Unexpected C-Section
By Autumn Woods
I was so concerned with getting pregnant, and then
staying pregnant, that the act of birthing loomed
just out of my consciousness. I’d think about
how this child would be making its exit, and then
either a wave of joy or fear would hit and - poof
- it was gone.
There was no escaping the reality of delivery and
all of the outcomes once the childbirthing class began,
however. The lights dimmed, the video started and
there it was – all the mysteries revealed. I
felt a little light headed, and then calmed myself
with the thought of modern medical science and all
the pain relief it would have to offer. As the classes
progressed and I allowed myself to read farther in
the pile of books next to the bed, I began to think
that, maybe, I could go for a natural, drug-free delivery.
With the support of a loving husband, as well as an
experienced, compassionate doula, the thoughts of
epidurals were pushed from my head. Natural childbirth
for me, that’s it.
About 6 weeks before my due date, I went in for one
of the frequent check-ups. My mom was in town, so
the Doctor I was seeing that day thought it would
be a treat to let “Grandma” check out
the baby on the ultrasound. The machine hummed to
life & cold jelly was spread on the belly. What
we found was not a cute little head pushing down on
my bladder – but a cute little tushie. My baby
was breech. With optimism and a list of positions
and tricks, I set out to turn this baby around.
Many weeks of inverted positions, crawling on all
fours, and interesting showers combining both of those,
my baby was still breech. She wasn’t budging.
One doctor I spoke with suggested that, if we were
willing, and the hospital approved, we could attempt
a vaginal delivery – at least he was ready to
give it a go. After discussing the possible complications
that would involve a C-section as a result, we decided
– let’s just cut to the chase. We scheduled
a C-section for a week before my due date. I still
had a few weeks & babies had turned around on
the way to the operating room, right?
I was optimistic right up to the point when my blood
pressure sky-rocketed. I was convinced it shot up
due to all the c-section talk and my basic fear of
major medical procedures; but combined with the giant
swollen ankles, the medical professionals weren’t
ruling out pre-eclampsia. A week of no-salt and foot
elevation didn’t do the trick, and at my now-daily
check-up, I was informed we’d be having a baby
that afternoon.
It was a blessing in disguise – my excitement
for meeting this stubborn little baby outweighed the
fears of a C-section, and before I had a chance to
really worry about it, I was getting my spinal (surprisingly
pain-free) and waiting for my body to go numb from
the nipples down. Moments later, my husband and I
heard a little cry and we had our little girl thrust
into our arms.
I will admit that there were a few moments of sadness,
but not regret, for not getting to experience the
joy and pain of natural labor. I didn’t have
my water break or my husband remind me to breathe
deeply. But as I have watched my baby grow everyday,
those thoughts have disappeared. It’s amazing
that this little girl grew inside of me and that she
managed to find her way out. And it delights me to
see her little stubborn streak out of the womb, too.
