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Friday, July 11, 2008

Unassisted footling breech birth

Something you don't see very often--a baby emerging feet first. The labor and postpartum pictures are quite modest, while the birth photos in the middle are more graphic (for those of you at work or, say, in the public library!). What struck me about this birth was the various labor positions the woman moved in and out of. The woman also had a very supportive family physician--kudos to her whoever she is!

12 comments:

  1. WOW, that was really beautiful!

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  2. OH YEAH!!! That's what I'm talking about, Mama!!!! Woohoo!

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  3. I thought the baby was well over handled throughout the birth. Freebirth is excellent but the "baby I need you to push now" crap is not the focus for a normal birth, and breech is just a variation of normal.

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  4. Great story! I agree with Lisa about the over handling though. I would not have wanted my husband to tell me to push at all but I am curious why her's did. Was it something he had read? Something they had gone over? Who knows. I know I have read that the baby needs to be born within a certain amount of time between the cord and the head. Maybe that was why?
    Maybe I should go ask LOL I always have so many questions about birth stories I read :D

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  5. Really great story, the husband probably read , emergancy childbirt, there it sais once the umballicalcord is out (breech position) the babys head needs to come out really soon, because the cord gets pushed and so the oxygen wont be delivered to the baby and it will sufficate.

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  6. This is my birth. My husband knew that once the cord was exposed the rest of her needed to come out "soon" We knew of recent uc births with breeches that got"stuck" and ended up in the nicu with sever brain injuries. He knew he just wanted me to get down to business with out telling me "honey she's breech:)". Thanks for the great comments ladies.~Laura

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  7. Laura is actually my best friend, Rixa! :) Funny that both our little girls decided to come footling 6 weeks apart, isn't it?

    I'm not exactly sure how a baby who was allowed to emerge on her own, with Dad just supporting her body, was 'over handled' but, OK. Time from crowning of the bottom to full emergence of the baby was less than a few minutes. Laura related to me just after the birth that she was a bit freaked out by how it felt (pushing out a breech is VERY different feeling than a vertex birth) and I think Justin was probably trying to help her refocus. Unless you have had a breech birth Lisa, I seriously doubt you can understand. It's easy to say "breech is a variation of normal" but it sure didn't feel like a normal birth!

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  8. I've also got to stick up for my girl and her hubby-- Cricket's birth was amazing-- fantastically beautiful.

    Having been there, I can say without a doubt that there was no pushiness going on from hubby-- and kiddo was not over handled-- all her husband did was catch his baby and hand her up to mommy-- which is what worked best for her family, & for how she was emerging. His VERY gentle encouragement was not at all anything aside from supportive, and loving, and completely appropriate. Honestly, not many men I know-- or women for that matter-- would have had a better reaction to feet in hands instead of a noggin. :)

    Had to throw in my two cents. No offense is taken as it is easy to be opinionated about how things should have been different at someonele's experience when you're not there, or don't have firsthand knowledge. :)

    Blessed to have been there, and hope to have Laura at my freebirth here in a few more months, being the wonderfully supportive person she is. :) Peace and Love all, Rebekah

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  9. I am a midwife who has a specific interest in helping women birth their breech babies in the comfort of their own home. This sort of birth is definitely just a variation of normal.

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  10. So... Lisa do you put your hands on those breech babies at all as they come out or do they just hang there? I wanted to catch her myself but the position my body was telling me to push in was not to compatible with that. I just can not think of a way to not have put any hands on her without her being dropped on the floor.

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  11. My body told me to leave the water. Should I have ignored what it was telling me to do in order for her not to be touched by her father? Can you give me some information on catching without hands on land?

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