C-section with a breech baby

'I'm not good with pain...'

MaryAnne Tank tells her birth story: 'My first child was due on 1st November 2006. My husband and I were so excited, we talked about where I should give birth and attended all the ante-natal classes to see exactly what our options were.

I'm not very good with pain and throughout my pregnancy listened to everyone's birth horror stories. I decided to try to go as long as I could without relief, but open to an epidural if I couldn't cope with gas and air.

There are no medals for bravery where birth is concerned and my only thought was to bring this baby into the world as safely as possible. Or so I thought.

When my due date came and went, I was hooked on everyone's stories of inducing labour.

I even got so fed up at home I went for a pregnancy massage at term +8 days.  I had an hour and a half and inducing aromatherapy and a touch of reflexology using Clary sage and other labour inducing oils.

Baby is breech

Still there was no sign of the bun coming out of the oven so had to attend a membrane sweep booked at the hospital at term +9days, which was a Friday.

Once in for the sweep (much like a smear......hard to relax, regardless of how many times they tell you to), the midwife thought that my cervix seemed quite high.

She decided to give up on the sweep and have a feel of my tummy (which did worry me a bit) only to say that I needn't have gone through with the sweep as she thought the baby was breech.

A moment later, a mobile scanning unit confirmed that my bun was indeed the wrong way round.

The midwife explained that I would have to have a c-section unless they could turn the baby, which she thought unlikely as there would not be enough fluid around the baby at this stage in pregnancy.

They sent me down immediately for a detailed scan to check the fluid. There was not enough, so birth plan out the window - section in!

Not good news for me. Although my only real concern was for the safe arrival of my baby I was completely devastated that I wasn't going to be REAL mum.

I was having what natural birth mums call the easy way out. The 'sun-roof exit' they joked, prior to my discovery.

'I felt like a fake'

The midwife asked if I had eaten, which I had, and said that I would have to have a my section on Monday (term +12) as they don't perform elective (I didn't deem it elective, I had NO choice) Caesareans at the weekends.

They were fully booked for the Monday but would squeeze me in as I shouldn't really go 13 days over.

I thought all of this was just so scary and upsetting, not once as they were discussing the 'workload' for the next week did I get chance to say anything to my husband...like "I'm REALLY SCARED AND UPSET".

Worst of all, a student midwife had said to me and another midwife at 35 weeks that she thought my baby was breech, but was dismissed quickly.

I too had asked on occasions if the hard bit of my baby that was digging in my ribs was its head as it felt like a head, not at all like a bum.

I was to be last on the Monday afternoon but was to call if I went into labour and to go in for monitoring on the Sunday. I left the hospital in a blur.

I got in the car with my husband and told him how I felt, then phoned my parents. When I spoke to Dad the waterworks came.....

I just felt like I would be a fake......that people would judge and think it was a choice. I WANTED to give birth not for someone else to do it for me. I wanted to push my baby into the world.

It seems silly even now that this upset me so so much, but it did. I didn't tell workmates as I knew how they would behave, just my folks and his and a few family members.

I had a show on Saturday, but nothing else until Sunday at 1am. The pains started to come so I got into the bath.....and stayed there until I was as wrinkly as I've ever been.

The pains were a little irregular at first then started evening out. I called the hospital at 7am and explained I was booked in for a section the next day but appeared to be having regular contractions.

I was told not to worry, to have some paracetamol, get back in the bath and keep my appointment for later that morning. At the 20-minute appointment, bump gave me one or two contractions but as they were far enough apart I was sent home and told to have a slap-up meal before d-day.

My poor hubby made the best roast beef with real gravy and all the trimmings at about 7pm, but the contractions seemed to be getting stronger and I just couldn't eat.

By 8pm he called the mat ward and they told him to bring me in.

My fantastic midwife

The midwife who met me was the most delightful person I had met throughout my whole pregnancy. She helped me get undressed, examined me, told my hubs what to do and stuff to get ready and said I would be going down to theatre shortly for my c-section.

I felt quite reassured at this point. Then the surgeon decided to meet me and said I seemed to be coping as I hadn't asked for any pain relief yet (this was because I thought I was having my baby pretty soon).

We were told by him that he was going to leave me to have the baby as scheduled for the next day. I was too scared to say anything as again it seemed like I didn't have any choice in the matter and I was too tired to argue.

The midwife didn't seem too impressed with his decision and said she'll keep checking on me all the same so I stayed in the delivery room. The contractions became much stronger and closer together as it approached 11pm and I began to feel quite out of it (my blood pressure was rising).

The midwife said she was going to make sure I had this baby soon and went to fetch the surgeon who came reluctantly and decided that perhaps he ought to perform the section sooner rather than later (I dare say my bun would have arrived by the time he'd actually wanted to do the operation!).

I had to listen to the anaesthetist and sign consent forms, none of which I took in, or cared about at the time, I just wanted the pain to stop, I felt so faint.

I walked down to theatre and had my epidural. Once it was in, it was heaven. I could finally just relax, but it took a little while for it to numb all it was supposed to and the surgeon was eager to start which began to panic me as I could still feel and move my limbs.

The anaesthetist was fab and really tried to reassure me to bring my blood pressure down before they started.

 

The C-section

Once started, the operation went smoothly, except that it is the most BIZARRE feeling ever. I didn't think I would feel anything, but you do.

There is NO pain at all, but the sensation is still there, the tugging and pushing. I just felt winded but pleased that I was finally going to meet my baby.

She was whisked away before I had even realised she had been born, what I thought they still getting out was actually my placenta, and my new baby was actually already here and being cleaned up and checked over. T

hey told us we had a baby girl who weighed 7lb 14oz and was perfectly healthy. After a bit of a cuddle, Ryan and our new baby girl (with no name) left me to be stitched up and I joined them in recovery where we named her Eleanor Lucy Tank.

She was beautiful, with big brown eyes and brown hair with a cow's lick in the front (a feature inherited from both my husband and I). Once in recovery, I started to feel like a real Mummy.

I had my much desired skin to skin and there was no one else on the ward so Ryan got to stay as long as he wanted and even had a few cups of tea with the midwife.

It was wonderful, so peaceful. I was so pleased that in the end I experienced labour and feel like no one could take that away from me.

I HAD still given birth, although not in the conventional manner, to a beautiful, healthy baby girl. I really wouldn't change any of it now.

My little Eleanor is now almost 18 months and is worth any moment of suffering or inconvenience in the world. She's our special little pumpkin.

My advice for anyone having a section who hadn't planned to, is just to express your feelings to your partner and don't worry what daft comments other people make, you are still going to be a mummy and the birth is just a small part of the whole mummy experience.

What matters is the bun coming out just the way he or she was destined to come out. Enjoy the experience anyway.'

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