homebirth.org.uk/sophiebreech.htm

A planned c-section for footling breech (with video)

A planned c-section for an awkward breech with one foot up and one foot down, and a family history of breech (with a video):

“I don’t feel guilty about doing it, though. There were no doctors or midwives on the island who would deliver a breech baby. Giving her position, I wasn’t going to risk doing it by myself. In the head, we weighed our options and felt fairly in control of the whole process. Still, I feel some disappointment in missing out of the experience that I was envisioning, though I hope with our next baby we can have a home birth after cesarean.”

http://birthwithoutfearblog.com/2013/11/14/a-cesarean-for-breech-birth-with-video/

A hospital breech birth from the dad’s perspective

“They assured her that the epidural tube was not connected, and told her she had to trigger another pushing wave. They told me to kiss Nicole, to try and help the process, because kissing can promote the release of oxytocin, which stimulates uterine contractions. And so, with about a dozen people around the operating table, I started making out with my wife. ”

http://spencerrankin.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/claires-birth-story/

A hospital breech birth despite lack of supportive doctors…

““Just in case” the doctors brought me to the O.R. to deliver the baby. The O.R was filled with staff (15-20 people) who couldn’t resist seeing this unique occurrence. I was givenan IV and put on the operating table (HORRIBLY uncomfortable). Here too I continually had to hear from the staff that I was putting my baby at risk of dying. Even as our sweet Emmette was coming down the birth canal the doctor was asking to do a c-section.”

“One of the mottos of midwifery is “the care is not in the catch” so I reminded Elizabeth that it was because of her diligent determination to help me have a natural birth that I was able to achieve just that!”

http://beautifulfeetmidwiferycare.com/1/post/2014/01/emmettes-birth-story-vaginal-breech-birth-in-the-hospital.html

One mother, three breech babies

A fabulous series of birth stories by one mother of three children, and all of them were breech.

“Women should feel empowered in their birth choices/experience & should trust in their inner strength and natural ability. Natural breech birth can be done & can be a wonderfully amazing & beautiful birth experience!!”

First – undiagnosed, resulting in an emergency c-section in labour

“I will never forget the feeling of being strapped down to the operating table & having my baby ripped out of me as the OB on duty chatted with the nurses drinking her coffee.”

http://www.mothersofchange.com/2012/07/my-breech-babies-part-i.html

Second – a planned natural breech VBAC in hospital

“I had nurses ask me the next day why I would try to deliver naturally when I knew the baby was breech.  All I can say is having gone through both a C-section and natural breech delivery – I would take the breech delivery any day!”

http://www.mothersofchange.com/2012/07/my-breech-babies-part-ii.html

And third – a planned natural breech VBAC in the same hospital

“He was delivered by the OB on duty and a resident as our OB watched – it was an amazing experience! The tone in the room was also so different this time as the staff were so positive about the breech birth and it was an atmosphere of “way to go, that was amazing – you did it” as opposed to “why would you try and do that” as with my 2nd.  The OB & resident were great & genuinely interested in my wellbeing & in being involved with a natural breech delivery.”

http://www.mothersofchange.com/2012/07/my-breech-babies-part-iii.html