Birth story - Lydia and baby Clara

I had my baby girl on Thursday 15th October. I had a caesarean section planned for that afternoon as my baby was breech and hadn't turned despite my various efforts. I'd had an ECV at the hospital the previous week which was unsuccessful and I had a second ECV booked in the day before my caesarean section. However, on the day the consultant wasn't happy to carry the second ECV out. I remember feeling disappointed and upset at that stage, because despite trying to keep an open mind I had ideally wanted a water birth. I went home with my partner and we had dinner, watched TV and went to bed that evening knowing it would be our last with just the two of us.

I woke up at about 1am and felt as though I had wet the bed. I'd been to the toilet not long before and it was very wet, so I knew straight away it must be my waters breaking. It took me by surprise and I called the Pregnancy Advice Line in a bit of a panic. They told me not to worry and asked if I could go into hospital for monitoring. My partner drove me to hospital at breakneck speed (after I'd soaked a number of maternity pads and towels!), but unfortunately he wasn't allowed to come in with me. From looking at one of the maternity pads a midwife confirmed that my waters had broken and I was put on belt monitors for the rest of the night. I was in an empty ward and I focused on trying to get some sleep before whatever the next day would bring. I used the hypnobirthing breathing techniques I'd learnt to help me relax - I particularly liked the square breathing and practised that over and over.

I was petrified that I would go into labour overnight, but luckily I didn't feel any contractions and my caesarean section was bought forward from the afternoon to the very first morning slot. My partner came back to the ward early the next morning and changed into scrubs. We met with a midwife, a surgeon and the anesthetist beforehand who ran through what would happen and I signed a consent form. We walked into the operating theatre together, which was a very modern room as it had not long been opened. It was a beautiful morning and the sun was streaming in through the windows. I was incredibly nervous, but the operating team all introduced themselves and put both of us at ease by talking to us throughout. We were able to play the birth playlist I'd created on Spotify beforehand by connecting my phone to the operating theatre sound system. Once the cannula had been put in my hand and I had the first injection in my back (the local anaesthetic to numb the area) I didn't feel any pain - just a rummaging sensation similar to when I had the ECV. We even got to watch our beautiful daughter being born via an iPad camera - it was the most amazing, surreal experience and I can't find the words to describe that moment properly. I didn't see any blood, only her little bottom being lifted out of my stomach. The whole procedure seemed to happen very quickly (it took about an hour from start to finish). However once my baby had been cleaned up and was on my chest we were oblivious to what else was going on around us. The whole time everyone seemed very calm and relaxed - the midwives kept saying my baby was so beautiful and of course I agree :)

Once the operation was finished I was lifted onto a hospital bed and taken to a recovery ward with my baby for monitoring. I had a cup of tea with sugar in it and remember thinking it was the best cup of tea I'd had all year! I'd struggled with bad morning sickness throughout my pregnancy, but as soon as my baby was born I stopped feeling sick. I remember getting very anxious about having a c section towards the end of my pregnancy and as a way of coping with the anxiety I concentrated on visualising that moment afterwards when I would be drinking my first cup of tea and gazing at my beautiful baby. I had initially struggled with accepting I was going to have a planned c section, especially as I am not good with needles or hearing people talk about medical procedures. I knew a few women who had delivered their babies by caesarean section and I thought they must be really strong and brave - now I am one of these women.

I wanted to share my birth story as a positive experience of a planned c section for anyone who is in the same situation as I was. I was terrified when I learnt about c sections in the antenatal course I took, but now having had one I can honestly say it really isn't as bad as it might sound. I definitely found the hypnobirthing breathing techniques helpful for keeping calm beforehand and in theatre. I would go so far as to say I'd have another c section if I do end up having another baby (although at this stage the morning sickness is still too recent a memory!).