Maggie's Birth Story
There’s nothing quite like the excitement of expecting your first child is there? Although earth mother I am not, I surprised myself with how committed I was to the idea of a natural birth when we first did that pregnancy test.
It felt like the most important thing in the world and I was determined to do everything in my power to bring our baby into the world as calmly and, if possible, as intervention free as was reasonable.
We attended a Calmbirth course and found ourselves looking forward to the birth with great excitement; fears were allayed, bodily birthing processes explained, and we felt we couldn’t be more ready. Everything was going beautifully.
Then at 36 weeks, I was advised my baby was in the breech position. My only option was looking like an ‘elective’ caesarean. I couldn’t believe it. People had been born breech for hundreds of years, surely? I went home and cried for hours. Would this mean if my first child was born by caesarean, I was committed to caesarean births for any subsequent babies? It was then I realised exactly how much a natural birth meant to me and my inner earth mother sprang into action. I burnt moxa near my toes, I stood on my head, I visualised, I crawled, I pleaded with my baby, I even played music in my undies! This baby wasn’t moving. After an unsuccessful ECV attempt, our beautiful boy Felix was born by caesarean section in April 2009 at a tertiary care hospital in Sydney. The recovery was slow and painful, and my mental health suffered.
Fast forward eighteen months and there we were at the same Birth Centre again. Our wonderful midwife was confident of a natural delivery for me this time, and also shared the news that an obstetrician who specialises in breech birth was now part of the staff there. I was familiar with his work delivering breech babies and silently cursed that he hadn’t arrived two years earlier!
As with my first pregnancy, everything progressed like a dream. And then at 36 weeks, my baby again was in the breech position. What was going on in there?! After several discussions with the doctor and my midwife, we felt we could confidently proceed with a natural delivery. We were aware of the risks, but thrilled that with the right skills on-hand, a natural delivery was a real option, and if things didn’t go according to plan, we were in the best place for medical intervention. At no time did we feel pressured either way for a natural delivery or a caesarean section – it was our decision, and it was so empowering to have the choice.
Our due date approached and I eagerly awaited the arrival of my mum from Perth, and for the doctor to return from a weekend conference in Melbourne. The moons must have aligned, because as soon as both had landed safely in Sydney, my contractions started. All the things we’d learned at that original Calmbirth course came flooding back - I was having regular snacks, and breathing through the contractions - our baby was on its way!
As a novice, I didn’t realise this can go on for days; and the same time the following day, we seemed no further along. I was in regular contact with my midwife, and after a day and a half of these pre-labour contractions, we made the trek to the hospital to be examined and see just where we were at. I was exhausted and turned into a blubbing mess the moment I saw her! Turns out we were getting there (I was 5cm dilated) and the decision was made to break my waters.
My tiredness gave way to excitement, and as the sun started to set, my contractions returned in earnest. Things started progressing quite quickly then. I was completely focused on breathing as we’d learned. They were coming closer together now, and getting more intense – I had heard they were like bad period pain – my experience was more intense than that. Again, our Calmbirth training was forefront in my mind – I knew exactly what was going on in my body and I found the breathing kept me focused on exactly that. The few times I let out a yelp, my midwife was right there reassuring me to return to my breathing. I was so struck by how much more painful it was when I lost focus and wanted to yell. Breathing was so much more effective at managing it.
Kent and I then moved to the shower, and with the warm water coursing down my back, and Kent massaging and reassuring me, we moved through the next hour together. I could hear the excitement in his voice as he assured me our baby was getting closer – it energised me. At this stage I requested gas, and found with that, Kent, and my trusty sister in law Tanya on hand with refreshments and her own words of encouragement, I had everything I needed to get me through. At no stage did I feel any fear – my only concern was how long it would go on, and would I have the energy to get there.
An hour and a half after I’d had my waters broken, I felt that overwhelming urge to push. The one I’d heard and read so much about. Overwhelming is the only word I can use. And incredible.
We moved back into the birthing suite and onto a birthing stool and with half an hour of pushing, our baby started to appear. First the sweet little bottom – a mirror was put on the floor so we could see exactly what was happening.
A couple of more pushes and the body emerged.
And then with a final push, two people I love beside me, my midwife and the doctor at our feet, the sun now set, and the final strains of cello lullabys softly playing; our darling daughter Maggie made her entrance into the world. No tearing, no pain; not the horrible experience I had heard so much about. Just elation, joy, love, gratitude, and an overwhelming urge to conquer the world! I have never experienced such a feeling and I don’t imagine I will again.
