I had our first little boy, Freddie, by emergency c-section in March 2019, and the whole thing feels like a blur of which I don’t have much memory of. When the midwife visited us at home, it was suggested an elective c-section would likely be recommended should we have more children. Therefore, when we found out we were expecting our second little boy, a c-section was on our minds, though I did want to explore possibility of a VBAC and this was very much a point of discussion at my appointments with midwives and consultants.
At our 20 week scan, it was picked up that our little boy had some health issues and so a c-section at 39 weeks was going to be the best option for him to keep him stress free and to plan the next steps for him once he arrived. Having this decision made for us and spending the remainder of the pregnancy worrying about what was to come once our little boy was here, meant my husband and I didn’t really think about his actual birth.
We took part in the Mama’s TLC 'Birth After Caesarean' course as hypnobirthing was something I’d explored during my first pregnancy and absolutely loved. We also felt we weren’t completely prepared for a c-section the first time around. With so many other things out of our hands, this course helped us feel like we’d been put back in control and gave us space to focus on the actual birth itself.
On the day, I woke up really early to take my pre-op medicines. It snowed the morning of the birth and I sat watching the snow with a cup of tea calmly telling myself today was the day I’d be meeting our baby. I videoed the weather and along with message to play for our son when he’s older - that quiet morning before anyone was awake and our baby was still in my tummy knowing it was only for 8 more hours is definitely one of my most precious memories.
When we arrived at hospital, everything was super organised and relaxed that it almost felt like I’d turned up for a dentist appointment rather than a birth. Particularly when in the waiting room with two other pregnant people and 'Loose Women' playing in the background.
When it was “our turn”, my husband went to get his scrubs and I was walked alone in to theatre for the for the spinal. I got a bit nervy at this point but used some breathing techniques and it was over very quickly.
I was reassured the whole way through - from meeting the midwife, anaesthetist and surgeon beforehand to being wheeled out of theatre at the end. Our birth preferences had already been discussed and we set up soothing rain sounds as our birthing soundtrack. The midwife talked us through each step as it was happening.
I had a wobble at the point they had to break my waters, but my husband calmed me down using the breath work we had learnt. It was super quick and our little Felix was out in less than 15 minutes.
The staff were incredible and it was quite surreal chatting about the anaesthetist’s Europe backpacking plans for next year having just given birth!
I remember Felix's birth so clearly - it was positive, calm and gentle. We were confident in the choices we’d made and knew what to expect thanks to our Mama’s TLC course!
If you're planning to birth following a previous caesarean and you'd like to make the time and space to find out more about your options, take a look at my upcoming 'Birth After Caesarean' Courses.