The Birth of Joey: Emergency C-Section

Before pregnancy I was terrified by birth. I always thought I wanted to go into it knowing as little as possible. Once I fell pregnant, I immersed myself into everything pregnancy, labour and birth. I listened to podcasts, read books and took courses. I am so thankful I did this, as I it changed my perception and I now believe knowledge is power! I went into my birth feeling prepared and ready to advocate for myself. My birth plan was straight forward and included on my list was being open to a c-section should my labour lead us there.

I always joked that I was happy to have any sort of birth but wouldn’t stand for a labour of 20+ hours for it to end in a c-section. Cut to me being in labour for 24 hours and having a c-section. I laboured at home for around 10 hours through the night then made the decision to go to the hospital as we are around an hour drive away.

Once at the hospital I used a tens machine I hired (highly recommend), then moved to a hot shower until I got to around 7/8cm dilated which then I opted for an epidural. Once I had the epidural my waters broke and I had meconium in my waters which meant I needed to have baby monitored. Baby had stop shifting down and went into a little bit of distress, so the doctor informed me that I would need a c-section. 2 hours later our boy Joey entered the world.

A couple of things I guess I hadn’t factored in with having a C-section was the road to recovery which was around 4-6 weeks. This can be a difficult time as your movement can be quite limited.  I ensured I did small walks and allowed myself plenty of rest. One of the most helpful things post birth was having meals already prepared.

In the end I wouldn’t change a thing. I had an all-round positive experience, I felt supported, well advocated for and empowered! I cannot wait to do it again.

Birth story by Mum, Molly