Birth story - Siân and baby Noah

*Trigger warning* - PPROM, breech, retained placenta, haemorrhage, NICU.

Pregnancy

I thoroughly enjoyed the pregnancy. Everything went well apart from cases of thrush and reduced foetal movement in the latter stages of pregnancy.

With my first son (now 2) my waters broke at 33 wks and he was born at 36. I was prepared for an early arrival so after making it past 33 weeks and then 36, I had my sights firmly set on a water birth at a MLU. But, my baby and my body had other plans!

Birth

At 01:25 at 36 + 3 my waters broke. Having experienced this with my first pregnancy I was prepared and very calm about it. I woke my husband but explained there were no other signs labour was imminent so I had a shower and got things ready for an overnighter at the hospital. We phoned the labour ward and my husband dropped me off (he was not allowed in due to Covid restrictions).

The midwife hooked me up to the monitor and did my obvs. Everything seemed in order as I waited for the doctor. He examined me and then confirmed that baby was breech. That was a game changer and my MLU birth, at 37 wks, slid out of reach.

I was kept in the labour ward and the consultant doc the next day explained my options:

A- try for a vaginal breech birth

B- a next day caesarean.

After understanding all the pros/cons/risks we decided a planned gentle abdominal birth would be best. It was such a good and well informed choice in the end as we felt in control and also I had a retained placenta (as I did with my first).

With my classical playlist on the theatre’s speakers, a jolly operating team and my amazing husband by my side (ready with the GoPro) the whole experience was very positive.

Noah Bryn was safely and gently welcomed into the world and we got to have delayed cord clamping and skin to skin immediately. I’m so pleased I got to watch it back on film as well as go through it, truly magical.

Annoyingly my placenta was embedded so it took 20 mins for it to be manually cut out. I haemorrhaged but luckily didn’t need a blood transfusion. My husband was shocked at the amount of blood he could see, but I was by now well and truly transfixed on our new baby and had no idea of the trouble my pesky placenta caused.

Noah was more than happy to latch on for his first feed. He had a small episode 2 hours after birth and was rushed to NICU where he immediately recovered. I was up on my feet and keen to walk over to see him as soon at the anaesthetic wore off. We spent 4 days in Transitional Care Unit where the care was outstanding and we got home safe, sound and excited 4 days later. I had a Pico dressing for 7 days and the scar looked perfectly neat and totally healed within 2 weeks.

My Caesarean section was a beautiful and positive birth experience, definitely helped by The Positive Birth Company. I loved the positive birth affirmation cards, used PBC breathing techniques and BRAIN to ensure my baby was welcomed into the world safely, calmly and enjoyably