Homebirth Attempt Turns to Cesarean Due to Infection and Other Complications

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The Beginning of the Birth Process

The mother waves over her very pregnant belly, knowing she won’t be pregnant much longer. After a hospital transfer from an attempted homebirth that was thwarted due to a severe bladder infection, a cesarean has been agreed upon. Her fever has climbed to 102.7 degrees, thick meconium is oozing out of the uterus, and the baby’s heart tones are a bit too fast. It’s time to get the baby out—for the safety of both mother and baby.

Preparing for Surgery

The belly is prepped, and the surgeons prepare for the first incision. The surgery has begun.

Delivering the Baby

The surgeons pull up and open the incision site. Both surgeons insert their hands into the incision and pull against each other to tear open the tissue.

A hand is inserted into the opening to grab the baby’s head, reaching in a little deeper. With help from the other surgeon pressing on the top of the belly, the head pops out!

Behind the screen, the father hears that the baby’s head is out. IMMEDIATELY, his head appears above the screen (with the floral mask) to get his first glimpse of the new baby. Since VERY thick meconium had been present, the baby is suctioned immediately before the rest of the body is pulled out.

The doctor pulls firmly on the baby’s head while the other doctor presses on the top of the belly. The shoulders are pulled free, and the rest of the baby follows.

Meeting the Baby

The father excitedly announces, “It’s a girl!” as the baby is handed to the waiting pediatric nurse and taken to the warmer in the corner of the room.

Because of the meconium present, the doctor uses a special instrument to look deep into the baby’s throat and lungs to check for aspiration. Happily for all involved, she had not.

The mother smiles as she looks over at her new baby while the father gently strokes her hair, gazing at his daughter with tears in his eyes.

The First Moments

Finally, the father leaves the mother’s side and goes over to the warmer to meet his daughter. His are the first ungloved hands the baby feels as he immediately begins stroking her head.

With a fever reaching almost 103, and while still on the operating table, the mother’s face shows that this has not been an easy process. When given the epidural for the surgery, enough medication was administered that the numbing effect reached her neck. Because of this, both of her arms were numb. More unnervingly, she had the sensation that she was unable to breathe. The anesthesiologist held her gown away because she kept complaining that it felt like it was choking her.

Introducing the Baby to Family

The big brother meets his little sister with some confusion. “Is THAT my little sister? Is THAT who was inside Mommy?”

The mother’s midwife (center) and doula (left) meet the baby with tears of joy—it had been a long journey filled with hard work and emotions bringing this little one into the world.

The baby weighed: 8 pounds, 7.6 ounces.

Recovery and Bonding

The father brings a digital camera into the recovery room after the mother’s surgical repair has been completed. He shows her pictures of their daughter taken in the nursery, kisses her as she admires their daughter from afar, and tells her that she did a great job.

Even though it was a full 60 hours after the mother’s membranes had ruptured, her doula never left her side. Even in the recovery room, the doula spent time massaging her feet. When the mother complained of feeling hot and sweaty, she spent an hour with a cool washcloth, wiping away the sweat and smoothing back her hair.

And finally… the mother holds her baby for the very first time.

The Healing Process

A close-up of the incision site with the staples after the surgery shows the healing process. The sore at the upper right is where the drain tube was left in for her uterus.