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Dear Abby:
My own breech birth actually ended up pretty
managed though it wasn't intended that way! My daughter was born 27 yrs ago this
december 29 at Corinda maternity, Brisbane. I was seeing a Gp for my pregnancy
as this was back in the day when Gp's attended births ie they did have hospital
priveliges my Gp was Ann Mc bride in indooroopilly. When she palped me at around
36 weeks she suspected a breech baby and sent me for an u/s to check and she was
right. So even then she wanted to schedule me for a c/s, but I said no, like why
and explained that my mum was a midwife and had "delivered" (yes I used that
term) many breech babies and that in my family it was not unusual my grandmother
had "deliverd" 2 breech babies at home who were fine healthy men. Well she
referred me to a doc in brisbane who was the "natural birth guru" at the time
1977: I can't remember his name. Anyway he attempted an ecv in his rooms I think
in either Chapel Hill or maybe Woodside (no u/s, certainly no terbutaline and my
18 mnth old sitting beside me on the "table". Well my daughter would not turn.
So that was that. But because she palped small (6 to 7 lb) he truly believed she
was not yet due (i had "uncertain dates" due to breastfeeding and no period and
no u/s but my own idea which turned out to be correct) and assured me even
though he was going away over Christmas my baby would not come until the New
year and he would be there then.. .well guess who was wrong? I came into labour
in the afternoon of december 29 and my daughter was born by 8pm, delivered by
his back up the very technological Dr Yared who I believe still practices
as an obgyn in Brisbane. Dr. Yared was not impressed to be "delivering" a breech
baby at Corinda Matrernity (no operating theatre). The only redeeming feature of
the birth was that it was vaginal. He arrived when i was 8cm, decided the breech
was not engaged enough and insisted I push my baby down onto my cervix:
everything I had been told NOT to do (by my mother, who to this day i wish was
there, she did not take crap from doctors(or anyone) lightly), when I did
not cooperate he had the midwife inject me with valium IV and I managed to
observe my daughters birth from the ceiling. She was born very shortly after all
of this, the doctor using forceps "to ach" which he explained to my husband
meant he avoided the problem of sudden change in pressure by the too rapid
delivery of the baby's head. She did come out pink and screaming for which i am
greatful (he could have messed that up too), but I was really shaken and cried
for a week (valium is NOT my drug of choice but then I am just a coffee and
occasional beer person). I never saw him again. I was aware he wanted to hurry
my birth because one of "his" women was coming off an induction at the Mater
Hospital around 8 pm. Lucky woman if he didn't make it.
This particular daughter did have some problems
with drug abuse in adolescence and I do wonder if this valium interlude
during her birth was linked at all. Who knows. She is fine now quite a
delightful young woman.
Like I said the only redeeming features of this
birth were my lovely daughter and my intact uterus, which left me "low risk"
enough to have a totally midwife led and definetly woman centred birth at an
alternative birthing centre in 1981 in Chicago of all places. I only saw
midwives or nurse practitioners for my healthcare for the next 21
years.
marilyn
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- Re: [ozmidwifery] Breech birth question Marilyn Kleidon
- Re: [ozmidwifery] Breech birth question Marilyn Kleidon
- Re: [ozmidwifery] Breech birth question Tania Smallwood
- RE: [ozmidwifery] Breech birth question Francis & Dierdre Bowman
- Re: [ozmidwifery] Breech birth question Denise Hynd
- Re: [ozmidwifery] Breech birth quest... Kim Stead
