Breech Babies Club

The breech freebirth of Wilde

Hi everyone, just wanted to let you know that our baby girl, Wilde Honey Valentine May was freeborn at 10.30pm on 29th April. 8lb 4oz.

Towards the end of a lovely, unassisted pregnancy I had become instinctively questioning about the baby’s presentation – head down only felt right on some days and when s/he had hiccups that felt very low, otherwise I could feel a high, hard ball that wobbled like a head when palpated. This was my fifth term pregnancy and having had a footling breech baby in 2000, I could remember what to feel for. I was aware I had a lot of water and the baby made big movements – plenty of room to swim about or turn yet! DH and I spent some hours talking through breech birth articles/videos and all I had learned and could remember from last time when Mary Cronk and Jane Evans had coached me through the last few weeks of pregnancy and Jane had actually ended up catching my baby too when the NHS failed to provide the care I needed.

Labour began early last Wednesday morning with gentle surges that mostly went away for the day while dh was working and I had our 3 yr to care for. Lovely day playing on the beach, walking, humming/moaning through about one surge per hour. Husband home at 8pm and suddenly everything ramped up so that they were coming every 3 mins and intense. Set up birth space on bedroom floor: clear, lovely waters soaked everything at 9pm-ish, baby felt high still, I was unsure on presentation but could not visualise baby head down at all, even asked dh to get a picture to help me but it still felt all wrong to see her coming down that way. Labour stalled at this point, mentally blocked I feel, perhaps worry in the way, but giving me a long ‘rest and be thankful’ of about 30 mins. Sorted wet birthing space, dh read a little to me (Laurie Lee), centred thoughts after asking dh to leave me alone in room, intoned ‘open’ over and over keeping lips open and loose, tried a few different positions – standing, hip circling, rocking, walking on spot – gently, gently, not stressing, just experimenting, laying down to rest as I felt the need. Took homeopathic remedy caulophyllum and with two gentle surges things began again.

On floor, all fours. 15 minutes later one very, very long surge where at the top I heard my sounds change – less moany, more grunty and my body began pushing. Dh heard too and came back into bedroom, two pushes and I could feel the baby at the vaginal opening, but knew it was not the head. Reached up to feel with my fingers to find a loop of umbilical cord alongside an angled limb. Felt scared – pain came in. Asked dh to call 999 and midwife (we were not booked in as such but had informed local SOM of pregnancy and intention to freebirth and asked for phone numbers just in case). All fours still, bottom in air to take pressure off cord, feeling my body push – wondering what would come out – could I have had it so wrong and baby is transverse, will an arm come down first? Yes, it may, breathe, breathe but this is still my baby’s birth and oddly that phrase ‘Peace on earth begins with birth’ kept repeating in my thoughts – relax, stay peaceful, calm – birth is what it is, trust, trust, trust.

Ah ha! A leg fully extends, moving, white with vernix, toes towards me so: posterior baby, knees/feet first. Now I know, now to push! Huge, powerful surges, storm waves overtaking me, bellowing. Two kicking legs out. Ordered dh off phone – ‘It’s fine, it’s all fine but I NEED YOU, STOP TALKING ON THE PHONE!!!!!’

Baby out to chest, dh: ‘Can I help?’ me: ‘No, no, remember hands off! Do NOT touch. Let it hang there, rotate.’ Baby rotates, arms flop down, dh: ‘theres only the head in now’. Bottom low to floor, using floor to support and move baby, to tuck chin, head needs to come out, easy, easy. Almighty pushes, one huge surge or no surge at all – I am powering this, out baby, out. Small, carved from soap baby on towels beneath me. I crouch over her, talking to her, pick her up, rub her back – ‘come to me baby, we love you, we love you’. Bubbles from her lips, small mewing sounds, breath, a shout. She breathes: a daughter.

Placenta arrived 30 mins later, ambulance another ten mins again, midwife about an hour after the birth. No problems, all well.
Still processing this powerful, amazing experience but wanted to share our story, as raw as it is, with all you wondrous, birthing women as, hopefully, an encouragement and maybe an inspiration. Birth, breech or otherwise, is what it is, trust it, trust your body. You CAN do it and don’t let anyone tell you, intimidate you, bully you, pressure you, scare you into believing anything else! xx

A home birth of first-time twins – second baby breech

“We soon realised that just as annoying as Jo Public’s views were romantic, the NHS’ policies and attitudes to twins were shocking – routine intervention, endless scanning, water birthing out of the question, expected epidural and C section ‘very likely’.”

“We decided at this point to go with our initial instincts and discuss the situation with an independent midwife. Valerie Gommon was recommended to us, she came round for dinner and for the first time in our pregnancy we discussed our options with a professional practitioner who seemed to use common sense and wisdom rather than fear of litigation. We decided for the safe arrival of our girls, in a relaxed atmosphere where I would feel empowered and in control, £3,500 was worth every penny. To put this into context of our spending this is twice as much as we spent on our car and 35 times what we spent on our wedding. Independent midwives are not just for the rich; we believe the money was well-spent and actually fantastic value for the level of care and amount of time Valerie and her colleagues spent with us.”

http://www.3shiresmidwife.co.uk/homebirthtwins.pdf

A calm hospital breech birth

“I count my lucky stars that I found Andrew and had the fortitude to strive for a Plan C… however it wasn’t really luck, it was all about preparation:

