A positive c section: Persephone’s birth story
I had a relatively easy pregnancy but did have quite a lot of annoying niggles! Pelvic girdle pain, carpel tunnel, heartburn etc. Nothing major, but I was keen for the baby to arrive! I was under consultant-led care as I have an inflammatory bowel disease so was considered high risk, but was signed off for a birth on the Midwife Led Unit as the pregnancy itself was so low risk. I was thrilled as I was desperate to use the birth pool for pain relief! I used to work in a birth unit within a hospital so I felt reasonably clued up about pregnancy and birth but had absolutely no idea about how to look after a newborn! HPHB helped relieve any anxiety about the process after the baby was born, which was a great unknown prior to doing the course.
I started contracting at 2am on Tuesday morning and by Thursday morning (and two nights with no rest in hospital) I still hadn’t dilated more than 1cm. I’d had the pessary and drip induction but the next step was to break my waters. When they did, they noticed they were full of thick meconium. I understood the risks of meconium in the waters and I was concerned that we would be looking at an emergency intervention down the line, especially as my labour wasn’t progressing and I felt absolutely shattered. I requested a Caesarean Section and after some deliberation from the team, they agreed.
The moment I saw my baby for the first time I felt sheer relief that she was out safely! I was amazed at how massive she was!
Recovery from the section was hard and tiring but we somehow survived! HPHB really helped us learn how to look after our baby, as we had no clue beforehand!
I would absolutely recommend the HPHB antenatal course! It felt far less corporate than other baby classes and I really enjoyed the content. Especially the baby care and first aid session.
Top Tips:
Although the first few weeks feel tough – you will come out the other side!
Re: C Section recovery: buy high pants, take it easy, take all the drugs offered and accept help!
