Two Positive Births: Via Emergency and Planned C-Section

Mode of care: Private obstetrician, private hospital

Baby #1: 40+2 weeks, emergency c-section

Baby #2: 38+3 weeks, planned c-section

My journey to becoming a mum of 2 has taught me many things - that life is so incredibly precious and the power of gratitude, positivity and accepting the things that can’t be changed and focusing on the things that can. I have been pregnant 4 times, miscarried twice and birthed 2 beautiful rainbow babies, one via emergency c-section and the other by planned c-section. Both the happiest moments of my life. 

I have always been amazed at what the female body is capable of during pregnancy, birth and beyond. Being a very petite build I had always wondered how my babies would enter the world. Once I fell pregnant I remember whenever I mentioned this, I would be inundated with what I’m sure was well-intended advice and stories of people of similar build having “textbook” deliveries, all with minimal or no pain relief and requiring no interventions. Fortunately through my medical background, I knew that childbirth has many uncontrollables and the reality is that without medical assistance many women and babies would not be here. All I was focused on was that myself and my babies would be safe and healthy.

During both pregnancies despite living a fit and healthy lifestyle I developed gestational diabetes (thanks genetics). This meant an increased risk that my babies were going to be born measuring on the higher percentiles. I had open and honest discussions with my obstetrician about this and my birth options, taking into account what was going to be safest for my babies, myself and my pelvic floor. Especially, considering my aim to return to competitive sprinting and my very active lifestyle post birth, and my wish to avoid an instrumental delivery given the likelihood this would not be successful. It was decided unless I went into labour early, my babies would be birthed via c-section.

I was feeling quite nervous about being awake while having major abdominal surgery and a spinal block. To help prepare and bring myself calm I completed a hypnobirthing course which included a module on c-section delivery.

I did the meditation tracks daily and also kept up my running (until 37 weeks), pilates and my own exercise rehabilitation program to maintain my strength for recovery. I also started seeing a psychologist for strategies to help deal with the unpredictability of birth and mum life and the anxiety I felt towards the c-section. 

Despite both my babies being born via c-section, they could not have been more different experiences. 

At my 40 week obstetrician appointment, baby #1 was still sitting quite high, so a planned c-section was booked for 2 days time. It was the night before and I commented to my husband that I was a little sad I would not get to experience going into labour. I had been experiencing Braxton Hicks for a few weeks and thought that was as close as I was going to get. They do say to be careful what you wish for! I woke in the early hours of the morning with a strange cramp/tension like feeling in my abdomen, which came on in waves. I grabbed my phone and started timing…2.5 minutes apart. We rang the hospital, but as I was able to talk comfortably the midwives suggested we stay at home to rest and to make our way in as planned in a few hours time. Over the next 15 minutes the contractions intensified, 1 minute on 1 minute off. I was now finding it increasingly difficult to move and talk due to the pain. We called the hospital again and were advised to make our way in immediately. Feeling a little overwhelmed as none of the birth preparation sessions had said contractions would happen this quick, I struggled to grab the last few things for my hospital bag between the contractions and we eventually set off to the hospital. The drive felt like an eternity. I closed my eyes, hypnobirthing tracks played and my husband helped keep me calm, reminding me to breathe. 

We arrived at the hospital and I struggled to make my way to the birthing suite, having to pause every minute until each contraction had subsided. By the time we made it to our delivery suite I could no longer tell when a contraction started and ended. The midwives checked and I was 8cm dilated. They asked if I wanted to try for a vaginal delivery. I remembered all the discussions I had previously had with my obstetrician and replied “no”. I could tell they were a little surprised, but I knew something didn’t feel right. The pain was excruciating and it felt as if my body was fighting the contractions. I had been adamant all along I did not want pain relief, and tried everything hypnobirthing had taught me. However, I could tell the breathing and meditation were no longer helping and I accepted their offer of gas and an epidural. The gas made me feel quite out of it, so as soon as the epidural kicked in I stopped it. My obstetrician arrived and I was wheeled in to the operating theatre while my husband had to wait outside for them to prep. I was so fortunate to be surrounded by such attentive and caring medical staff. The anaesthetist never left my side. When I started shaking from the anaesthetic he held my hand to calm me. A normal side effect he said and it eventually subsided.

With my husband next to me, holding my hand, they started the procedure. I could feel them pulling and tugging at my abdomen, so to calm myself I focused on my husband and kept repeating to myself “you will be meeting your baby soon”. Not long after our beautiful baby boy entered the world, measuring 3.7kg with a head circumference on the 95th percentile. He was held up over the sheet and placed on my chest for a few seconds. Then off he went with the paediatrician and my husband, as I was stitched back together, the anaesthetist still by my side. I was wheeled into recovery where I met my baby and husband. We tried the breast crawl but he was too tired from the birth and was struggling to latch. His blood sugars were also measuring low, which can be a side effect from labour and the c-section delivery. Despite our best efforts and using the enormous amount of colostrum I had hand expressed, our son required admission to the special care nursery and had to have a nasogastric tube to help him feed. This was the hardest part - my son was in special care for 3 days and I wasn’t physically able to be by his side for the first 24 hours of them. But my husband could and I knew my son was in the best care to recover, so I focused on doing my best to rest and recover myself. The following morning, I was able to be wheeled down to the special care nursery and hold my baby boy again after 24 hours apart. 

