When I fell pregnant with my second baby, I knew this birth would be different, because every birth is.

My first birth was such a positive experience that I was intentional about preparing again. I know how much preparation shapes the way you feel during pregnancy, birth and postpartum, and I wanted to give myself the best chance of another positive experience, whatever birth looked like this time.

This isn't a story of ease or perfection. Pregnancy and birth threw me more than a few curveballs and not everything went "to plan."

It's my honest, real and ultimately positive vaginal breech birth story.

I'm sharing it because I know how many women feel uncertain, even powerless, when plans change during pregnancy. If you're navigating a breech presentation, facing unexpected decisions or simply feeling overwhelmed by the "what ifs," I hope this story offers you some reassurance.

You are allowed to ask questions.
You are allowed to explore options.
You are allowed to find your own way.

My Breech Birth at a Glance

✔️ Second baby, born at 38+3 weeks (38 weeks and 3 days)
✔️ Baby found to be breech at 36 weeks, with an unsuccessful ECV at 37 weeks
✔️ Planned caesarean booked for 41 weeks with my MGP (Midwifery Group Practice) team
✔️ Waters broke at 2:30am, and I arrived at hospital at 6am, already 8cm
✔️ The caesarean was stood down after the 7am shift change, and I was fully supported to birth vaginally
✔️ Our baby was born via vaginal breech birth at 7:46am while I was standing, less than two hours after we arrived
✔️ Small first-degree tear with no stitches needed, and home six hours after the birth

Pregnancy and Preparing for Birth the Second Time Around

Pregnancy with a toddler was… next level.

I had hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) again and was sick for almost the entire pregnancy. Managing that level of nausea, vomiting and exhaustion while caring for an almost two-year-old was physically and emotionally draining. There were moments when I genuinely didn't know how I would get through.

I also had Anti-Di(a) antibodies again (an antibody in my blood that can sometimes affect your baby).

Then there was the mental load. I was always wondering how my toddler would adjust to becoming a big brother. How would he cope? How would the transition go? Would I have the capacity to meet both of their needs?

In many ways my preparation mirrored my first pregnancy, but this time I went deeper, because I knew how much of a difference it had made last time. I revisited my Empowered Birth course, refreshed my knowledge and adjusted my preferences.

Here's what I focused on:

✔️ Pelvic floor physiotherapy for the whole pregnancy (to reduce the risk of another third-degree tear)
✔️ Practising breathing and mindset work
✔️ Visualisation and affirmations
✔️ Creating a postpartum plan that included support for our toddler
✔️ Accepting that this birth would be different and preparing for it to go differently
✔️ Perineal massage from 35 weeks
✔️ Antenatal expressing (hand-expressing colostrum before birth) from 37 weeks

I kept coming back to this: however my baby arrives, I want to meet them feeling calm, prepared and confident in my decisions.

A Breech Baby at 36 Weeks

At 36 weeks, we found out our baby was breech (bottom or feet first rather than head down).

That moment shook me, because it changed everything.

It wasn't because I'm against caesarean birth. I'm not. As a midwife, I understand that birth doesn't always unfold physiologically. Caesareans can save lives and are absolutely the right choice in many situations. Having a caesarean can absolutely be a positive birth experience.

What I struggled with most was the loss of choice.

I had prepared intentionally for a physiological vaginal birth and suddenly it felt like that option was being taken away. My hospital and obstetric consultant did not support vaginal breech birth, so caesarean was my only option.

On a practical level, I was worried about recovery. Recovering from a caesarean with a toddler at home felt daunting and I was concerned about how it would affect my postpartum experience and my son's transition to becoming a big brother.

The uncertainty was mentally exhausting.

Trying to Help Baby Turn

Once the breech position was confirmed, I did everything I could to encourage my baby to turn head down:

✔️ Spinning Babies exercises
✔️ Acupuncture and moxibustion
✔️ Physiotherapy and bodywork
✔️ Chiropractic care
✔️ An external cephalic version, or ECV (where an obstetrician tries to turn the baby by hand from the outside of your belly)

Despite all of it, my baby stayed breech.

Those few weeks were mentally challenging, a rollercoaster of hoping, disappointment, trying, accepting and re-evaluating.

Through it all, I kept thinking that I wanted to make my decisions from a place of informed choice, not fear or pressure.

Empowerment isn't always about getting the outcome you hoped for. Sometimes it's about how you move through uncertainty.

I was determined to make a plan that felt right for me.

Rewriting My Birth Plan

After my ECV at 37 weeks was unsuccessful, I had some big decisions to make.

Because my hospital didn't support vaginal breech birth, I was left with two options:

✔️ Book a caesarean at 39 weeks (as recommended), or
✔️ Transfer hospitals and care teams to attempt a vaginal breech birth elsewhere

Neither felt quite right, so I gave myself time to think before choosing.

