Planned and Drama-free C-Section - Positive Birth Story
Despite initially hoping for a water birth at home, Sam's pre-existing health conditions and her baby’s transverse position lead to an elective C-Section birth. Here she shares her positive experience and her gratitude for the smooth and well-supported process.
Before I got pregnant, my husband and I had hoped for a water birth at home but always knew that a planned C-Section would be a strong possibility due to some pre-existing health conditions I had.
We were already booked in with the home birth team and had been putting together a birth preferences list. But as we approached 25 weeks, it became clear that we would need to choose a planned C-Section birth.
Along with my pre-existing health conditions, the baby was consistently transverse and I had been told in a previous pregnancy that I had tested positive for GBS. With these things in mind, we soon realised our little boy was always destined to be a C-Section baby!
My C-Section was brought forward by 2 days, which we were informed about the afternoon before the new C-Section date. This worked out well as latent labour had started!
As we arrived at the hospital on the planned C-Section date, we were introduced to the team that would be looking after us and delivering our baby. The same midwife that admitted me onto the labour and delivery ward was the midwife who would be in theatre with me and with us until we were moved to the post natal ward after recovery. We were told this at the start of the day and it brought me great comfort. Shortly after being admitted, we also met one of the anaesthetists and the two surgeons who would be delivering our baby.
We were the last planned C-Section of the day, and at 1:20pm, we were asked to walk down to theatre. The two anaesthetists who looked after me had us laughing whilst they prepped me for theatre. Our community midwife had joked that anaesthetists do a year at comedy school on top of their degree - she was right! I couldn’t feel anything when they did the spinal and the only thing I felt once I was lying down was cramp in my feet.
19 minutes after going into theatre, our baby boy Rowan was born! After delayed cord clamping, my husband accompanied Rowan to be weighed. He then brought back our beautiful boy to me, and the rest of the time in theatre flew by.
Thankfully my husband was able to stay overnight to help look after Rowan and I. I had a vacuum sealed dressing, as requested, and was looked after so well by the amazing midwives in the postnatal ward. My recovery went well and was smoother than I expected it to be.
Having our baby by planned C-Section was definitely the best option for us. It was the most calm, magical and empowering experience of my life and I am incredibly grateful to the amazing doctors and nurses who looked after us.