Birth Story - Jemma's Caesarean Birth
I gave birth to my son Hugh James on the 5th of May, 2020 via a planned caesarean section. It wasn’t always my plan, but it was the best birth for my son and I.
In March 2018, I gave birth to my daughter Nora. Nora’s pregnancy was straight forward and she was born on her due date. Throughout the pregnancy she was monitored a little more closely because her growth was measuring three weeks ahead from around 20 weeks. The doctors had floated the idea of me getting induced earlier or having a planned caesarean birth. I decided I trusted that my body had made a baby I could birth. I went into labour spontaneously the day before her estimated due date and she was born in the early morning of her estimated due date. I hadn’t done a whole lot of preparation around labour and during labour I became exhausted. I hadn’t had any pain relief and didn’t have appropriate strategies to assist myself. I had a prolonged second stage so they decided to take me to theatre. I was given a spinal and they said I had three pushes to get her out with the help of forceps and if that didn’t work, I would have an emergency caesarean. Nora came with three pushes and she was a very healthy 10lb 7 (4.73kg) just as the scans had predicted. I had a quick hold and then she went with my husband, Lachie to special care to have her blood sugars monitored. I sustained a 3A tear so I got stitched up, went to recovery and then got wheeled to special care where I could see Nora in her crib. Nora stayed in special care for just over 24 hours. I would get wheeled to special care or walk down every 2 hours to breastfeed her. Nora was quite swollen from the forceps, she couldn’t open her eyes for roughly a week and had a cut on her cheek. It cleared up pretty quickly though with the help of breast milk. I recovered well from my 3A tear and had no ongoing issues such as incontinence.
When I found out I was pregnant with Hugh one of my first wonderings was “Can I have a natural birth again?” I was one of the lucky ones who had recovered from a tear really well. Would birthing vaginally again increase the risk of me tearing and then having symptoms? From reading and talking to professionals I had learned that having a previous tear did increase my risk of tearing again, but the likelihood of tearing was still small, and if I did, it would be likely I would have the same degree or lesser. Again, I decided to trust my body to birth my baby. Although this time Lachie and I decided we would complete a Hypnobirthing course to give me strategies for labour. I also read Juju Sundin’s book because a friend recommended it to me. Both resources were amazing! I loved learning and practicing all the different strategies. Both resources helped me feel empowered and I felt confident making decisions about my birth alongside my doctors.
Again, I birthed at the same hospital, I was seen by doctors at each appointment as I was deemed ‘high risk’ because of Nora’s weight at birth. She weighed over 4.5kg at birth so she was termed macrosomic; meaning larger than average. Hugh’s growth was tracking about two weeks ahead of expected and then three closer to his estimated due date. I felt that Hugh wasn’t going to be as big Nora. My body felt different; I felt like I could breathe easier and was a lot more comfortable.
Doctors suggested to me that it might be a good idea for me to be induced at 39 weeks to reduce the risk of me tearing again and to ensure that Hugh wasn’t going to be ‘too big’. I was not too keen on the idea of an induction as Nora had been born on her estimated due date, I wanted to give my body time to do what it needed to. I spoke to the doctors about how I felt and shared that I did not want to be induced, instead I wanted to wait and if I went over my estimated due date I would elect to have a caesarean. I had been told that I was able to elect a caesar after the birth of Nora because of her size and my birth injury. After a few discussions, the doctors booked me in for a caesarean birth three days after Hugh’s expected due date.
I was really set on having a vaginal birth. I was so excited to have a dream, natural birth and use all the strategies I had been practicing. The days leading up to Hugh’s estimated due date I was feeling a bit nervous. Any little twinge I’d get excited that labour was beginning. I was also questioning whether I had made the right decision to book in a caesarean. We were in the middle of the first stage three lockdown of covid-19, so Lachie hadn’t been to any appointments. It was difficult making all those decisions without my support person.
The days passed and still no baby, despite my best efforts to naturally induce labour by going for long walks, using essential oils and leaning over a birthing ball.
It was strange waking up on the fifth of May knowing that we would be meeting our son in only a matter of hours. It was a sunny day and we spent the morning playing in the backyard with our two year old Nora and our Labrador Nina.
Lachie and Nora went for a drive late that morning to drop Nina to a family member’s house so she could be cared for while we were in hospital. I stayed home and listened to the Hyponobirthing Australia “Affirmations for Caesarean Birth” track. I had downloaded it the night before and even though I hadn’t been practicing with it beforehand, I was able to use the track effectively because it was very similar to what I had been using.
Lachie and I had discussed our birth preferences the night before and carried over as much as we could from our vaginal birth preferences to our caesarean birth preferences. We wanted delayed cord clamping, from the curtain to be dropped when our son was born, immediate skin to skin contact and for Lachie to stay with our son while he was checked on and if he needed to go to special care. We also spoke about how we could make us feel comfortable in the theatre and we decided we would ask if we could play music on a Bluetooth speaker. I made a playlist and then Lachie added to it.
Once Lachie and Nora returned home, we packed our bags into the car. We dropped Nora off at her grandparents’ house and said ‘see you soon!’
We arrived at the hospital and were taken through for me to get on my hospital gown and Lachie in his scrubs. I was nervous and excited while we waited for our turn. Midwives and nurses checked in on me and the baby. I was able to chat to the midwife about of preferences and she was very supportive.
Once it was our turn, I got wheeled into the theatre in my bed with Lachie walking alongside me. The anaesthetists did their thing and made me feel comfortable. Any time I felt uncomfortable or worried I was able to use the strategies I had learned from Hypnobirthing and Juju to help myself feel calm and in control. Once I was on the operating table, Lachie started playing our music. The doctors told us that we would meet our son in about 30 minutes. Lachie and I chatted and listened to music. All I remember is his smiling face and our favourite songs playing. The nurse and anaesthetists kept us up to date with what was happening behind the curtain. Finally they said, “Your son is about to be born!” The curtain was lowered and I heard a very healthy cry. There was Hugh being held up by the doctors. Hugh was taken over to the crib, Lachie cut his cord and he was wrapped up and bought over to me. We spent lots of time cuddling while I was getting stitched up.
Hugh then left with Lachie so that his measurements could be taken. I met them not long after in recovery. Hugh and I got skin to skin time and I breastfed him straight away. Hugh stayed on my chest for hours after. It was such a lovely bonding experience.
We went up to the ward and Lachie and I video called our families to show them Hugh. It was so lovely having Hugh with us. That was something I had not experienced with Nora.
Although a caesarean birth was not my first choice, it was the best choice for Hugh and I. Hugh was born into a very calm environment. He was born a healthy 10lb 1 (4.58kg) and we got lots of skin to skin contact.
My recovery from a caesarean was straightforward and I was able to go home after two nights in hospital. As we were in stage 3 lockdown, we were not allowed visitors. Nora met her little brother for the first time through the hospital window.
I am so grateful for such a wonderful second birth. I am thankful that I am healthy and so is my son. Hypnobirthing and Juju Sundin’s book were wonderful resources for me, they allowed me to be adaptive and assertive during pregnancy and birth.