Recovery was tough and initially I really struggled to hold my son due to the pain I was in, which made breastfeeding quite challenging. We also had issues with latching and while I appreciated all the advice I was being given from the midwives and hospital IBCLC’s, they often contradicted each other. I was only able take Nurofen and Panadol due to the nausea from anything stronger. And going to the toilet was so difficult! Holding a rolled up towel over my wound made this a little less painful, and also when coughing or sneezing. We were able to go home after 5 days in hospital and my husband took 6 weeks off work as I was unable to lift anything heavier than my son, and even doing that was difficult. Breastfeeding challenges were not resolving so we consulted an Osteopath / IBCLC who helped immensely and provided us with clarity and support, while also treating my son for any issues that were affecting his ability to latch. I also had intermittent supply issues so continued to see her over our 12 months of breastfeeding.

One thing that did surprise me was the lack of rehabilitation guidance after my c-section.

My ACL reconstruction involved 12 months of rehabilitation and physiotherapy appointments, compared with just a 6 week obstetrician and pelvic floor physiotherapist check up following my c-section delivery. Being during COVID times, access to health care was limited. I completed my own rehabilitation program and was able to begin my return to exercise, first at 2 weeks with very slow and short walks, then physiotherapist led reformer pilates at 8 weeks and group pilates and running at 12 weeks. I neglected my scar tissue massage, which to my detriment left me with adhesions and tightness around my scar.

Fast forward 12 months after the birth of my son and I was pregnant again with baby #2. Another rainbow baby. Again I developed gestational diabetes, so it was decided given how big baby #1 was that baby #2 would be delivered early by c-section at around 38 weeks gestation. 

Devastatingly 5 weeks before my baby girl arrived, my Dad, who so desperately wanted to meet his Granddaughter, passed away after a long battle with cancer. Words cannot even describe how hard it was losing my dad at this time. My dad’s funeral was 2 weeks before her birth and I remember feeling so numb and unprepared. I had been completing meditation and hypnobirthing tracks as best I could, and kept up my running and pilates classes. I also consulted the psychologist again as I wanted to minimise my risk of developing post natal mental health issues given everything I had been through in the lead up.

There was no going into labour this time around. We calmly arrived at the hospital, went to the birth suite and waited. Being a planned c-section, we had to wait for a gap between women who had gone into labour. I was eventually wheeled in to the operating theatre and they sat me up for the spinal block. All of a sudden the nerves started. I made sure I told the medical team how I was feeling and they were very caring and empathetic. Again the anaesthetist never left my side, holding my hand while my husband was not there. My husband arrived and the procedure started. Again I could feel the pulling and tugging, but I knew my baby was not far away. This time they held up a mirror and lowered the sheet so I could see the whole procedure. Something I never thought I would be able to do and I’m so glad I did. I watched as our little ray of sunshine arrived, a lot smaller than her brother at 2.7kg. Her umbilical cord was too short to be placed on my chest, so she was taken away by the paediatrician with my husband and the anaesthetist held my hand as I was stitched back together. I met them in recovery and we tried the breast crawl. She was so strong, climbing her way up and latching straight away. Such a different experience to baby #1. Her blood sugars were also normal which was a huge relief.

Recovery was such a contrast this time around. The pain was minimal and easily managed, and breastfeeding came to us relatively easy. They also had a new protocol for women who had c-sections to help with going to the toilet - chewing gum! The obstetrician had removed the old scar tissue so the incision would hopefully heal better this time around. My emotions were all over the place understandably, but made so much easier by having my beautiful baby girl. My husband again took 6 weeks off to help me rest and recover. I really wanted to avoid lifting anything heavier than my baby this time around, so my son and I had a lot of fun figuring out different ways he could climb in and out of things.

At 4 weeks post partum I consulted an osteopath for treatment of my scar tissue, and continued this myself from then on. I completed my own rehabilitation again and began my return to reformer pilates at 12 weeks and running soon after. I decided to return to sprinting to help with my mental health after losing my Dad, so went to see a certified pre and post natal trainer for further rehabilitation.

I was able to successfully return to sprinting at 9 months post partum, something which I am so proud of myself for doing. I have also had to work very hard over the past 12 months to maintain my milk supply and continue breastfeeding, with the help of the Osteopath/IBCLC and an accredited sports dietician.

I am now nearly 13 months post partum and while it is incredibly challenging to find time with 2 kids, I still continue my rehabilitation and scar tissue massage and my body actually feels stronger than it did pre-babies. 

I hope sharing my story shows that positive c-section experiences are possible. The best advice I could give mums-to-be is to focus on what you can control, to never be afraid to ask questions and have open and honest conversations with your caregivers about all your birth options and wishes, to prioritise your rest, scar tissue massage and rehabilitation, and to never feel like you are any less of a mum for requiring pain relief or birth interventions - we are so lucky to have these available to us to help bring our babies safely into this world.

Birth Story by Mum, Michelle