A Labour & Delivery Story with a Twist Ending

Hi friends!

I just birthed my 4th and last baby, who I’ll call Louis. He entered the world on 21st Jan at 8pm via emergency c-section, weighing in at a chunky 9lbs 5oz. 🩵 He decided to come at 39+6, which is the longest I’ve been pregnant. And he was measuring 3 weeks ahead, so I felt absolutely huge!

Once 39 weeks hit, I asked my midwife for a stretch & sweep to get things moving along for another VBA2C. She agreed, and did the first one on Friday the 19th. While that stretch & sweep didn’t put me into labour, it was successful in causing my cervix favourability to change significantly. I went from not dilated to soft and 3cm by Sunday. On Sunday at 11am, I had a 2nd stretch & sweep by my midwife in hospital, along with a full assessment. By 2pm, I started going into labour. My new neighbours invited us over for lunch, so when I got back from hospital, I headed over there. They fed me, and then showed me around their new house. The stairs really got things going! She’s a nurse and he’s a doctor, so they weren’t fazed by me labouring at their house. 😆 I guess that’s one way to quickly break the ice!

I laboured at the neighbour’s house until close to 5pm, then when things were getting too intense I decided to go home and get in the bathtub. This helped immensely! I called my close friend over, who came to the delivery, and my husband called the babysitter for our older three kids. Things got too intense for the tub, so we left for the hospital and arrived at 6:10pm. The moment we got there, I started growling through the contractions, so I’m glad we left when we did!

Within an hour of being there, I dilated to 10cm with only a lip of cervix remaining. My waters broke on their own as well. But I knew something was wrong, because I wasn’t getting the urge to push. (For background, my first two babies were emergency c-sections and my third was an unmedicated VBA2C. I experienced fetal ejection reflex with that birth and it was amazing!) My midwife instructed me to push anyway, because baby was getting distressed and needed to come out. But when I did, I felt like I was pushing against a brick wall. I knew he wasn’t descending.

His heart rate decelled too low, and we made the call to go in for an emergency c-section. As I had progressed with only gas & air, they had to put me under general anaesthesia. No one was allowed to go in with me, but I was so focused on getting baby here safely that it didn’t bother me. Going under was the most peaceful sleep, so much so that I forgot I was having a baby when I woke up!

Turns out, baby went sunny side up at some point in labour and got stuck. That’s the twist – it was him who twisted the wrong way! 😆 At the end of the day, he calls the shots! Anyway, all that to say I’m still very proud of my body and what it accomplished. It was so efficient and I got to 10cm lightning fast, unmedicated again! I’m proud my waters broke on their own without intervention. And had he been in the right position, I’m sure he would’ve slid right out. But I’m mentally ok with how things turned out. I prepared for either outcome. ❤️ I’m just grateful I got to experience a successful VBA2C once in my lifetime, even though it didn’t happen this time.

So far this recovery is going well and I’m slowly becoming more independent. I may be able to come home tomorrow. I have to say, everyone on my birth team was spectacular! I love my midwife and her team, as well as the hospital midwives, nurses, and doctors. I had the dream team on shift when I came in, which was an answer to prayer. Everyone has been so nice, calming, and extremely helpful! Matt stayed with me the first night in hospital, and our dear friend Ari has been with me since. She’s doing an incredible job taking care of me and baby. 🩵 This, by far, has been my favourite hospital experience of all my births.

Welcome to the world, Louis! We all love you very much and you complete our family! 🩵

📸 Birth Beheld

Meeting his siblings for the first time. 🩵