Welcome Ronnie

Natural Breech Trust your body Instinct

Mammy Poppins is so privileged to share Liz & Ronnie's birth story. Ronnie is our newest baba to feature in this month's Birth Story extravaganza and is one of the most brave stories. We are so proud of Liz! Once again, this birth shows how powerful and empowering birth is, when we listen to our instinct.

Welcome Ronnie...

I'm sorry if I go into too much detail but for me the good/bad/scary parts were what made this experience very special and empowering and the whole time I knew I was that little bit closer to meeting our baby!.....

My birth plan was to have a home birth but things don't always go to plan! But it doesn't matter as the end result is what matters the most!

Saturday 20th August I woke around 03:30 for my nightly pee then climbed back into bed felt a little tightening around my belly but nothing different to what I'd been feeling now and again before.
After about 10mins of trying to drift back to sleep I felt a sudden SMALL gush down below so quickly stood up and more trickled out! I really wasn't sure if it was my waters or if I just peed myself! But I was pretty sure it didn't feel like wee!!

All I was thinking is ‘oh no can't be yet I'm not expecting it early!' Ronnie wasn't due until September!

I lay back down and just started thinking right so is this happening or just a false alarm?! After another 5mins I then started getting very light period pains so thought I'd wake Adam up and figure out what to do next!

Very light period pains continued but nothing too bad. After about an hour I decided to phone the Midwife Led Unit at my local hospital, Whithybush, to inform them and get some advice as I really didn't know if I was paranoid and still thinking I'd just weed myself! This call was at 04:47. They told me to just take it easy, rest up and start timing my contractions if they continued and to call them back if it got stronger and more regular.

I felt like all I wanted to do was have a soak in the bath so told Adam to go back to sleep and I'll see how I go!

I had a lovely relax in the bath and still had period pains, which were very irregular. All I was thinking is...It's just a false alarm and I'm over thinking it!

Then, I was bursting for a number two! Yes! My bowels were emptying, and it was only then that I realised this may be happening!

I woke Adam back up and all could think was quick we need to get this house tidy!

Contractions started coming a lot more frequent, around every 10-15mins and lasting about one minute.

I felt totally in control using straw breaths.

06:25 I rang the MLU again and they said they'd send a midwife up to see me.

Around 7:15 midwife came, contractions were still the same. She took my temperature and was a little high, I lay on the bed for her to see where we were at…

The head was engaged but the baby was back to back still! She asked me if I wanted her to examin me to see if my waters had definitely gone, I said yes, just so I knew if it was actually happening as I still wasn't convinced (why I don't know)!

She didn't think my waters had gone she said it quite possibly have been wee, she said I wasn't even 3cm dilated so no need to worry just to rest as much as I could and see how I go. She took my temperature before she left and it had gone down so I put it down to being a bit anxious. She explained she was finishing duty and Lee, the next midwife was taking over from 9 so to phone her once I thought active labour was kicking in, she left at 8am.

Contractions eased off a little but thought I'd give my mum a ring to give her the heads up and told her to call over with a few bits I needed as I didn't want Adam to leave me!

We assumed things could go on for hours so I thought I'd go for a lay down and rest and not to worry about getting the pool set up just yet!

Within the hour my contractions were getting extremely stronger and went back into the bath to try and ease it all. I asked Adam to give Lee a ring to see if she could come up as I had a feeling things were progressing quicker, this was 09:38.

She explained she was on a call in Milford and would be with us within half hour.

In that time I went from breathing through contractions to a sudden urge to push! Panic did set in a little as everything happened so quickly realising I had no one here to help me. I used my affirmation as best I could but the pain was shooting up my back and I just knew there was something not right.

I kept repeating to Adam we need to go to hospital something isn't right! As all this was going on my Mum turned up and called the ambulance straight away. Adam was phoning Lee at the same time and she said she was on her way, this was 10:04. All through this I really was screaming the place down the pain was immense up my back, I seemed to feel that more than anywhere else!

My instinct was telling me , over and over again, that something wasn't right.

The lady on the phone to my Mum kept her talking asking her to get towels ready and to make sure I was undressed from waist down. I think panic hit Mum as she was thinking she was going to have to deliver the baby!

The ambulance got to me which only took them 13mins was now 10:07. they put me straight on gas which had an instant ease on my back. From here, things were a bit of a blur ... I remember hearing them talking between each other deciding what to do and which hospital to take me to, they phoned Whithybush and said they were taking me there… But listening to my instinct, I just knew that wasn't right and that we needed to go to Carmarthen, as there are more facilities there. They walked me out to the ambulance to assess me, lay me down and checked my temperature which was sky high. As this was happening, Lee the midwife turned up and she told the paramedics she would examine me there and see what's best to do.

Lee takes charge and tells the driver 'Get your sirens on! We need to get to Carmarthen now!'

I could hear in her voice something wasn't right! They grabbed Adam into the ambulance and away we went!this is 10:36.

I was still sucking on the gas and I looked up to Lee and said 'What's happpening how many cm am I?' She leant over and said gently 'Liz you're fully dilated and your baby is breech…. All I need you to do is every time you get and urge to push - DON’T, we need to get you to Carmarthen!

I could hear Lee on the phone to the hospital and she explained when we got there there would be a team waiting for me and all would be fine and there would be no time to take me for a Csection.

I would be going to MLU for a natural labour.

The journey felt forever and with every urge I pushed into my feet rather than anywhere else. How I managed to control this I really have no idea something took over in my body!

As we got to St Clears the traffic was pretty much stand still (apparently there was a tractor convention on)!

I could hear the drivers shouting at the cars to part which eventually they did but at the same time Lee called through to them telling them to put the heaters on as we maybe pulling over road side and prepare for delivery!

Luckily they got through the traffic and got me to the hospital. I was struggling to keep my eyes open as I was really trying to concentrate not to push! I remember the doors opening and there being loads of faces around me wheeling me up to the MLU unit.

I got onto the bed and my back was still so painful and uncomfortable but I thought I just have to relax into this!

Then I could push as best I could with every contraction! It only took two contractions for the bum and body to come out, but they had to cut me to get the head out as it got a little stuck but on the following contraction... out he flew!!

Our beautiful baby boy Ronnie-Andrew-Sammons was born at 11:59 weighing 5lb 13 and a half.

Just to add an extra drama to the situation.

Mum turned up about five minutes later and fainted next to me! It went from nine people surrounding me to them all sorting my Mum out! It was like a comedy sketch! They had to get a bed in for her to come around! By then, I was laughing my head off on gas whilst Adam was looking a little concerned stood in the corner cuddling our son! She was fine just very embarrassed!

Our birth didn't go the way I originally wanted, but I wanted to share how powerful the birthing instinct is and how amazing our bodies are.

Giving birth is the most empowering thing a women can ever go through and I'm proof that breech babies don't always have to be a c section delivery.

Our bodies are incredible.