"C section and postnatal care after unexpected breech baby"

At my 41 week antenatal check my midwife realised that the baby was unexpectedly breech. We were referred to obstetric triage for a presentation scan which confirmed this, and to discuss our next steps. The midwife (Jackie) and consultant (Bridget) were fantastic in helping us understand what the best option would be, and we decided that a Caesarean section would be safest for me and the baby. Because the service was so busy, we didn't know exactly when this would be, but we were sent home with instructions about fasting and pre-medication so that I could have enhanced recovery. 

Luckily we didn't have to wait too long and I was asked to come in the next afternoon. I was really apprehensive about the operation as I have never had any type of surgery or hospital stay before, but the team were amazing and really put me at ease. It turned out that an ECV would definitely not have been successful (and would probably have been very painful for me) so we felt really reassured that we had made the right decision. I wish I could remember everyone's names, but special thanks go to Eilidh (midwife), Naomi (anaesthetist) and Jo (obstetrics doctor). 

Afterwards I went to ward 211 where I stayed for 4 nights as I was struggling a lot with pain and feeding. I cannot thank the staff enough for everything they did to help me establish breastfeeding, as this was really important to me, and one of my main worries about having a Caesarean section was that it might be more difficult. Again, I can't remember the names of everyone who helped me (especially everyone who answered my buzzer in the middle of the night and helped me hand express colostrum!) but special thanks go to Cat (midwife), Dot, and Victoria (MCAs) who really helped me to turn a corner with feeding and reassured me that I was making good choices for my baby.

I think the care I had was absolutely exemplary, especially as the service was experiencing significant staffing pressures. We are now home with our baby and doing really well, and we will be forever grateful for all of the help, support, and advice that we received.