April is Caesarean Awareness Month, and this year it feels especially meaningful to me. Fifteen months ago, I gave birth to my son, Evan, via emergency caesarean section. It wasn’t the birth I had planned—but it was exactly the birth we needed.
As a pregnancy yoga teacher and second-time mum, I had prepared for a natural, non-medicated vaginal birth. My first child was born vaginally, and I felt confident in my body’s ability. I even considered a home birth, but at 45, pregnant through IVF, and labelled ‘high risk’, I knew it would be an uphill battle in the public system. Hiring private midwives was financially out of reach, so I chose a hospital birth with the support of an incredible doula, Mim.
Everything was in place—my doula, my supportive husband, a kind and reasonable consultant, and a birth plan I believed in. But as I always tell the women in my classes: we prepare for the birth we want, while staying open to the one we might have.
At 39 weeks, I was under pressure to be induced due to my age and IVF pregnancy. I cancelled the induction, feeling confident labour was just around the corner. I was wrong. Two days past my due date, my waters broke very dramatically—just like with my first baby. I thought, “This is it, I’ll be in labour by morning.” Morning came… and nothing.
I went to the hospital to get checked out. Since it had been 18 hours since my waters broke, they decided to admit me. I negotiated an extra day to see if labour would begin naturally, hoping that all my yoga wisdom, spinning babies tips, and doula tricks would kick things off.
But still—nothing.
After 36 hours with no contractions, I agreed to induction. My consultant was wonderful, assuring me I could stay active and that my doula could be with me in the labour ward from the beginning. We set up the room beautifully—soft lighting, music, birth ball, yoga mat—the energy was positive and full of anticipation. I was finally going to meet my long-awaited miracle baby.
But once the syntocin drip began, Evan’s heart rate kept dropping whenever I stood up. I was constantly being repositioned, and the drip was paused several times, as even a tiny dose seemed to affect him. Then I began to shiver—fever had set in, likely an infection from prolonged rupture of membranes. The final straw came when I went to the bathroom and discovered meconium—another clear sign that Evan was in distress.
By the time my consultant arrived to “convince” me that a C-section was needed, I didn’t need convincing. I had not spent ten years trying to have this baby only to lose him now. Our amazing doula walked us to the theatre, still keeping the mood light and reassuring me we were doing the right thing. We had spoken with the consultant about a gentle caesarean, and I was excited to meet my baby in that calm and connected way.
But things changed fast.
By the time I got onto the table in theatre, it had become a full emergency. Evan needed to come out immediately. My husband didn’t even have time to gow up. What seemed like only seconds after I received the epidural, Evan was born. Those incredible doctors and nurses saved my baby’s life that day, and I will never forget it.
Yes, caesareans are overused in Ireland and across the Western world. Too many people undergo serious abdominal surgery when it may not be necessary. But when it is needed—when it truly is the safest option—it is nothing short of life-saving. I am so grateful for that.
Having now experienced both a vaginal birth and a caesarean, I feel I have a deeper understanding and empathy for the women who come to my classes—especially knowing that 39% of births in Ireland are now by caesarean, with even higher rates among first-time mothers. It’s a reminder that every birth is different, and every journey is valid.
To anyone preparing for birth: plan, prepare, empower yourself. But know that flexibility is powerful too. Sometimes, the most courageous thing we can do is surrender—and trust that there is strength and beauty in every kind of birth.
087 9924094
