Not long ago, one of my doula clients, a woman in her late 30s, gave birth to her breech baby vaginally in a private hospital. A three hour labour for a first time mama, pretty good eh? (So take heart, all first-time older mums! Another 40 yr old first-timer client of mine had her baby within a couple of hours! Sheesh, it took me 24 hours at age 30!)

At first, her OB advised an elective c/s. After hiring me as their doula, we discussed the option of vaginal breech and the pros & cons. They went back to their OB and said, we've decided to change to another careprovider since you are not comfortable with vaginal breech." Suddenly, their Ob became comfortable in a hurry. My client said, "It was because we were informed and empowered."

Because it was a private hospital, she ended up on the bed, strapped to a monitor. She wanted to get up and move, but the senior midwife told her that the CTG machine was showing that she was only having very mild early contractions.

My client was in considerable discomfort, and thought, if this is only early contractions, I am never going to be able to do this. She said she wanted to move. The charge midwife said, "Well if this is how you feel now, how are you going to cope with a long breech labour?" To another staff member, she said, within my client's hearing, "We're not coping very well."

My client got desperate and said, "Call my Ob, I'm having a c/s." When her OB examined her, she found that she was already 10cm. (The mother knows best - not the machine. Listen to the mother, watch the mother - not the machine.) She went on to have a successful breech birth. She had discussed being in a standing squat for the birth, which the Ob had agreed to, but at the time, the Ob reverted to type, whipped out the stirrups, placed my client's legs in them and proceeded.

I was not present at the actual birth, my client told me about it afterwards. My impression is that despite an environment that was not all that supportive or normal birth, and practices that are actually detrimental to safe birthing, my client was still spectacularly successful at managing a breech vaginal birth.

Just to encourage everyone - vaginal breech is even possible in Melbourne, even with an Ob who has advised a c/s - get support, get informed, and stand up for your preferences.