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Birth Stories
Benjamin’s Birth Story
Benjamin’s birth story is about a woman empowering another woman to trust herself; about a couple being able to choose what they wanted for the birth of their child and who they wanted assisting; about a big baby and a narrow-hipped mother working in harmony with one another to achieve the natural, everyday miracle of birth.
When I became pregnant with my second child I was determined to have a vaginal birth. My daughter had been born emergency cesarean section. This time around I had my heart and mind set on a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean).
The National Health Service (NHS) midwife at my doctor’s surgery was encouraging. She saw no reason why I could not have a VBAC and allayed rumours I had heard that VBAC patients had to be continuously monitored and were thus not allowed to use the birth pool. At the same time, my visits with my local midwife were hard to book, short, and impersonal. Although she told me I could contact her by phone if I had any concerns, on the two occasions that I did call, our exchanges were hurried and brief. I found myself becoming distressed by the lack of support.
The midwife instructed me that as part of my antenatal care I had to see a “consultant”—NHS shorthand for an obstetrician. As this was never framed as a choice, in week 36 I went to the hospital for my appointment. After waiting for over an hour, we finally met a resident obstetrician—not the consultant with whom the appointment was booked. The resident told me that, as a VBAC patient, I would be continuously monitored and unable to use the pool. Although I was very disappointed to hear this, when she went over the risks of scar rupture my partner and I began to think such measures might be necessary. When I continued to question the resident, she eventually allowed me to pass through and speak to the chief obstetrician. I had brought with me the notes from my daughter’s birth that I requested from the hospital where I had my c-section. Although they were five pages long with detailed, almost indecipherable information on the entire birth, the obstetrician glanced at them for some 20 seconds. Since the birth record was a photocopy of mostly hand-written notes, she focused on the typed recommendation by the previous obstetrician (who incidentally had both her children by elective c-section) that “the patient” should consider booking a c-section if the fetus was estimated to be of a similar size or larger than her first child (9 lbs, 3 oz). After her quick read, she told me that although she was usually “pro-VBAC,” she thought a c-section was necessary based on the disproportion between my pelvis and the size of my babies. She recommended that I have a scan in week 39 to assess the size of my baby in order to, as I later found written in my notes, “determine the method of delivery”. This same phrase was used by the secretary with whom we booked the appointment as we left. The notion that someone other than me would determine how I would birth my baby was like red rag to a bull. Without being empowered to reject this expert advice, however, my anger was frustrated and I found myself becoming increasingly upset and depressed the month before my due date.
My anxiety was not helped by a series of birth stories I was accumulating from friends and acquaintances regarding the lack of support at the local hospitals. While I met some women who had a midwife with them the whole time, most related stories of being on their own for long periods of time; in one case, the moment her baby was born. I also heard stories of women being encouraged to take pethidine and epidurals, even though they had clearly stated in their birth plans that they did not want these interventions. In one of these solicited birth stories, I was recommended to see an acupuncturist and contacted Hanna Evans. At our first appointment I found myself breaking down into tears, relating my concerns that my birth would result in a second c-section. Hanna was extremely empathetic and supportive. She began treating me for the anxiety and preparing my body for birth. Furthermore, she recommended that I consider hiring an independent midwife, Anja K-Metzner. This decision changed the scenario of my baby’s birth—not only did I begin receiving excellent treatment from Hanna, through her I connected to Anja. After speaking with Anja on the phone, I knew instinctively that I needed her to be with me during my baby’s birth. I was elated to find she would be available around my due date and happy that my partner supported the decision.
Anja gave us the confidence to cancel the scan that the obstetrician had recommended. She also provided us with literature on the risks associated with VBAC. This, along with information we obtained from the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), showed that cesarean birth had different, but even higher risks for mother and baby than a VBAC. It also refuted the pelvic-cephalic disproportion thesis. Anja also got a hold of the hospital’s current protocol for VBAC patients that, contrary to what the resident obstetrician had told me, stated I could decline continuous monitoring and use the pool if I wanted to. Anja also studied the notes of my daughter’s birth and told me things about it that I was previously unaware of. My visits with Anja were always informative, supportive, and empowering. I kept hoping the baby would stick to his or her due date so Anja and I would have time to prepare me for the birth. She also encouraged me to try some hypnobirthing CDs that I began to listen to every time I took a nap.
My due date, June 16th, came and went. Initially I wasn’t concerned, but after a week I started to worry. If I went to 42 weeks and had to be induced, we all agreed that the risks of scar rupture would be too great and I would opt for a c-section. At the same time, since I started the acupuncture with Hanna, I also felt that every day seemed to bring the birth closer. In the three weeks prior to the birth, I felt changes in my body that I hadn’t done with my daughter: recurring Braxton Hicks and the baby gradually moving lower down in my body. I kept talking to my baby about how we would have to work together and how I would do everything in my power to bring him or her safely into the world. In addition to the acupuncture, two stretch and sweeps, and a wonderful aromatherapy belly massage by Anja, my partner and I began trying every method of natural induction—including a cold swim in Pell’s Pool on June 24th.
