Use Peppermint Oil from Organic Aromas in a carrier oil, like coconut oil and smooth onto the top of the belly in a semi-circular motion or a rainbow motion. It has a cooling effect and can sometimes encourage baby to turn. Or use a combination of lavender and lemon grass from Organic Aromas to help relax you.
I have always been drawn to natural healing techniques and the “mind over matter” approach to pain. So it wasn’t a surprise to any of my friends or family members that I wanted my birthing experience to be a natural, un-medicated, vaginal birth.
My entire pregnancy went beautifully, aside from the first trimester morning sickness and the occasional case of the “kankles”. October 20th 2014 was my estimated due date and up until my 35 week mark there was no reason to expect anything other than a natural birth. On the day before my 36 week ultrasound a very unexpected trip to the vet ended in the loss of my beloved pup. That morning I woke up to him collapsing to what I thought was a seizure. Little did I know that later that evening he would fall asleep in my lap for the last time.
Let’s face it, that’s a rough scenario for anyone let alone someone who’s 36 weeks pregnant and battling the emotional and physical changes of pregnancy to begin with. Needless to say, the last time I cried that hard I was a child. The force of the emotions that had taken over me had caused me to heave and jerk as I attempted to catch my breath.
That night I woke up with a strange tightness in my abdomen. I noticed that when I felt my son move, the movements were not in the usual spots.
I figured he was just getting himself ready for the big day and adjusting accordingly. The next morning at my ultrasound appointment I found out that I was terribly wrong. He had turned himself around and was now breech. This was devastating! I knew in my heart that my perfectly placed baby had been affected by my stress the night before and tried to find comfort by adjusting himself in the womb. *Note from Liza-Some people believe that baby’s can sense when their mothers are in emotional pain. They then move their position so they can be closer to their mothers heart in order to comfort her. A breech baby may have strong instincts already!
I tried EVERYTHING to get him to turn from breech to head down. I declined an external cephalic version which I did not think was necessary. The doctor immediately scheduled the cesarean for my due date as a “precaution.” I did not want my child’s birth to be a scheduled Cesarean and made sure that the doctor was aware of that. I said, “If I was not having contractions then I was not going in!”
After countless prayers, on the night of the 19th (about 10pm) I woke up with discomfort. I thought I had eaten something less than agreeable and tried to go back to sleep. An hour later I was awake with the same discomfort. And then again and again like clock work. Still It wasn’t unbearable so I figured I was having Braxton-Hicks contractions. Long story short, instead of going into the hospital the next morning for the ultrasound to determine his position, I ended up going in with contractions that were 15 minutes apart. The ultrasound determined that he was still in a breech position. The cesarean that was scheduled “just in case”, was in fact, going to happen. It was a scary, cold feeling throughout the entire process. The staff and medical personnel were incredibly kind and caring but it still was far from what I expected to feel during one of life’s precious miracles.
There was no time to find comfort through my fiancé or family. My mother and sisters would not be in the room with us like I had wanted. The primal goddess feeling was nowhere to be found. And I would not be the first person to hold my child.
It has taken me some time to actually clear my head of the “If you wouldn’t have cried so hard he wouldn’t have turned” troll that was pestering me. I continue to remind myself of the prayers I constantly put out into the universe, and the terms I told the doctors I would not budge on.
You see, I told them I would not have the cesarean unless I was already in labor and having contractions, and that’s what happened. So while it may not have been my original birth plan, my alternate one was executed how I had asked.
I had an issue with the thought of my baby’s birthday being “scheduled,” so I consistently prayed that “if my son is meant to be born on the 20th then please give me a sign, let me go into labor that day, If he is meant to be born another day then let him move even a tiny bit closer to the right position and I will tell the doctor to cancel the cesarean.” I did go into labor and he had not moved at all. So while the procedure itself was not the warmest of experiences, I do feel that it happened the way it was meant to in order for my son to be born safely. *Note from Liza-The power of intention is incredibly strong.
Cesarean Birth Story by Jillian Goddard with notes from Liza Janda
