General Anaesthetic Emergency C-Section - Birth Story
This lovely mum had wanted and anticipated having a vaginal birth for her first baby, but due to her blood pressure and baby boy’s heart rate both being high, she had an emergency C-Section birth under general anaesthetic. She kindly shares her birth story with us and how she feels social media played a huge part in the pressure she initially felt to have the “perfect birth”.
I had an emergency C-Section back in July with my little boy (my first baby). I’ll not lie, even though I had said I didn’t mind how I gave birth as long as the baby and myself were healthy, I still think I thought I would deliver vaginally, just like my mum and sister had.
I had done positive affirmations for weeks before my birth, I used an essential oils mix and brought them for my delivery room, I massaged my perennial area for ages, and I even set aside an hour every morning and evening to practice my breathing. I went to antenatal classes (and this is how ignorant I was), the part of the class where they spoke about what happens during a C-section, I kind of zoned out. I did hear how busy the room gets and how many people are in the surgical theatre when a C-Section happens to which my husband replied “my goodness”, but in my head I would be in the delivery room pushing.
The night my labour began, my contractions started at 1:30am. My waters also didn’t break the way I thought they would as I didn’t get that pop or gush (and funnily enough my big worry was whether I would know my waters had broken, to which everyone would tell me “oh you’ll know”, which I didn’t!).
I went into hospital at 5:30am and my baby boy’s heart rate was high, so a C-Ssection was mentioned. I was a little bit shocked but realised it was what was best for both of us, and especially baby.
I started to picture my baby being handed to me etc., but then at the very last minute I developed a temperature and was told I would have to go under general anaesthetic.
I was a little annoyed, but I completely knew they had both of our best interests at heart. I did feel at the time that I was already failing in the giving birth part.
I remember looking at all those people getting me ready, and all of them prepping in the surgical room, and I was praying that they would all do a good and safe job. I said how grateful I was to have them right with me and their skills; the doctors, the midwives, the anaesthetist… I realised how important all of those people were.
My little boy came into the world at 9:49am. I did have high blood pressure 1 day after I was discharged from hospital and was readmitted again, and it was then that I realised the silly pressure I had put myself on giving birth, and how I had wanted an “Instagram birth”, like this picture-perfect birth in my head, and I laugh now but the pressure from social media is huge. Everyone’s pregnancy and birth journey is completely unique to them and I’m so grateful that myself and baby were safe.
Have you had a C-Section birth that you’d like to submit to our Birth Stories page? We’d absolutely love to hear from you!
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