“Last year I photographed the completely natural birth of a frank breech baby boy.
His mum was planning a home birth but on the morning of her going into labour, it was found that her ‘wee’ man was breech. She knew right from that moment that she would give birth to him naturally, and she choose to birth him at the hospital as that is where she felt safest.
She had an amazing labour. It was quick and intense, and completely drug free. She birthed her baby standing up with he support of her husband, two LMC midwives and a student midwife. It was amazing, but what was extra amazing, was that Mako was 11lb. 2oz.
This mum had complete faith in her body to birth him naturally as did her Midwives. There was no fear involved, just positive thoughts, which paid off.
I hear so many births of breech babies being born via csection, probably more out of fear and lack of education than anything else.
I just wanted to share this with you in hopes that it will help other mothers make decision about birthing their breech baby naturally if that is what they choose to do.”
Cassie Emmett with Capturing LIFE – Birth Photography
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37 Comments
Bonnie Groce
This is such a cool series of photographs of a lovely, normal breech birth! Hooray for all involved! Inspiring!
Thanks for sharing!
Milla
The best part of this whole story (for me as a doula) is the trust and CORRECT APPROACH of the catching midwife. Hands off the breech!! She just lets him come out in his own way, no startling him, no grabbing and pulling, no stirrups and massive episiotomy, no panic, just faith and patience, oh and don’t let the baby fall on the floor. 🙂 Wonderful, beautiful, as it can be and should be. Xxx
Sarah Carlton
My baby was Frank’s Breech as well. I too was threatened with a c-section, but I had a supportive midwife who helped me find way to try getting my baby to flip. My baby had started her descent and I had begun dilating so as a precaution, they scheduled a c-section. The day before the scheduled c-section, we had ONE last attempt: External cephalic version. The global rate of success is about 50%. My OB had a success rate of about 10%. We were successful in ours, so they induced me and I was able to have an otherwise natural birth that night.
Thank you for sharing this story. I am so happy this family had such great midwives and support for their natural birth plan. I wish there was more support like this available throughout the world.
LaNeshe (Nesheaholic.com)
That is amazing.
Brittany Cole
That is crazy cool! Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Jade
I had a frank breech baby girl at home on June 3oth 2014! Personally, I did not experience any fear or hesitation when my midwives told me she was breech, I knew I could do it and I knew they would not do it had they not felt confidence. Their confidence was key to mine, I suppose, although I had a suspicion from the get-go that her positioning was weird. Having trust in your body is so important with any birth I am sure but I think especially with a breech baby–way to go, mama!
Shannon
Unfortunately at the hospital I work at , breech vaginal deliveries are not done!!!! What an amazing site!!!!
CEC
This is a beautiful, uplifting story. I would like to add my experience, which ended in c-section despite a lot of education and no fear (on my part at least). Because my baby was frank breech from early in pregnancy, my midwife was obliged to transfer me into the care of an OB. We searched throughout our city and beyond and no one (with availability at least) was comfortable letting me try a vaginal delivery. We tried everything – I mean EVERYTHING – including external cephalic version, but she wouldn’t budge. It just wasn’t meant to be. My husband in particular didnt want to go against medical advice, so we scheduled the c-section and everything went perfectly. She came the way she was supposed to. The happy news is that I’m pregnant again and committed to a VBAC unless contraindicated. Even better, the new hospital in our city has a breech delivery training program for doctors and nurses! As a side note, all breech babies should be screened by ultrasound right away for hip dysplasia. My daughter was not diagnosed until 8 months and spent 3 months in a brace to correct it. For more info: http://hipdysplasia.org
Colleen
My first was complete breech and I was told, “You can’t have a breech vaginal birth with your first baby.” We were going to try an ECV at 38 weeks but at 36 weeks I was diagnosed with oligohydramnios and they said they couldn’t do a version with low fluid–she was born 6 days later. My second daughter was born by VBAC 3 years later. Had she been breech, I would’ve switched providers to at least attempt a vaginal birth, but it wasn’t necessary. I always tell mamas who have had breech cesareans that they are EXCELLENT candidates for VBACs and have a very high rate of success. 🙂
You might want to consider looking into chiropractic care during this pregnancy. After my first was breech and my second LOP, I learned that an unbalanced pelvis can cause both positions. I DID see a chiropractor with #2, but I didn’t start until 35 weeks or so, and by then she was already wedged into position by a super-tight round ligament on my left side–and her own very long torso. You’ve got this mama!
Kathy
I did! In 1975 my son was born breech, no C-section.
Kerrie
Amazing and beautiful!
Kahu
Classically wonderful Waikato story (:
Kristin
Breathtaking, beautiful, emotional and NORMAL! I love seeing moms and care providers strong and brave to take on something so feared now-a-days. Beautiful photography and congratulations mum!
Rebekah Porter
I too had a vaginal Frank breech birth. I was not scared and it was my best birth ever. I am grateful for Dr. O’Brien and O’Neill who supported me in Lexington, KY.
Denise Hynd
Thank you for sharing this story and pictures. It is so sad that we all need these stories to suggest to us that the majority of women CAN birth the baby their body grow! We need to re-
learn that birth is meant to be the way for a baby and its mother to optimally begin their extra-uterine life, not the fearful ordeal that is now because we have disturbed labour and birth so much we as a species no longer trust it or know what is truly possible as a result !
Gail Tully
Love you for this.
Kate
I tried to share this on my doula page and it disappeared. I tried again and FB said it had been flagged. =(
Mrs. BWF
Facebook won’t allow this link to be shared on its site at all.
