Our Beautiful Breech Bub - by Tammy Forster

The Pregnancy:

At our 29 week check-up with my Share Care GP we were informed that our baby was in breech presentation. My only thought at this point was that our baby must take after its mum. After all, I was a first-born footling (feet first) breech myself.

A few weeks later, at 34 weeks, we were told that our bub was comfortably breech and we should begin to consider the possibility of having a caesarean section. I was shocked and distressed to learn that vaginal breech deliveries were a thing of the past!

I was told that a caesarean was my only choice if our baby didn’t turn. So I forced myself to look into caesareans and begin to accept this outcome. However, this was depressing me so I began to research vaginal breech deliveries. Eventually, I stumbled upon The John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, NSW and a man that I have grown to respect immensely, Dr Andrew Bisits, Director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, at the John Hunter.

Let me give you a summary of the John Hunter Hospital Obstetrics Department. The midwives and Doctors are trained, experienced and comfortable delivering breech babies under the guidance of Dr Bisits. They safely deliver over 70 breech babies each year. Couples travel from all over Australia to deliver their breech bubs vaginally at the John Hunter Hospital. They encourage you to deliver without interventions and preferably in an upright position to allow gravity to do the work for you. If you do have a breech bub, there is still a 30% chance that you will end up having a caesarean (15% chance if your baby is head down). However, in my opinion, this is better than a 100% certainty of an unnecessary caesarean at other hospitals.

So, at 34 weeks, the possibility of going to Newcastle to have our baby was considered an option.

I madly began trying natural methods to turn our baby. These included; warm baths then cold peas on my tummy; swimming (breaststroke, hand stands and summersaults); bum in the air a few times a day; and correct sitting positions and posture.

At 36 weeks I visited The Townsville Hospital for a routine check up. I began discussing the possibility of a vaginal breech birth with the Doctor. I was told that as The Townsville Hospital was ‘public’ they would be forced to follow my request. I was told that the breech study conducted in 2000 provided sufficient evidence that breech births were very dangerous (the legitimacy of this study has been questioned extensively since 2000 by mothers and medical professionals alike). My knowledge about the risks of breech deliveries was tested and questioned. I was told that a meeting would need to be held with all obstetricians at The Townsville Hospital to discuss my decision, and all obstetricians would have to agree to deliver our baby because any Doctor could be on duty at the time of my delivery (including Doctors with little to no experience with breech deliveries). I was told that they would rather I delivered our baby in Newcastle.

At 37 weeks pregnant, after a failed ECV and numerous chiropractic appointments Adam and I decided to book our flights to Newcastle. This choice would have been harder to make if I did not have total support from my husband Adam, my GP, family and friends.


Arriving in Newcastle:

At 38 weeks pregnant we arrived in Newcastle. The next day we met Dr Bisits. We instantly felt confident and proud of our decision to come to Newcastle. We were also informed that I was 3.5cm dilated, baby’s bottom was engaged and I was expected to go into labour in the next 48 hours! My Mum and sister, who planned to arrive in Newcastle in a week, arrived the next day. However, a week later we were still waiting and the only sign that labour was imminent were regular, strong but painless Braxton Hicks contractions (between 6 and 15 minutes apart).


Baby Arrives in Style:

At 39 weeks, at 3am on Tuesday the 28th October 2008 my waters broke. I felt a ‘pop’ and water began gushing as I jumped out of bed. I woke Adam up and told him to feel the bed. He jumped out of bed, got his list of things to do when this time came and gradually went through the list. I went to the bathroom where my waters continued to break and I had my show. 20 minutes later I still had no contractions, but Adam called the hospital anyway under Dr Bisits instructions. Dr Bisits wanted us to go to the hospital when my waters broke.

I woke up my Mum and sister and told them the good news. I had 2 mild contractions before driving to the hospital. During the drive to the hospital we kind of lost sight of our priorities as we drove in the opposite direction to the hospital to find batteries for our CD player so I could listen to my favourite tunes while I worked through my contractions – which I hadn’t found time to do in THE LAST 9 MONTHS for some reason! Anyway, I had 2 stronger contractions on the drive to the hospital. (And we didn’t end up getting any batteries).

From the car park to the birth suite I had four, more intense, contractions.

We arrived at the Birth Suite at 4am and believe it or not – I had our baby in my arms at 4:09am. So this is how the proceeding 9 minutes unfolded…

I had my ninth contraction at the birth suite reception and asked Adam if we could get a suite now and fill out forms later. A midwife led us to the Birth Suite and told us to make ourselves comfortable and she would return soon.

Adam dimmed the lights and started running a warm bath. I put my handbag down and then had my tenth and final contraction. At this point I felt the need to go to the toilet. However, once I was there I realised that I couldn’t go or something else might come out! I reached down and felt a body part. I remember thinking, ‘this doesn’t feel like a bottom?’ I called out in a very stern voice, ‘Adam, get someone now, I can feel body parts!’

Adam returned with the midwife, who casually asked me to lie on the bed to see how far dilated I was. I told her I was finding it difficult to get off the toilet, so Adam and the midwife helped me over to the bed. I suddenly realised that if I got onto the bed I may not get off. I strongly objected to getting on the bed and Adam asked if I could be examined on the birth stool, but the midwife insisted and we went along with it (my one regret).

I put one leg on the bed and baby’s foot popped out! The midwife said, ‘it’s a foot!’ and I said, ‘it’s a foot!’ Then I said, ‘I think I need to push. Can I push? Should I push already?’ And, with a small push, the baby’s other leg and hips appeared.

The news that a footling breech was being delivered very quickly had spread throughout the ward and suddenly there were three doctors, intensive care staff, two midwives and a student midwife in the room (I would like to point out that usually there would only be a limited number of staff in the room, however, I think I caused a bit of a stir). Dr Bisits was still on his way.

At this point I glared at the midwife and yelled, ‘Get me off this bed now!’

So, Adam and two Doctors lifted me onto the birthrite stool and the midwife carried the baby. After two more pushes, Liam Heath Forster arrived feet first into our world, weighing 8 pound 5 ounces (3.78kg), followed immediately by the placenta.

Dr Bisits then arrived and immediately told everyone to leave the room and Adam, Liam and I spent the next three hours alone getting to know each other. Afterwards, the student midwife told one of the other midwives that this was the first breech she had witnessed and it was one of the most amazing things she had ever seen.

I can’t believe that I could have had a caesarean section and missed out on this incredible experience.

Dr Bisits later told me that the regular Braxton Hicks contractions would likely have helped me to dilate before I went into labour.

I hope our story encourages other families to feel confident about going to Newcastle for vaginal breech deliveries.

One of the highlights of this experience was when a lady from pregnancy yoga told me that her first baby was breech due to the shape of her uterus and she was forced to have a caesarean section. And, she will be going to Newcastle if her second baby is breech after hearing my story!