Precipitous unassisted breech birth at home

I wanted to share my story as your website helped me prepare for my labour and birthing experience tremendously.

I was 37+4 when I found out my baby was sitting in a breech position. We had been planning a home birth and even though I was a little suss on the baby being breech, having it confirmed did spark up some fear in whether I should continue with a home delivery or not. 

My first birth in 2022 was a hospital induction. My son was born at 3.86kg with an epidural, forceps and an episiotomy. The thought of having to deliver in a hospital terrified me as I really didn't want to step foot in one (unless medically advised) due to trauma that stemmed from my first delivery, let alone have to face the likelihood of a caesarean because of my second baby's position! My LOVELY homebirth midwife asked if I wanted to continue with the plan and I said yes. She said she believed I can do it, that women deliver breech babies all the time, and that she will support me with whatever decision I make. She also told me she had done Breech Without Borders training and that she felt very confident in herself and in her skills to deliver breech babes.

Over the next couple of days after the position confirmation, I did some of the Spinning Babies inversions and positions which I did not like one bit. Baby was still not flipping. I decided to surrender to what was happening and put all my faith and trust into God's will for me and my birth story. My midwife directed me to your website and I binged all of your breech videos in only a couple of days. Seeing women birth breech babies at home and all over the world reminded me that if they can do it, why can't I? My body wouldn't put my baby in a position that I can't birth! 

There was still fear surrounding the unknown of what position the chord was in, but there was a video on your website of the cord exiting first, following a healthy bub, and this gave me more confidence as that would be classed as a emergency in a hospital setting. My midwife was incredible and answered all of my questions which gave me even more confidence. She was straightforward with me and didn't sugar coat anything.

38+1 rolled around and I began to have blood in thick strands of mucous. I knew it could be any day and that baby still hadn't flipped, but surrender surrender surrender!!! The morning of 38+5 rolled around and I had noticed my Braxton Hicks felt quite different. They began to wrap around my back and I felt them deep in my pelvis. I was in denial. 

I had a short nap at midday and then got up to have lunch. Whilst I ate, I realised my tightenings became regular, I now knew that I was having contractions and not Braxton Hicks. I was also losing my bloody show with some clots. This freaked me out because I bled a SCH (subchorionic hemorrhage) at 12 weeks but my midwife reassured me that it's normal and it's not the same as what happened at 12 weeks and that my body is going into labour!!

It was around 4-4:30pm. I decided to get into my zone. My son had gone on a walk with the neighbour, so I shut all my bedroom curtains and leaned over my exercise ball. I sniffed lavender essential oil here and there and had my husband blow up the birth pool (not thinking things would progress so fast that I never got to use it!). 

At around 4:30pm he came into the bedroom and I asked him to do hip squeezes as things were intensifying fast! After about 30 mins, I felt myself transitioning. I needed to really work through them. Slight doubt crossed my mind, thinking "how am I meant to do this for hours and hours, I bet I'm only at a 4 or something." But I pushed through, continued to use horse breath, continued to pray between each contraction, and continued to use my lavender and assistance from my husband. 

We called the midwife at 5:20pm, and she began to scramble to get going as she could hear me and knew I was close! I was touching down there and felt this huge bulge all in my area and I told my husband baby is coming. At 5:45pm my waters broke and what I thought were some toes slid out instantly. I can't remember at what point my husband called my midwife back via FaceTime, I think it was when I said, "Baby is coming." 

But I soon discovered that a cord had slid out first, not toes. I tried hard not to panic. My contractions felt they slowed down but I could feel myself pushing and then one foot and 2 feet came out! The cord was wrapped around my son's leg, hence why he couldn't flip! Baby was out up to the tummy and I was convinced he wasn't descending anymore. My husband and midwife reassured me they could literally see him descending. Then I started getting worried that he wasn't doing any body crunches (I had learnt from your videos that these are a good sign), but as soon as that thought popped into my mind, he did some big ones, and then the confidence returned!! Gosh they felt strange I must say! My midwife said she could see the crease near his arms, and I looked down and could see good colour in the cord, and because of your videos, I knew these are good signs. He also had his arm folded across his chest and his hand was under his chin.

Long story short, I had my baby at 5:59 pm. My labour was 1.5 hours, which included less than 10 mins of pushing. The midwife was called out at 5:20 pm, but she didn't make it in time! It was just my husband and I! It was MAGICAL!!! 

I knew that breech babes can take a while to come to it. So from watching your videos, I knew to rub him down gently and speak to him calmly, to encourage him. He needed a little suction to get the mucous out and some little breaths which my husband and I did with our mouths and he began to cry!! My placenta was birthed at 6:03 pm. Then my son got back from his walk and got to meet his brother. It was the most incredible and empowering experience ever!!!

Thank you thank you thank you!!! I am so thankful for BWB and will recommend to any woman with a breech bub.

All Glory to God!!

--Ally

I have pics if you want them, unfortunately no video. You can see the cord wrapped around his leg!