After talking it through with my husband, I consented to a caesarean at 41 weeks with my MGP team. That gave my baby time to turn on their own and gave my body the chance to go into labour naturally. It also gave me time to properly explore my options and work out what felt right.

Once I was home, I explored everything:

✔️ Transferring hospitals to attempt a vaginal breech birth
✔️ Planning a home birth with a private midwife who supported breech birth
✔️ Staying with my current team and plan

There was a lot of research, some difficult conversations and a few emotional breakdowns.

Eventually, I decided to stay with my team and prepare for a caesarean at 41 weeks if my baby was still breech.

I rewrote my birth preferences for a caesarean and made a clear plan for my postpartum recovery.

My "if/then" plan looked like this:

✔️ If baby turned head down → go back to my original vaginal birth plan
✔️ If I was still pregnant at 41 weeks with a breech baby → go ahead with the planned caesarean
✔️ If labour started on its own and baby was still breech → have an emergency caesarean (knowing my baby was ready to be born)
✔️ If labour progressed quickly → stay open to the possibility of a vaginal breech birth

Preparation and flexibility can coexist.

My Body Started Preparing

Once I relaxed mentally and felt confident in the plan, my body began preparing. I had two nights of irregular contractions. They weren't intense, but they felt different, as if they were trying to help my baby turn. My body was working with my baby to make space and shift their position. One night, I even thought my baby had flipped.

By morning, though, I could tell bub was still breech.

The contractions settled and I carried on with my normal routine, trusting the process.

That night, I did the usual bedtime routine with my toddler, watched one of my favourite movies with my husband and tucked myself into bed.

The Day I Met My Baby

At 2:30am (at 38+3 weeks), I was woken by three little taps followed by a big gush. My waters had broken. It was completely different from my first birth, when my waters broke in the bath during transition.

I quickly woke my husband to help clean up while I had a shower. I felt calm, my baby's movements were normal and the fluid was clear. I knew we would meet our baby that day.

I told my husband we didn't need to rush. His mum was already coming over that day to look after our toddler while I went to an appointment. I suggested we wait a few hours until a more reasonable time, call her to come earlier and then head to hospital for a caesarean.

I settled back into bed with fresh sheets and an adult nappy on, and that's when the contractions began. At first they were mild, lasting about 30 seconds, but they ramped up quickly. By 4am, I needed to focus and breathe through each one.

I realised things were moving faster than I'd expected and we wouldn't be able to wait until morning.

We called my mother-in-law, gathered the last-minute things for hospital and got everything ready for our toddler. At 4:30am, I put on my TENS machine and started walking around the house, swaying and breathing through each contraction.

My husband called our MGP midwife to let her know what was happening. As soon as my mother-in-law arrived, we jumped in the car, and we got to the hospital at 6am.

My midwife had prepared the room beautifully, with low lighting, fairy lights, affirmations, aromatherapy and the bath filled (just in case bub was head down). It was the same room where I birthed my first baby. I felt calm and safe.

Then, in the corner, I noticed the ultrasound machine.

The obstetric team needed to confirm my baby's position to decide on next steps and as I expected, bub was still breech. The obstetrician asked if I understood what that meant, and I said, "Yes, it means a caesarean, as this hospital doesn't support vaginal breech."

My midwife offered a vaginal examination to assess my progress and help us form a plan. I agreed and I was 8cm.

The contractions were really intense. I was still using my TENS, constantly moving, standing, swaying and tuning into my body.

I was surprised to be 8cm and I remember thinking, "I'm close… but not close enough for a vaginal birth."

My consent form had gone missing, so we started a new one while the team began preparing me for surgery.

The team were still getting me ready for theatre. My husband was in his paper jumpsuit, my TEDs (compression stockings) were on, and the anaesthetist had introduced himself while putting in a cannula (a drip in my hand) and talking us through the process of a spinal anaesthetic.

I tried to stay standing and in the zone while everyone moved around me, taking it one contraction at a time.

Then I was asked to get onto the bed, ready to be transferred to theatre. The ward staff were ready and we were just waiting for the call that theatre was ready for me.

Being on the bed made the contractions so intense and much harder to cope with. My midwife offered to check me again and I was now 9cm.

She encouraged me to get off the bed and keep moving while we waited for the on-call obstetric consultant to arrive. I went into the bathroom, with my husband holding the fan and encouraging me through each contraction.

At 7am, the shift changed and this changed everything for me.

The new midwifery team leader came in and spoke with my MGP midwife. She asked about the situation and my preferences, then asked, "Would she prefer a vaginal breech birth or a caesarean?"

My midwife explained that a vaginal breech birth would be my preference, if it could be supported. We had talked about this in depth at my appointments leading up to the birth.

