At 34 weeks the baby was diagnosed breech (not ideal for a hypno birthing Mama) but worse things could happen, I know!
My first son was breech at this time and I managed to turn him with moxibustion and have a lovely natural water birth. However, following attempts via moxibustion, hypnosis, spinning babies techniques, head stands not to mention a clinical ECV, this bubba was having none of it and wanted to stay bum down with legs round his head.
After the unsuccessful ECV, they gave me options - another ECV, c-section or vaginal breech birth. I immediately opted for the latter, even though they weren't happy. Infact, they went ahead and booked c-sections for me. It wasn't until I refused to attend 2 scheduled caesareans and had several consultations with medical staff before they took me seriously, and gave me the support for a natural vaginal birth.
Just as things went to my favour, with support for the birth I wanted, bubba played a waiting game. My due date came and went, days went past, a week went past and then a fortnight passed. I found myself 42 weeks pregnant with a frank breech baby. Unfortunately you can't induce breech babies, so my choice was to have a c-section or hold out for spontaneous labour.
The wait was unbearable, and as I neared the crucial stage I decided to reluctantly schedule a c-section at 42+1 as I really didn’t want to cause a risk to the baby. It was booked for 7.30am on a Monday morning. On the Sunday evening, accepting my fate and feeling deflated, I then started to feel twinges. I thought it was too good to be true - another false labour. That was until Hubby started timing them and we realised we needed to get to hospital.
I arrived at 10pm and was met by a midwife who had delivered only two breeches (both on their back with legs in stirrups - no thanks!) and a doctor who was reluctant to let me get on with it and said manoeuvres were necessary. We had an awkward chat, I was reeling off breech clinical studies in between contractions - the likes of Mary Cronk and Jane Ford who believe breech births were just another version of normal and that women can deliver them upright and mobile, completely unaided. Their response was: "well let's see what happens". I thought to myself “I’ll show ‘em!”
My labour progressed well and I was breathing through contractions and listening to birth affirmations. I was so calm and relaxed I think the midwife realised I was in control and knew what I was doing as she came round to my wishes and was advising upright birthing positions for me. As labour progressed, I was hummed my way through contractions until I started to feel the urge to push. Then a steady stream of staff came into the room - paediatricians, doctor, midwives...some were there to "assist" if necessary, and others came to witness the "spectacle".
So infront of quite an audience, all staring at my bare arse and lady parts, they sat and watched me birth my breech baby boy. And so the theory goes..."Hands Off My Breech!". And that's how I did it - just me, my baby and some good hypnobirthing techniques.
It took four contractions to get him out, first his bum, then a leg flopped with it, the following contraction came his other leg and arms, and then I really went for it and pushed him out with all my mama might. I pushed with such force that his cord snapped and the midwife didn't catch him. Instead, he landed on a pillow on the floor and pretty much bungee jumped out of me. He arrived at 4.24am on Monday morning, just three hours before I was due to arrive for my c-section.
In hindsight, I now realise that he was probably breech due to his short cord. You often find there's a reason for these things. I was so happy to have gone into spontaneous labour and felt so blessed.
Thanks to my Wise Hippo Hypnobirthing course, I was able to find gratitude and felt excited all through my labour, smiling at the end of surges and feeling so positive. As a result, I have decided to become a Wise Hippo hypnobirthing instructor. I want to help other women find strength, feel positive and have an empowering experience. If I can do it, anyone can. It's just a state of mind. You wouldn't run a marathon without training and going into labour is much the same.
And so it is, I'm mad enough to want a third. And if the next one is breech then bring it on. This labour was better than my first, even though my first was was a lovely natural head down water birth.
People think I'm something special but I'm not. We are all wonder women. If you train your mind and practice hypnobirthing techniques, your body is capable of wonderful things.
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