•    Doing lots of homework so I was fully informed every step of the way;
•    Creating a private, safe & sacred space to birth in, with caregivers who supported me 110% (settling for nothing less);
•    Using visualisation, affirmations & meditation to help maintain my positive mindset;
•    Listening to my instincts & letting them guide me through the obstacles;
•    Connecting with my baby throughout;
•    Practicing my calm breathing and using it consistently;
& lastly, but perhaps most importantly –
•    Trusting implicitly in my body to do the job that it was so magnificently designed to do.”

http://coastkids.com.au/blog/2010/06/vaginal-breech-birth-on-the-central-coast/

Cayleigh’s birth – a planned hospital breech birth

“This is getting ridiculous.  This baby is wedged in my pelvis, without ultrasound technology it is unlikely that anyone would have realised this baby was breech.  It’s legs are extended and there is little room to move.  I am making myself sick doing acrobatics to try to get postural turning, and taking desperate measures to try to get this baby to move.  “I just want to be normal”, I hear myself say it over and over again as I talk to family, friends and begin to beg the universe “You’ve made your point!”.  The thought of lying on a theatre table, as they cut me open and surgically extract my child, makes me sick to my stomach.  I don’t believe that I am “in need” of a caesarean section but I am not the one that needs convincing.”

“Dr A splints and supports one little arm out, then the other, each provides instant relief as they are birthed.  I take a breather briefly, I am not contracting.  As Dr A hangs my baby over her arm I am instructed to push.  “Even though I’m not contracting?”, yes, “PUSH!” the chorus instructs me.  At this moment, I feel like I want to “pant” more than “push”, but I am determined to do this “right”.  I give one almighty push and my baby is born.  (Rosemarie tells me later that “If it was a cephalic birth it would’ve been one push and the baby would have landed in the bucket on the other side of the room”).  It is placed on my chest, eyes wide, looking a little stunned, it is 12:25pm.  I pull it’s little legs apart, “what have you got?” someone asks me “A girl!” (I knew it!).  ”

http://www.breechbirth.net/cayleighs-birth.html

A midwife-supported home breech birth

“I was surrounded by mothers who all labored at one time. With the next contraction, I began thinking of my midwife, the talented Lora Burgess who passed away last year, who worked with Evelyn who always said that there are some births that fathers shouldn’t attend. She was right… With each contraction, my midwives, my mother and my friend would breathe with me, sigh with me, and rest in between. They labored right with me and their support, along with counter pressure from Christina, and her whisperings of support and love made me feel that Lora was right in the room with us, nodding her approval and smiling.”

“I didn’t want a c-section unless my baby was in danger. She never was. 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.”

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

A gentle c-section birth for a breech baby

Our breech baby Jennifer born by c section.

Had hoped for vaginal breech but new decisions needed to be made as not in a good enough position for me to feel confident with vaginal delivery, back to back footling breech.

At consent form signing with consultant he offered me another chance to try and turn baby under the spinal and if she turned to break my waters and transfer to DS for a natural birth allowing the spinal to wear off. Overjoyed to get another ECV and at least a chance for a vaginal birth. Baby didn’t turn with 3 attempts so proceeded with C/S.

Had radio station of my choice, all the staff picked up on my desire for a joyful relaxed environment and each and everyone of them contributed to making it the amazing experience that it turned out to be. The consultant asked if we wanted to see her being born and the screens were dropped, we saw our baby gently eased from within me, her little bum first, she came out so gently and easily. The consultant handed her directly to me, she was pink apgar 9 at 1 min. I held her against my chest with my cord still intact. We were both covered with dry towels and I rubbed her all over talking to her, she breathed without support or assistance in under a minute. Within the next 30 seconds she searched out my breast and latched herself on. Weighing etc was delayed until I was ready. I had delayed cord clamping and cut my baby’s cord after about 5 mins.

The staff were amazing it was an atmosphere of calm celebration and I felt so involved. I was fine throughout and the anesthetiser then took photos of us all together. My baby never lost her connection with me, she was on my breast feeding and I cut her cord. The staff took great care to involve my husband.

I really didn’t want a c/s felt it would be clinical and that I’d be detached from it. My experience has left me with nothing but joy. My consultant (University Hospital North Stafford) had been fully supportive during my pregnancy and there is nothing more I could have asked for or expected, he made the birth of our baby unique and so personal for us and the theatre team were also amazing. We are blessed to have our beautiful daughter she is feeding so well and I believe this is wholly contributed to her being left to do what nature intended.

A breech home birth for a first time mum, supported by independent midwives

“I spent the next 30 hours desperately trying to find an independent midwife with breech experience, and preferably Mary’s recommendation, who could take me on at short notice. Eventually, and having spoken to many wonderfully helpful – but unavailable – IMs, we found Lynn. Little did we realise how short this notice really was – following a few contractions which woke me up during the night, I was in established labour within about 9 hours of confirming our midwife. I was in denial for a while, I couldn’t believe it was such a close call, but eventually had to admit that the contractions had been regular for a couple of hours and we needed to phone Lynn and bring our meeting time forward to NOW!”

“He’s found his voice more now but is still usually a delightfully contented, but expressive, baby and I can’t help but attribute this to the calm and relaxed manner in which he entered the world.”

http://www.northsurreymidwives.co.uk/billy