The team leader left the room, and a lot of discussions happened outside while I stayed in the zone in the bathroom, undisturbed, using my breathing and TENS machine to move through each contraction. I kept saying to myself and my baby, "You can do this. Just a little bit longer, one contraction at a time."

Not long after, the consultant obstetrician arrived for my caesarean. Outside the room, the obstetric team talked with the midwifery team leader, the clinical midwifery consultant and my MGP midwife about my preferences and what could be done to support me. Then the obstetric consultant came in and we talked about my preferences and what I wanted to do. He calmly told me he had supported many vaginal breech births in other countries and would support me if that was what I wanted.

I was shocked.

He explained the benefits and risks, and said he believed I could do it if it was what I wanted. I signed a form acknowledging that I was declining recommended medical care. The midwifery team leader told me she was in my corner, believed in me and would be there to advocate for me if needed.

The energy in the room completely changed.

The caesarean was stood down and I was fully supported to birth vaginally.

My contractions slowed for a while during all of these discussions, which gave me a chance to regroup. Then, as things intensified again, I felt my baby move deeper into my pelvis.

I went back into the room wanting to set up the affirmation cards I had packed. My husband was massaging my back and holding the fan while I used the TENS and breathed through the contractions.

Before I could even unpack anything, I felt the urge to push.

I told my midwife and instinctively moved to the side of the bed, where I stood on a mat. It was the exact place and position where I birthed my first baby.

I followed my body's lead.

Because it was a vaginal breech birth, more staff came into the room to give extra support if it was needed. With me were my MGP midwife, the midwifery team leader, the clinical midwifery consultant and three obstetricians.

My legs were shaking from all the hormones. I thought about moving onto all fours, but my midwife encouraged me to stay standing if I could, because things were progressing well with gravity helping.

I was standing, leaning on the bed, head down and mid-push, when I called out, "We don't know the gender - no one say anything!"

I was so aware that everyone else could see before I could.

Meeting Our Baby and the Golden Hours

Within two minutes of their bottom becoming visible, my baby was born at 7:46am, less than two hours after we arrived at hospital.

My baby was passed through my legs and I brought them straight up for skin-to-skin (they didn't make it all the way to my chest because of a very short cord!). Bub needed quite a bit of stimulation to start that first breath, but didn't need any resuscitation.

I hadn't even thought to check the gender until one of my colleagues asked. When I looked, I said, "It's a girl!" I had been so sure I was having another boy. I was completely shocked and so happy to meet my baby.

I chose to delay cord clamping until the placenta was born physiologically and my husband cut the cord.

I had a small first-degree tear that didn't need stitches. I enjoyed two hours of uninterrupted skin-to-skin and that first breastfeed, and then my husband had his turn while I showered.

We were discharged six hours after the birth and went home as a family of four, ready to introduce our little girl to her big brother.

What This Breech Birth Taught Me

This birth honestly couldn't have gone better. It was everything I hoped for and more.

Not because it was easy.
Not because it was risk-free.
But because I felt informed, supported and heard.

I was incredibly fortunate to have a team who respected my preferences, supported me and were willing to advocate for me. I truly feel like the stars aligned that morning, with the right midwives, the right consultant and my body and baby working perfectly together.

I know not everyone has this experience and that's exactly why sharing positive breech birth stories matters. They show you that it can happen.

My recovery has been smooth. I feel so proud of myself and empowered by how everything unfolded.

Most of all, I'm grateful that I made my preferences known, trusted myself, kept asking questions and made decisions that felt right for me and my family, even when they weren't the standard option.

Birth education doesn't guarantee a specific outcome, but it changes how you move through pregnancy, labour and unexpected decisions.

It builds confidence.
It supports informed choice.
It allows you to ask questions.
It helps you stay grounded, even when plans change.

Above all, this birth reminded me that preparation and surrender are not opposites.

You can prepare deeply.
You can research thoroughly.
You can create multiple plans.
And you can still surrender to the process and allow birth to unfold.

A Gentle Disclaimer

This story shares my personal experience and decisions. I made them based on my own values, circumstances, preferences and professional background.

I'm not sharing it to suggest that you should make the same decisions I did.

Every birth is different. Every woman deserves to feel informed, respected and supported in her choices.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to birth.

If you're preparing for your own birth, know this: education matters. Support matters. Your voice matters.

You deserve to feel empowered in your decisions, whatever they may be. 💕

Want to Feel Prepared, However Your Baby Arrives?

If my story resonated with you, I'd love to support you as you prepare for your own birth.

✨ Empowered Birth is my midwife-led birth course, and it's the same program I revisited to prepare for this birth.

✨ If you're planning a caesarean, or your baby is breech and a caesarean is on the table, my Empowered Caesarean Class walks you through every step, from preparation to recovery.

Missed my first birth story? Read it here.

You've got this.

I'm here for you,
Tam xx