The next day, at two a.m., I felt my waters breaking. It was just a small amount of liquid (which I later learned were the hind waters) but, as quietly as I could, I called to wake my partner who had fallen asleep in our daughter’s room when putting her to bed. I was so happy to see clear water! Throughout the morning, the contractions began to come more regularly, so I put the TENS machine on and just before five a.m. we called Anja, believing labour was established. She arrived at 5:15. Shortly after, my daughter woke up and came to the bedside to see what was going on. She was very excited that the baby was on its way! My partner got her dressed and took her to some friends. A few hours and many painful contractions later, Anja recommended an examination. I was only one-two cm dilated and not in established labour. Anja recommended we go for a walk. With little care in how I looked, I left the house in a night dress with the leads from the TENS machine trailing out of the back. It must have been a funny sight. One of the neighbours rushed out of the house to help, tying up her dressing gown as she went, but my partner smiled and waved her off. Uniformed children on their way to school stared as I groaned with the contractions and got sick in the bushes. One commuter wished me luck! Back at the house, things moved along. Anja convinced me to get into the bath, which helped enormously. The contractions were strong but between the mental exercises I had learned through the hypnotherapy and the encouragement of Anja and my partner, I could manage the pain.
After another examination at 11:30, Anja could still feel the bag of waters and we agreed to break it. I felt like an ocean spilled out between my legs—even Anja was surprised at the amount of water. Half an hour later, Anja called the hospital to tell them we were on our way and requested the birth pool. It was free! The 30-minute trip to the hospital was crazy: I was on all fours in the back of Anja’s VW Golf, eyes tightly shut, holding on to the TENS machine in one hand and the roof handle in the other as she handled the curves. Every time a contraction came I shouted to my partner and Anja from the back to continue to walk me through the contractions. Given the heat of the beautiful summer’s day, all the windows were open. Apparently I gave the morning shoppers both an eyeful and an earful when I roared through a contraction when we were delayed crossing the High Street!
When we arrived at the hospital, my partner got a wheelchair and wheeled me up to the ward. I didn’t want my labour to regress so tried to keep my head down and eyes shut. When we got to the room the pool had not been filled. The NHS midwives were rushed off their feet—there were four on duty and ten women in labour. The water pressure was so low that my partner started to fill the pool using a water jug. It seemed to take forever and hundreds of jugs to fill. Once in the pool, I felt a lot better. Anja and my partner continued to talk me through the contractions. I don’t really remember Transition but I think I spent it lying on my side with my head on the seat of the pool. Anja never told me when I was in Transition or Second Stage, she just let everything happen instinctively. When I felt the urge to push, I felt that I really had to concentrate on working with the contractions. For me, the sensation of pushing the baby was the most surreal part of the entire labour. Some people liken labour to birthing a watermelon but I could feel the different parts of the baby’s body being squeezed through the birth canal and then slipping back. I don’t remember this hurting, just feeling bizarre. It also felt like hard work. I could hear babies being born in the other rooms and this also encouraged me to try harder. Anja kept encouraging me to keep going, telling me that soon I would meet my baby. My partner and Anja kept pouring cool water down my face and wiping my brow. I was on all fours for most of Stage II, but Anja convinced me to try other positions. Moving around seemed almost impossible but I took her advice. It was during the pushing that I realized I had done all of the labour without any pain relief apart from the TENS machine!
When the baby’s head was about to be born, Anja had my partner page the NHS midwife as Independent midwives are not able to practice in hospital. The NHS midwife came into the room as the baby’s head came out but the rest of him didn’t. I didn’t realize what was happening, but the NHS midwife shouted at me: “Right! You have to get out of that pool and onto the bed now!” Anja later described my leaping from the pool and onto the bed with the baby’s head between my legs as gazelle-like. My partner could not believe how quick I moved. Suddenly I was on my back with one of my legs being held in the air and with three midwives shouting at me to push. One of them shouted at me to put my other leg in the air, something that seemed impossible unsupported. I was pushing but at the same time in shock at what was happening. I could see my partner with his hands over his mouth, almost doubling over. Then I was told I was going to have an episiotomy. Although I knew what the obstetrician was doing, there was so much sensation in the area I could not feel the cut into my perineum. The NHS midwife unhooked the baby’s shoulder from my sacrum and pulled him out. They had to cut the cord immediately. I could not see anything but apparently she handed the baby, blue, to the pediatrician to administer oxygen. Before he was able, the baby began to breathe independently and I was passed my beautiful son. And as quickly as the emergency team arrived, they exited, leaving us alone to meet our baby.
After some moments of postnatal bliss with our little boy, Anja said: “Wow, he’s big. I think he is 10 lbs.” She put him on the scale and we discovered I had just birthed a 10lb, 14 and a half ounce baby through my “small” hips! I was ecstatic. I had proved that my body was capable of birthing big babies and had the birth I wanted despite conventional medical opinion. I also had the birth I wanted, where I had wanted, surrounded by who I wanted. I am convinced that this would not have been possible without the care and support I received from Anja.
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