It felt like the most important thing in the world and I was determined to do everything in my power to bring our baby into the world as calmly and, if possible, as intervention free as was reasonable.
We attended a Calmbirth course and found ourselves looking forward to the birth with great excitement; fears were allayed, bodily birthing processes explained, and we felt we couldn’t be more ready. Everything was going beautifully.
Then at 36 weeks, I was advised my baby was in the breech position. My only option was looking like an ‘elective’ caesarean. I couldn’t believe it. People had been born breech for hundreds of years, surely? I went home and cried for hours. Would this mean if my first child was born by caesarean, I was committed to caesarean births for any subsequent babies? It was then I realised exactly how much a natural birth meant to me and my inner earth mother sprang into action. I burnt moxa near my toes, I stood on my head, I visualised, I crawled, I pleaded with my baby, I even played music in my undies! This baby wasn’t moving. After an unsuccessful ECV attempt, our beautiful boy Felix was born by caesarean section in April 2009 at a tertiary care hospital in Sydney. The recovery was slow and painful, and my mental health suffered.
Fast forward eighteen months and there we were at the same Birth Centre again. Our wonderful midwife was confident of a natural delivery for me this time, and also shared the news that an obstetrician who specialises in breech birth was now part of the staff there. I was familiar with his work delivering breech babies and silently cursed that he hadn’t arrived two years earlier!
As with my first pregnancy, everything progressed like a dream. And then at 36 weeks, my baby again was in the breech position. What was going on in there?! After several discussions with the doctor and my midwife, we felt we could confidently proceed with a natural delivery. We were aware of the risks, but thrilled that with the right skills on-hand, a natural delivery was a real option, and if things didn’t go according to plan, we were in the best place for medical intervention. At no time did we feel pressured either way for a natural delivery or a caesarean section – it was our decision, and it was so empowering to have the choice.
Our due date approached and I eagerly awaited the arrival of my mum from Perth, and for the doctor to return from a weekend conference in Melbourne. The moons must have aligned, because as soon as both had landed safely in Sydney, my contractions started. All the things we’d learned at that original Calmbirth course came flooding back - I was having regular snacks, and breathing through the contractions - our baby was on its way!
As a novice, I didn’t realise this can go on for days; and the same time the following day, we seemed no further along. I was in regular contact with my midwife, and after a day and a half of these pre-labour contractions, we made the trek to the hospital to be examined and see just where we were at. I was exhausted and turned into a blubbing mess the moment I saw her! Turns out we were getting there (I was 5cm dilated) and the decision was made to break my waters.
My tiredness gave way to excitement, and as the sun started to set, my contractions returned in earnest. Things started progressing quite quickly then. I was completely focused on breathing as we’d learned. They were coming closer together now, and getting more intense – I had heard they were like bad period pain – my experience was more intense than that. Again, our Calmbirth training was forefront in my mind – I knew exactly what was going on in my body and I found the breathing kept me focused on exactly that. The few times I let out a yelp, my midwife was right there reassuring me to return to my breathing. I was so struck by how much more painful it was when I lost focus and wanted to yell. Breathing was so much more effective at managing it.
Kent and I then moved to the shower, and with the warm water coursing down my back, and Kent massaging and reassuring me, we moved through the next hour together. I could hear the excitement in his voice as he assured me our baby was getting closer – it energised me. At this stage I requested gas, and found with that, Kent, and my trusty sister in law Tanya on hand with refreshments and her own words of encouragement, I had everything I needed to get me through. At no stage did I feel any fear – my only concern was how long it would go on, and would I have the energy to get there.
An hour and a half after I’d had my waters broken, I felt that overwhelming urge to push. The one I’d heard and read so much about. Overwhelming is the only word I can use. And incredible.
We moved back into the birthing suite and onto a birthing stool and with half an hour of pushing, our baby started to appear. First the sweet little bottom – a mirror was put on the floor so we could see exactly what was happening.
A couple of more pushes and the body emerged.
And then with a final push, two people I love beside me, my midwife and the doctor at our feet, the sun now set, and the final strains of cello lullabys softly playing; our darling daughter Maggie made her entrance into the world. No tearing, no pain; not the horrible experience I had heard so much about. Just elation, joy, love, gratitude, and an overwhelming urge to conquer the world! I have never experienced such a feeling and I don’t imagine I will again.
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