Birth story - Lucy and baby Margot

Positive C section (Planned)
37w 5days
Change from natural birth plan due to low amniotic fluid and breech baby
FTM

My birth was very different from what I’d planned but it was a wonderful experience and I hope this story provides reassurance to others who also face a change in circumstances.

‘First time mum’ is the only thing from above that I anticipated writing on my birth story! I had hoped for a natural water birth at my local birth centre. At 35 weeks, however, I was recommended to have an early medical birth at hospital because I had low fluid. It was also recommended that I attend monitoring every 2 days until baby was full term at 37 weeks then we consider induction or c section depending on babys position.

Those 2 weeks were really anxious for me and so at 37 weeks using BRAIN I decided to proceed to birth as baby was at increased risk in the womb. I just wanted her to be delivered safely by this point and to minimise any further anxiety. As she was breech I also accepted the recommended c section for those reasons.

When I first had this news at 35 weeks I couldn’t stop crying. But two days later I revisited the techniques learned from the positive birth online course and put together a positive birth plan for my new circumstances. I think I just needed to mourn the loss of my natural birth and then pull myself together and move on. The main thing that the online course taught me in the end was to take control, stay calm and be positive! I had also spent the majority of my pregnancy looking forward to giving birth and not being fearful and that was so valuable to me.

My actual c section was a wonderful experience! Admittedly recovery was hard, but baby was delivered safely and I honestly enjoyed my experience and already look back on it fondly. If you have to have a cesarean don’t think of it as an operation, it’s still a birth and it can still be wonderful. Our surgical team really made us feel that way.

Getting dressed for surgery was exciting, we had our own playlist that really set the mood.

We had Motown at the beginning to make me excited - randomly I put a couple of fun songs on the beginning of the playlist so my spinal was done to the ‘pina colada song’ (which really amused the anaesthetist and made everyone laugh and relax). Baby was born to my favourite song of all time, we had delayed cord clamping then my partner cut the cord.

Baby was then put straight on my chest and I enjoyed 45 minutes of blissful cuddles while my favourite chill out music played in the background. I didn’t even notice I was being stitched up. This moment was precious, peaceful and the most emotional experience I could imagine. I don’t feel that I missed that bonding moment at all and my worries about connecting with my baby or baby being distressed disappeared when I saw her reaching out for me and being so comforted by my skin and heartbeat.

For those mourning your natural birth, take the time to do so but then let it go and look forward. You have all the tools you need to make a medical birth positive too! Thank you to the Positive Birth Company for giving me those skills and for making my pregnancy a calm optimistic one!

Meet Margot...