A gorgeous home birth after C-section (HBAC) story

Aimee and Dave joined my online group hypnobirthing course as they were planning a home birth after a previous caesarean birth back in 2019. Both Aimee and Dave fully immersed themselves in hypnobirthing and went on to learn even more about home births and in particular home births after caesarean sections. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us and the biggest congratulations, your birth story is so inspiring.

Baby no. 2

Previous birth emergency C-section in December 2019 (following premature rupture of membranes, induction and non-progressive labour)

Unknown gender: baby boy

EDD: 8/6/22

Born: 9/6/22 at 4:57 (40+1)

Weight: 7lb 12oz

Planned home water or land birth

Actual home land birth

Pain relief: massage and birthing pool

Planned physiological stage 3

Actual managed stage 3

‘Not only a vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) but a home birth after caesarean (HBAC)”

I spoke with a friend when I was about 14 weeks pregnant who recommended looking into hypnobirthing and even suggested Homebirth as an option in order to increase my chances of having the VBAC I desperately wanted. Never had I considered this was an option having had a previous section and being classed as 'high risk' but it sounded very appealing. I started researching about HBACs and joined a group hypnobirthing course with Hannah, in the hope I would be able to not only have a VBAC but do it at home.

“Waters gushed everywhere”

After a few days of losing mucus plug and strong braxton hicks running up to the due date, I knew baby would be with us very soon. I felt an unusual pop whilst we were out having a due date celebratory meal (my first was born 11 days early) around 6.20pm, and I knew it was my waters. We finished dessert, got the bill then Dave (husband and birth partner) brought the van to pick me and my daughter up. Water gushed everywhere once I got in the van and by the time we were home, contractions were getting more intense and closer together.

Dave got my daughter down for bed, as we decided we would keep her at home as long as possible, whilst I rang the Leeds Homebirth team to let them know things were happening. Around 9pm a midwife arrived and set up whilst I was in my birthing cave (living room with battery candles, fairy lights and birthing playlist). Dave, was already on with setting the pool up in the kitchen, in between contractions when he was using massage and counterpressure on my lower back.

Using hypnobirthing to be in the zone

The midwife asked if she could perform a VE as it wasn't clear what stage I was at. Because I was using hypnobirthing techniques and I was completely in my zone, I wasn't showing usual signs for her to even roughly gauge where I was at. I agreed (against my birth plan) and found out I was 3cm, I was slightly disappointed, but as the midwife pointed out, this was further than I progressed in my last labour. Contractions did slow after this, but I soon got back in my zone, filled my head with positive thoughts, and shortly after hopped in the birth pool which was absolute bliss, and meant Dave could have a rest from massage duties. My contractions soon picked up again.

“Hypnobirthing really came into play”

I spent all of active labour in the pool and the midwives kept monitoring me roughly every 15 minutes by doppler, which I had agreed to, due to slightly increased risk of scar rupture. Around 1am the first doppler stopped working properly, at which point the midwife explained that they were unable to monitor baby and couldn't tell if they were OK or not, and asked if I wanted to transfer or wait for another doppler. This is where my hypnobirthing really came into play, as although we had planned for Dave to do the BRAIN exercise if needed, I felt so completely calm and in touch with my body and baby, I instinctively knew baby was OK and I trusted this. I explained this to the midwife and she arranged for the next midwives coming on shift to bring another doppler.

Two new midwives arrived just before I transitioned, around 2am, and it felt like they only used the new doppler a couple of times before this one stopped working. Again, they explained that they were unable to monitor baby and asked me if I understood what they were telling me, and they said they would arrange for 2 ambulances to be on standby outside the house. Rather than panicking me, this actually spurred me on, even more, to get back in my zone and really focus on bringing baby safely into the world at home. It also was quite reassuring to know that if I felt at any point I needed to go to hospital, they were ready and waiting. The midwives arranged for another doppler to be sent by taxi, as again, I told them I was happy with baby's movements and I knew they were OK and that I was in the right place to have my baby. They were quite pushy about a transfer but I told them I trusted my instinct and they were happy with that.

“You couldn’t write it…”

The new doppler turned up and honestly you couldn't write it, but the midwife dropped it in the pool within half an hour and it was broken. It was like a carry-on film but it didn't really bother me, I remained calm and focused. By this point, I was in the later stage of pushing and it wouldn't be long until baby was with us. They explained that if I wanted to have baby at home I would need to start actively pushing, something I wrote in my plan that I didn't want to do. I was happy letting my body slowly eject my baby, but if it meant I could do it safely at home I knew it was the right thing to do. Pushing wasn't as effective in the pool (leaned forward squat position) so I got out to try a new position on the sofa. I laid on my side with one knee bent and one knee lifted in the air. Dave was holding my arms and I pushed with everything I had whilst the midwives used a pinard for intermittent monitoring. About 20 minutes later baby's head was out and although I felt a slight sting there was no massive ring of fire, more of a relief than anything after the effort of pushing. The next contraction came and with it was the birth of the body.

We did it!!! At home and with no pain relief.

Dave announced that we had a baby boy!

My cord was quite short and I had a fair bit of blood loss, so I agreed to the injection for a managed stage 3 and the cord was unfortunately cut sooner than I wanted (planned for optimal cord clamping) but it meant I could have immediate skin to skin with my baby boy. The midwives were concerned I was still losing blood and suggested I be transferred, but at this point, there was no way I wanted to move from my sofa. I asked them how much blood loss, and having done my research I asked them if they could give me another injection to see if that stopped the flow. They both agreed this was worth trying and after the second injection, the bleeding slowed right down. I had no tearing, but I did have two small grazes inside my labia, one of which required stitches due to it being on a vein, which they did whilst I was on the sofa. I was so thrilled that I hadn't torn as I was worried active pushing at the end would result in this.

My daughter, who had been asleep throughout the labour and birth woke about an hour later, and came down to meet her baby brother. It was perfect. I was beyond ecstatic that we had achieved our home birth, and we were in skin to skin for about an hour and a half before he rooted and latched on, where he had a good hour on his first feed. The midwives left us to it and I had tea and toast on the sofa with my son in my arms and my daughter sat next to me. It was the most wonderful feeling.

“This Homebirth was so empowering and healing.”

I would say it was possibly the best, but hardest, experience of my life. It was not easy, but what in life is worth doing if it's easy. Thank you Hannah for your wisdom and support, you gave me the confidence I needed to trust myself and my body to bring my baby safely and calmly into the world.

Aimee and Dave 2022 - Leeds