A positive c section under general anaesthetic: Kai’s birth story
My pregnancy was pretty straightforward, which we felt very lucky for. I had a few minor complications but they were carefully monitored by our obstetrics team. The HPHB course was totally brilliant - covering everything we wanted to know about labour and birth in a very non-judgemental way. We also made some great friends and over a year on our whole group still meet regularly. I think this is a testament to how the sessions are run - they’re sociable and relaxed whilst also packing a lot of useful info in.
Our birth was totally not how we had expected or planned. I had studied a lot of hypnobirthing and hoped for a midwife-led unit and a water birth. Instead we ended up with an unplanned C-Section under general anaesthetic - not part of the plan! I also swore I wouldn’t have pain relief and in the end had an epidural which, for me at that time, was a really great decision and I would have one again. Joseph coped incredibly well, especially when he was scrubbed up for the emergency C-Section and then turned away at the theatre door at the last minute due to the need to put me under general to get the baby out quicker and safely. The fact that we had discussed C-Sections at the HPHB sessions and I understood how and why it’s sometimes needed, meant I felt a lot calmer about it when we realised it was becoming a possibility.
As the birth was quite traumatic, I didn’t have that ‘wow’ moment. It was more a sense of relief that we were both okay. I was also coming round from general anaesthetic at the time so was very spaced out. I was pretty overwhelmed and didn’t get that rush of love that a lot of people talk about.
The first moment I saw Kai was overwhelming and confusing. I was in a lot of pain. The knowledge we had from the sessions therefore was invaluable as it meant we had some sort of idea of what we would need to do. The information we had on feeding from the HPHB sessions also really helped and encouraged us to seek support from the local lactation consultant team when we were really struggling. The C-Section recovery was painful but I think the sessions helped me to know that it was okay to just ‘be’ and not rush to get out and about or see people. This meant I had time to physically recover and spend time establishing feeding, which was tricky especially with a baby with tongue-tie!
I’m not sure any other antenatal courses offer expert support from an obstetrician, a midwife, a GP, a hypnobirthing teacher, a paediatrician and a lactation consultant! Also, it’s such a warm friendly environment, no judgement, just facts and information on where to find more help and support. And a great social side too! The fact that baby first-aid is also added in the mix makes it an invaluable.
Top Tips:
Don’t get hung up on a birth ‘plan’. I did and it made the birth much harder to process afterwards. Definitely have an idea of what you might like but also be willing and open for things to take a different path, and that’s okay.
It’s also likely that you’ll find the first weeks tough - we did, but that’s okay - so make use of your support networks, accept help when you need it, get people to cook and clean for you if you can and don’t be afraid to turn away unwanted visitors!
Our HPHB WhatsApp group was such a lifeline in those early days, especially at 3am when it can feel quite lonely but it turns out everyone else is awake too. It’s an emotional rollercoaster and the sleep deprivation is TOUGH but it’s totally worth it
