[Kya]

I just wanted to share the birth story of our little boy, Napier Keenan, who arrived on 18th February.

To give some background, our first son was born in June 2010 by emergency c-section as he was face presentation.

With a 21 month old at home, I was really keen on a VBAC this time around. I had booked into the birth centre at RPA and found the midwifes there fantastic and very supportive of my desire to VBAC.

The pregnancy was easier that my first but we still had a few scares - bleeding from 7 - 11 weeks which turned out to be a subchoronic hematoma and a 1:57 chance of downs syndrome which was ruled out after a CVS.

At around 31 weeks my midwife said that the baby was lying transverse and while I still had time, I started moxibustion that week to get baby head down. Also did osteo treatments, spining baby and lots of swimming. The next few weeks, bub spent keeping busy, constantly moving from transverse to breech to head down (including being 3/5 engaged at about 36 weeks). Scans did not reveal any reason for all the movement so the birth centre were happy with me to keep trying and very supportive of the acupuncture and osteo treatments I was pursuing.

Prelabour started on 7th Feb and continued on and off until the 15th. Check ups showed the cervix was softening but bubs head was back to brim and just not dropping. The MWs at the birth centre were fantastic and still very positive on my VBAC.

My due date was 15th February and on Thursday 16th Feb, I hadn't felt Bub move all day. I had had acupuncture that morning which usually sent bubs off, so was worried and headed up to the birth centre for a check up. To my relief they found the heart beat right away and then sent me off for a CTG. Just before the MW did the CTG, she felt something was wrong, off for a scan and bubs was transverse again! A doctor confirmed this and I was booked in for an ECV to turn Bub the next day. All fine and I was happy to proceed with this.

The doctor went off to do some checks and determined it was not safe to proceed with the ECV - Bubs was measuring 4.7kg (even with the 10-15% error margin would be over 4kg) and I had developed polyhydramnios - too much amnotic fluid. These, combined with my scar made the ECV too risky.

I came back on Friday to meet with the OB to discuss what to do. The initial option was for me to stay in hospital until waters broke and hope that the baby would turn then. This was outruled after further consultation when the risk cord of prolapse was too great. Was booked in for a c-section on Saturday, the next day.

I stayed in hospital that night on bed rest as they really did not want my waters to break. Every kick that night I was worried about a spontaneous rupture, lol.

I spent the Saturday morning in my room relaxing and joking with DH and my student midwife. In fact, until they came to collect me, I forgot for a little while what I was in hospital for!

This c-section was much more relaxed situation than my emergency c-section and the doctors were great. The spinal was fantastic!!! Quite a bit of flooding when they broke my waters due to all the excess fluid, even hubbys shoes got wet and one of the surgeons was saturated lol. We had a boy! Napier was born healthy and happy at 12.57pm on Sat 18th Feb. He weighed 4.3kg and was 53cm long.

The stay at the hospital was great and all the staff were wonderful. Our room had a lovely view of the Sydney city skyline. There were fireworks on in town that night that we could watch from my room which was a lovely way to celebrate Napier's birth.

My recovery is going well and Napier is a brilliant bub.

I am totally fine with the necessity of the c-section and that I did not get the VBAC I had initally hoped for. We weren't forced one way or another and I felt I had sufficient knowledge to ask the questions we needed when decisions had to be made.

Thank you for reading and sharing my experience.

[ali27]

congratulations on Napier's safe arrival. Enjoy some lovely new born times!

[Pooks*potters]

Such a beautiful story Kya, thank you for sharing.

[zogee]

Great story Kya babies make their own rules don't they!

[fozzer]

congrats

[LittleRB]

Great story and glad your little one arrived safely!

[Kya]

Thanks everyone!

[BrindleGirl]

Beautiful.

It is also so lovely to see someone so positive about whatever the outcome.

I am awaiting the birth of my third child and am hoping for a VBAC too, after two caesareans. So it is very warming to read the positive side of when plans don't go as planned.

thank you.

[pinkpeony]

Kya, what wonderful news. I am so glad to read that you felt happy about the birth. And yes that was me at the acupuncture centre at Stanmore. How funny.

I too ended up with a CS, I should get on to writing my birth story.

[Kya]

BrindleGirl, good luck with your upcoming birth and all the best for your VBAC.

Peony, what a small world!! Congratulations on baby Imogen and I look forward to reading her birth story.