Birth Stories No. 1: Natalie’s Miracle Breech Birth

• August 19, 2014
• Janet Balaskas
• Birth Stories, pregnancy yoga

 Dear Janet,

I couldn’t wait to write to tell you about the miraculous birth of my baby girl. As you know I was so very worried about the birth and spent every minute of the last 9 months planning and preparing. Only then to be told that baby was breech and that a caesarean was the only choice.

Late on Saturday night I started noticing some ‘crampy’ but not painful feelings in my stomach. Just as you described them to be similar to period cramps. Feeling unsure if I was even having contractions especially as I was 2 weeks early, I called my sister- in-law  to ask what she thought.

Despite this being the last thing I wanted, the priority was a safe and healthy baby and so I had to accept that plans change. My new plan would be a calm, planned caesarean.

Ordinarily I wouldn’t have bothered but as I was booked in for my caesarean on Monday I wanted to check. She thought I should call the hospital to let them know. They told me to give it an hour or so and time them and to call back. They were not any stronger but coming every 5 mins so I called back and they told me to come in.

Natalie with her gorgeous daughter Alice – she must have heard the affirmation “babies know how to be born!’

They monitored me and said they can’t see any contractions and I should head home. As I got up to leave my waters broke. Still very un-panicked they said they would call the Doctor and bring the caesarean forward, probably in the next few hours they would get started.

I immediately started to feel the downward pressure (urge to use the toilet) and an involuntary pushing happening inside me. My husband called the midwives back in. They examined me and saw the baby was coming out (bum first). She pressed the alarm and kept telling me not to push and hold it in, as they hurriedly were prepping me and getting themselves ready for theatre. As they were wheeling me in my baby was on it’s way out.

They got me into theatre with baby’s bum out, but still adamant to go ahead with the caesarean as they kept saying there is no way possible to deliver a breech baby safely! The anaesthetist was helping me to get into position so she could administer the epidural. I was lying on my side and as she lifted my leg up to move me over, my baby girl came flying out in one motion. The doctor standing there just caught the baby in absolute shock.

My baby girl was born at 4.05am after 1hr 25 mins labour. Despite all odds and all plans that cesarean was the only way. My baby had her own plans and she wasn’t going to wait around until Monday.

…they kept saying there is no way possible to deliver a breech baby safely!…my baby girl came flying out in one motion. The doctor standing there just caught the baby in absolute shock.

However much I planned and prepared the only thing you can get yourself ready for, is to deal with the unexpected. No matter how I thought it would happen I did not expect this. But I was able to stay calm throughout and now I have my perfect baby!!

Thank you so much for all your help and guidance thought my pregnancy. Your classes were the focal point of my week as it gave me the chance to unwind and focus on my baby in such a positive way rather then being filled with nerves about what lay ahead.

I’m still so overwhelmed by it myself I’m always telling everyone about it! And I always say I’m convinced it was because my body was so prepared and trained to give birth from all the yoga that it just did so on it’s own without my conscious thoughts and pushing!

Natalie