A breech caesarean birth and how hypnobirthing helped make it an amazing experience

Today’s blog post is a little different! For most of the blogs so far I’ve written about my own experiences. Not because it’s ‘all about me’, not at all. But so you can get a feel for me and where I’ve come from, how I found hypnobirthing and how I can use those experiences to help you.

But I’m running out of children to talk about (jokes) so today I bring you a birth story that doesn’t belong to myself - this is a guest blog from my amazing best friend Sarah. You might remember Sarah from my ‘It Takes a Village’ blog. She’s one of my favourite humans and I’m very grateful she agreed to share her story in this way, I think it can help others a lot especially when  faced with a change of plan.

Here is Sarah’s story in her own words:

From the beginning of my pregnancy, I knew I wanted a natural birth. Ideally a water birth with nothing but gas and air and my birthing partner to get me through.

However, at 37 weeks, we discovered that the baby was breech and after an unsuccessful ECV the following week it looked like he was stubbornly staying in place. We decided a c-section was the new plan.

I had already completed a Hypnobirthing course to support me with my birth plan. During the course I was surprised to learn that the tools and skills taught were not just for the actual birth itself but also empowering you to be able to make informed decisions that are right for you and your baby, the effects that unnecessary interventions can have and preparation for your birth, whatever type of birth it may be.

So when the time came for me to decide what was best for my baby, I knew that the c-section was the best choice for us. And I knew that this was my decision that I was making and not one that was being made for me or being taken away from me which made it a very easy decision to make. I was disappointed I wasn’t going to get the birth I wanted but I didn’t feel ‘gutted’ like I thought I would. One doctor said to me ‘we wouldn’t even offer you a natural birth here’. I knew that while yes you may advise against it, that it is my decision to make and not anyone else’s.

The decision was made for the safety of my baby and not for my dream of a natural birth and that in itself was empowering.

On the day, I was so calm that I surprised the nurses in the theatre. I used the calm breathing techniques I had been practicing in my pregnancy. They couldn’t believe I had watched a video on how c-sections are performed the night before so I knew exactly what was going to happen. Learning about Hypnobirthing had taught me about the importance of preparing yourself and also accepting the things that you cannot change.

I had the most lovely experience which I couldn’t even talk about for a few weeks after without crying. I still got to feel my waters breaking and I still got to feel a release of pressure when my baby was taken out so even though it wasn’t the birth I had planned I still got to feel some of it happening. My husband got to tell me he was a boy and when they took him away due to there being meconium in his waters I knew due to what I had learned that this was normal and was not worried. I soon got to hold him in my arms and he’s basically been attached to me ever since!

What I have taken from my journey is that being informed is absolutely key in the outcome of your experience, particularly when things do not go how you have planned. The empowerment that came from that knowledge helped me to accept that my plans had changed and also how I moved forward following the birth.

I would say for anyone that is thinking about Hypnobirthing, even if you don’t have a specific birth plan in mind, or if you do and that changes, what you learn is 100% valuable and definitely a decision you will thank yourself for later.

I love Sarah’s birth story firstly because I got my little nephew George who I love to pieces and I got to see my best friend transform into the most wonderful mother. But I also love that Sarah had such an amazing and positive experience. On paper this was the opposite from the birth she originally wanted but in the end it was perfect. I’m so proud of the way she handled everything. Because of all the things she had learned through hypnobirthing and the tools she had armed herself with she was able to stay calm and make informed decisions despite a change of plan. She knew she didn’t have to do anything and that the choices were hers. She didn’t have to try the ECV (where they try to turn a breech baby) but she wanted to have an opportunity to try this; she didn’t have to have a caesarean birth but she made an informed decision along with her amazing husband Stewart. She chose what was right for her, her baby and her own individual circumstances. The result was an absolutely amazing birth experience which left her feeling positive, strong and empowered.

This is why I say hypnobirthing is for all births. Because the tools and techniques are there to help you remain calm and make informed decisions no matter what the circumstances. In my full hypnobirhting course we will prepare you for all eventualities so whilst it’s ok to have an ‘ideal’ just like Sarah did, we will work together to prepare you just in case that changes. If you’re planning a caesarean birth from the outset or if this becomes your new plan further down the line we can also go into more detail in the form of the ‘calm caesarean’ private 121. I’m here to support you for every type of birth.

Thank you again to Sarah for allowing me to share her story and pictures.