An unexpected Breech baby

I was so lucky to witness the birth of an unexpected Breech baby.

This mama hired me as her Doula half way through her pregnancy. Often birthing families find me so in advance that we get to connect and meet several times. It is what I usually wish and recommend for every birthing person, so that there is enough time to get to know one another and feel comfortable in each other presence during birth.

As we approached getting close to their guessing date, this family decided to do one more ultrasound to make sure everything was well with baby.

I remember we met with midwife Lauren to do a birth blessing ceremony and go through the logistic of setting up a homebirth ( where to put the tub, what snacks needed to be prepared, when to call the birth team over and so on). The next thing I heard was that at the ultrasound visit, this mom and dad were told they had an unexpected breech baby!

This news certainly changed things and especially how mom felt about birthing at home. After some soul searching and deep pondering, she decided she was not comfortable trying turn baby -due to the late stage of her pregnancy the inversion only had a small percentage of success. So birthing in the hospital via Cesarean birth was the only and safest option.

Despite the fact Cedars Sinai Los Angeles had told this mom that they will not allow me to attend her birth as her Doula, we decided I should still be there with them before and after the birth. I really wanted to be there!

I become as invested in my clients’ birth experience as much as they are. Missing their birth is actually very painful for me!

So at 5 in the morning, we met at the parking lobby of the North Tower and headed to L&D on the third floor. By 7 am, Dr Finke came in the prep room to check in with mom and dad and kindly agreed in letting me in the OR to take some photos right after baby was born.

This was a small victory on one hand, but a huge triumph Covid restrictions considering.

Baby Santino looked so cute, with his feet in the air!

Oftentimes, frank breech babies take a minute to figure out extending their legs forward because they spend so many weeks in the womb with their legs straight up in front of their bodies in a v shape and close to their face.
To help them adjust, a double diaper is recommended for a few weeks; also body work and cranial sacral therapy will help tremendously.
It is so fascinating to me that once born, babies will repeat the same gestures and positions they assumed in the belly.
My youngest son still pets my hair for comfort, like a teddy bear. 🤗🐻

Did you have an unexpected Breech baby?