Like I said this is our 2nd home birth, and third baby. So giving birth is something, thanks to HypnoBirthing, and chiropractic well care, I'm already very excited about. I really do just crave it! However I've never had a breech baby. I know what most are thinking. A breech baby? "how do you do that outside a hospital?". Well it's simple. You labor like you would a Vertex baby, I'm guessing the normal amount of hours what ever that is for you and your baby, then the tricky part comes in, you allow your body to push the baby out. And guess what folks? It does! Really just that simple.
OK OK, yes I'm being a little sarcastic. Sorry, I am 39 weeks pregnant, sarcasm is my middle name.
When I realized this baby has a real chance of being breech for delivery (around 38 weeks) I was set into a little bit of a panic. Not because I thought "I can't do that" but more a thought of "What does that look like? Who is going to delivery me? What "COULD" happen? Why is everyone so afraid of this birth? Can I actually hurt my baby? Is it going to be more uncomfortable???" Just loads of unanswered questions were overwhelming my mind.
---Breath---
No reason to get over whelmed, I've got Internet, I'll just research it! Well, I did that and started with videos, Hmmm. Maybe not the best place to start! Those are a little scary at first with out all the other info! A breech birth is a mildly disturbing thing to see when you don't understand it.
I found a great blog from a wonderful midwife that is pioneering the way for breeches in Great Britain, Home birth a Midwife Mutiny. She has so much info about breech deliveries. I watched another video of a breech birth, only this time it was shown along with the story of how it came to be. "The Birth story" You need this story to help you better understand a situation, at least I do. So I read this wonderful story as well as all the great info this amazing midwife had to offer! I began to feel less overwhelmed. Then I sat at my computer and read many many more stories. Felt more at ease but still filled with questions.
I turned to a Facebook page, Bring Birth Home, and reached out to the readers and author to see if they had any great people in their little black books who could ease my mind. And I was directed to a wonderful lady from Canada that was more than happy to talk to me about all my questions and concerns. This awesome lady was even on vacation and still took the time to talk to me! Really sweet momma! I love when God throws those people in your life! So unexpected and so wonderful! We talked for a while. She said something to me that really stuck, "Your baby doesn't know it's not being born the right or wrong way, this birth is all it knows and as far as it's concerned it's the right way to be born." Wow! How could I think of taking that from my child?
I understand not all breech baby's are turned feet or bum first for no reason. Many breech babies are the way the are for a reason, cord's too short, placenta is in the way, a foot is stuck, or your pelvis is out of alignment. The point is still the same though, your baby doesn't know any different. Many Many baby's were born breech for many many years. Just as many vertex babies have complications coming out as breech babies. There are very little differences in the birth process. I'll get to that later.
So, after reading the birth stories, watching the video's and talking to a very educated midwife on breech births I am feeling pretty calm. My issue now is "Why won't a hospital deliver a breech baby if it's so safe?". Now, please understand I in no way think a hospital is the end all of all when it comes to correct information or procedures, however what was the big deal??
I did some further investigation and found that back in the 1970's two things happened a study was done on breech births, that from my understanding desperately needs to be redone because of a good deal of inaccurate info, "proved" that breech vaginal deliveries are dangerous and should not be done, that a c-section is safest. Term Breech Trail, TBT Now at the same time surgery is tripling all over the US, so surgeons are all too happy to comply with this. Within a week of the results being made public all breech deliveries halted. And woman were told a c-section was safest for them and their babies. Leaving woman with no other option. Before all this happened doctors were educated and trained in breech deliveries and they were done routinely. After this doctors were no longer trained on breech deliveries, so why would you want a doctor from today to deliver your breech baby. I am pretty sure I wouldn't! It becomes increasingly harder for ladies to find woman (midwives) who are trained in this area. However they are there and very willing to help you achieve a successful delivery.
After reading this I become satisfied that what I'm possibly about to embark upon is going to be OK. However I need more. I need to know what to expect and why. So, I turn to a friend that has experienced a breech home birth and she sends me to Ina May Gaskins and The Farm. Ina May Gaskins has delivered more babies than pretty much any other midwife. She has also delivered the most breech babies and is a wealth of knowledge. Reading her info, you'd think babies just suddenly appeared out of thin area, it's just that easy, right?! Well, yeah, it is. Through Ina May I learned that you basically don't want to push a breech baby out. You allow your body to expel the baby. This is no strange concept to me, this is how I deliver babies. I allow my body to do all the work as I relax. I'm thinking cool, nothing new for me!
Now on to the big step, finding peace.
"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4 :6-7
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," Declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55: 8-9
God is good and he is soverign over us and all our situations. I must remember daily to thank him for this babies life and my health during this pregnancy and know that what is handed my way is his will. When I go over think every tiny thing and ignore the simplicity that birth is, that is when I get in trouble. I am ignoring the simple beauty that He intended it to be. If God is leading us to a c-section or even a "normal" vertex birth then so be it, he will! Nothing I do or say will change that anyway!
Shane and I spent some serious time praying over and talking over these verses above. Shane has said this whole time, even with all the craziness of the pregnancy that he has great peace about it all. He "knows" it will be good and OK. This comes as great comfort to me because he usually worries about everything so knowing he is at peace lets me know God is at peace with this too!
All this said, and I am sure I've forgotten something along the way, I am at peace with this birth. I want this baby to enter the world however God wants it to. Baby knows what it needs already. I'm just playing catch up!
Hopefully in a few short days / weeks I will have this amazing birth story to share that will hopefully do some good for another mom out there. I'm also hoping to have a video to post if it's breech, to show that it can be done safely in the comfort of home.
Good luck, Leslie!
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