Shawn Walker
Great photos. Beautiful story. Nice work, mama and midwife 🙂
Colleen
This amazing mother is my daughter and she is truly awesome. Such strength, courage and confidence is part of who she is. She has had 4 drug free labour and delivered 4 beautiful healthy babies. Her husband has been an active part of each labour and delivery. They worked together as a team and have been committed to a natural birth process. Well done to you both. Excellent photos of my grandson Cassie.
Bethany
Sorry, prepare yourself but
WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK?!?
I can’t share this on facebook??????
Are you serious?????
#normalizebirth #takebackbirth
I’m disgusted at Facebook’s censorship lately…
Sorry for the language but daaaaaamn
Lily's Mommy
Trying to turn my breech baby took over the whole end of my pregnancy. I was planning a home birth, and in my country no hospital will help a first time mother with a breech birth. In the end I found an amazing home birth doctor who is an amazing advocate for a woman’s right to give birth, and he attended my birth. My sweet daughter was born breech at home on December 13, 2013. Giving birth was an amazing and joyous thing, and I’m so sad that so many women are forced into having a cesarean birth just because doctors and midwives refuse to attend a breech birth. Women should have the choice on how they want to birth their breech babies.
Kristi Warner
Awesome photos!! So glad that I got to view these before Facebook banned it!
linnea
I just had my fourth homebirth four weeks ago. He was breech. I knew he was breech weeks before, and tried to get him to flip. No luck. But for me the hospital was not an option. After three amazing homebirths I coundn’t imagine any other way. I completely trust the birth process and my body. After only two hours of active labor he was born. No problem. It was an amazing experience!
Cherie
Thank you so much for sharing both this story, and the beautiful images. Breech birth is just another variation of normal, and really should not be feared! It’s great to begin the cycle of re-educating about breech birth for medical professionals and birthing mothers alike. Well done!
lynnia
So proud of you mama….good job!!!!
Mikayla
Wow, inspiring! But sadly, my antivirus program also flags this as a dangerous/malicious page. Whatever.
Tracy
Facebook won’t let me post this in the comments of my friends post on turning a breech baby. Ridiculous!
Kristie
what a pleasure to read about a woman who trusts birth and her body, how wonderful. I gave birth in west Africa without the presence of a midwife, and as the baby’s head was crowning with my hand there, it felt kind of big and bulgy more like a backside than a head! But I had no fear, I knew I would just have to wait for my body to do its job! However just then,all at once, the head turned, the waters broke and my baby slipped out into my hands in front of me, golden pink and crying nicely! Powerful and amazing.
D
You should also know that there are places in the US where no one will deliver a breech baby. In Oklahoma City there have been moms to deliver this way, but they flat out refused to sign the cesarian consent and many times the doctor will just stand by and watch because they “don’t do breech births”.
Kimberly Caulley
My baby girl was delivered completely natural at the hospital this January and she weighed 11lbs. 9oz., but she was not breech. So this mommy is amazing for delivering a chunky one and listening to her body!! I also had so much support from my loved ones, midwife and nurses. It was very intense birth and I did not have the water birth I wanted, but I knew my body could do it no matter what and I would do it all over again if I needed to. ♡♡♡
Carmelina
Wow!!! Just wow!!!!! 😀
Kelly
This is an amazing capture on camera.
Whilst everyone is all about the naturalistic aspect of frank breech births the medical profession don’t suggest a section so it is easier for them, it is based on the evidence that it is generally better for the babies. Out of all the types of breech the frank is the ‘safest’ but the baby is able to change posture right up to the end. In breech there is more chance of cord compression or complications with an arm being up by the babies head. Due to the increased risk of complications both during delivery and afterwards for the baby medical practice has stepped toward section img do they don’t teach the correct techniques needed to cope with all breech eventualities. And just a quick foot not a very large proportion of breech babies have unilateral or bilateral hip issues because of being breech.
So whilst ‘listening to our body’ is all naturalistic sometimes it may be worth thinking that the birth of a baby isn’t always about the mother maybe it is about getting the baby safely into the world! (In my opinion)
Cece
Everyone also has to remember that the mama and her homebirth midwife may WANT to allow a breech baby to be born at home, but the STATE regulations (stupid though they may be) may not allow it. I know I asked my midwife what would happen if my baby was breech, and she said that she is not legally allowed to deliver a baby that she knows is breech. (Arizona). She said in her 20 years of midwifery she had caught one breech baby, but she didn’t know it was breech until it was to late to take the mom to the hospital. I would have been fine with trying to have him at home, but she wouldn’t have been “allowed to.”
Too bad women and their midwives can’t be “trusted” to make their own decisions.
Beautiful photos!
Lynne Huysamen
Beautiful and lovely. I wish my home birth had gone how I wanted. Unfortunately I wasn’t dilating and was in labour for 42 hours with a posterior baby.
I went to hospital and had a c-section. Still happy with how it all went as I tried my best and I gave birth to the most beautiful, healthy baby girl.
Thank you for sharing.
Danielle
I’m sure that fear is the case for a lot of women but definitely not all of them. Right now I’m 37 weeks pregnant with a breech baby. We tried the external version but it failed. I would have been open to trying a breech natural birth but there are practically no providers that do them in my state. This has practically forced me into a c-section which I’m really not happy about. It’s time to give women back their options. It’s not fair that my choices have been taken away from me because my baby is breech. I hope someday more providers will start doing vaginal breech births again.
baby birth
Many hours into labor, our trusted Obstetrician asked me if I was afraid. I recall being somewhat surprised by his question. My focus was deep within my birthing body, experiencing a strong connection with our unborn baby, and trusting that my body knew exactly what to do at exactly the right moment. This simply left no space for fear.