Double surprise: breech & unplanned home birth

Written by Kenzie from Michigan, USA

I just wanted to share a quick happy story since I love telling it. Last November I was nearing my due date with my baby girl, she is was my third pregnancy, but second delivery. It was the evening of November 2 when my water broke and I realized this was more than early labor (I went 41 weeks with my son in 2022, so I was expecting to go closer to that with my daughter too - little did I know, this pregnancy and delivery would be completely opposite my sons!). 

I called my doula to join us at our home to help me labor at home as long as possible--I wanted a home birth, but financially it wasn't possible, so we hired a doula to support us during our hospital experience. After my water broke and my contractions were getting more intense, my doula assisted in making me comfortable with different breathing techniques, supporting my body during them and reminding me to drink salt water for more energy when I felt like giving up. She was timing and monitoring my contractions and felt like there still wasn't a consistency to them. 

She wanted me to move from my hands and knees to a new position. As soon as I tried to move to this new position I felt the urge to push. She quickly hollered to my husband in the other room (our son was still with us since my mom was still not to our home yet to care for him), who was caring for our son, that it was time to go--so all four of us were going to load into the car and head the 3 short minutes to the hospital. 

As soon as I went to step one foot in the front seat, I hollered to my doula "Kenzy (my name as well) catch my baby!" On the cold concrete (it was like 48 degrees F outside; we're in Michigan), I went down on all fours and felt baby descend. 

To all of our surprise, baby was breech--her butt came first, and then I remember looking through my legs back at her and seeing her feet and legs drop down. We obviously called 911 and shortly had medical assist (thanks to our police officer neighbor who is also an EMT!). 

Between my doula who has studied breech births and our police officer neighbor, they were able to welcome baby all on her own. My doula coached the officer (he had delivered 2 babies prior, but neither were breech) to not touch baby and let her finish her journey out on her own and through my gentle pushes. My doula eventually gave the okay to cough a couple times and baby was born. 

My sweet baby Winnie was brought into this world on a brisk evening in MI with a story that we'll never forget. Her big brother beside watching (later asking why she came out of my butt, but that's a story I'll tell him another time haha). Dad still able to cut the cord after it turned white, in the driveway with a scalpel. I'm incredibly grateful God guided all of us through and got our baby girl here safely. 

Later when we got to the hospital, the nurses informed us that if baby was coming out breech while there, they would have done a c-section. So, my family's story is something I will forever hold on to and love to share the power of a woman's body when delivering a breech baby. 

When she was born, all we had were sweaters to wrap her in--my doula took hers off to wrap her and my husband took his off. My husband still has his Carhartt sweater that I was able to get the stains out of! But my doula's sweater said, "It is well with my soul"--a very faith filled birth.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and letting me share it!