In Episode Two of the second series of Our Birth Stories Podcast, we talk to Jade who had her first baby by unplanned cesarean birth after a back-to-back labour with a baby who had his head wedged at an angle that made being born difficult.

Topics covered in this episode include struggling to get pregnant, infertility community on Instagram, surprise pregnancy just before starting IVF, pelvic girdle pain, vaginal bleeding in third trimester, accessing maternity care when away from home, gbs testing, attending maternity day assessment for reduced movement, growth scan, recommended induction due to ‘big baby’, declining induction, sweeps from 38 weeks, labour starting after a sweep at 39+ weeks, planned homebirth no midwives available, baby in back to back position, back pain in labour, labour stopping at 4cm, augmentation of labour, making decisions on the day that were not the one’s you thought you would ever make, making a plan A, B and C when birth planning, non-emergency “emergency” cesarean birth, difference between epidural and spinal block, complications of epidural relating to piercing the dural membrane, post epidural severe postural headache, contrast ct scan and breastfeeding, BfN drugs in breastmilk leaflets and helpline, passing on feedback can change policy and procedure.

If you’re experiencing pain in your pelvic joints during or after pregnancy the Pelvic Partnership is a brilliant source of support and information. https://pelvicpartnership.org.uk/ As is the Let’s Talk about Pelvic Girdle Pain Podcast. https://anchor.fm/letstalkaboutpgp

If you’ve not heard about GBS which Jade mentions being tested for when admitted to hospital after a suspected late pregnancy bleed. The reason it is not routinely tested for is that a lot of people carry this and the risk of babies having negative effects/becoming infected is very low. You can find out about it here: nhs.uk/common-health-questions/pregnancy/what-are-the-risks-of-group-b-streptococcus-infection-during-pregnancy

If you’re concerned about your baby’s movements for any reason, if they don’t seem normal. It’s always a good idea to get checked out, the maternity day assessment unit is there for this reason and open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. For more information about being aware of your baby’s movements check out kickscount.org.uk/your-babys-movements

Jade experienced a really strong pain in her back during labour that was present between contractions. This really strong back pain seems to be something some people with a baby who is in what’s called a posterior position experience. Although some babies in the posterior position don’t cause any more than the usual discomfort of contractions and other people will experience back labour when their baby is in the optimal anterior position. It’s always important to remember everyone experiences labour differently and your journey is unique and your choices are right for you on the day even if they feel very difficult to make as Jade’s did. You can read more here https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/back-labour-what-is-it-and-how-to-manage-it

You may also want to check out Spinning Babies while you’re planning your birth so you can be prepared with some things that may possibly help when you’re in labour.