After two failed ECVs, countles Youtube videos and more yoga ball sessions than I’d care to admit, I had begrudginly had been booked in for a C-section. It was scheduled for April 1st. What I didn’t know was Ozzy had his own plans.

So between my ECV at 36 weeks and my last growth scan at 38 weeks, I was determined to spin this baby. It was the last chance I had to see if my efforts paid off. I searched everywhere for ways to flip a baby. Icing the top of my bump and heating the bottom, to make it inviting. Bouncing on the ball vigorously, hip circles to hopefully make space for him to flip, inverting myself, playing music- you name it I tried it.

I genuinely thought I’d done it as well. When he got hiccups, they felt lower than before. I felt some big movements and his kicks didn’t feel quite the same. But at the same time it felt like his head was still firmly wedged in my ribs- I held out hope though maybe it was his bum, maybe he had done it.

And then came my 38 week and last growth scan of the pregancy. They waved the wand over my stomach and here he was….still breech. Just like that all hope was gone and I accepted that I was having a C-section.

When I saw the consultant afterwards he told me it had been booked for the 1st of April and pre-op was 2 days before, he checked his schedule and he was in on the 1st meaning it was the last time I was seeing him before having Ozzy. So we said goodbye and home we went. I was a bit devastated that I didn’t get the chance to try for a natural birth- but I knew this was my only option.

So the 30th of March it’s back to day unit, they take one more blood sample- with a fight and then comes round the surgeon. She talks us through the risks and what the procedure entails and gives me the meds to take before the big day. She then checks my notes and asks if I want a presentation scan doing on the morning of my section, I said why not it wouldn’t hurt but prepared for it.

The night of the 31st I did all the pre-op prep, took my meds, drank a bunch of water like I was told and researched recovery tips. That night I got zero sleep as I worried about the procedure- mostly the needle going in my spine and then finally it was time to head to the hospital.

We got dropped off, wheeled our stuff in and got set up on a bed. The midwife read my chart and palpated my stomach, she pressed around my bump and up by my ribs. “Yep, that still feels like his head,” she said.

She asked if I wanted to bother with the scan and I said yeah, I was curious to know if he was bum down or feet down for a final time. While she found a machine and someone to scan me she told me to get into my gown and compression socks.

20 minutes later, with me fighting to get those compression socks on, ending with the midwives having to help jam me into them somebody came to scan me.

She moved the scanner across my stomach.

Then she paused

“He’s head down.”

My partner and I laughed.

“Good one” we said. “It’s April Fool’s Day”.

She looked at us.

“No, genuinely. He’s head down.”

I hadn’t sat up that quickly since around 6 months pregnant to see that screen and lo and behold Ozzy had finally done what he was meant to. The midwife looked at me and said…”we’ll check with the surgeon” and right before she left I asked should I put my gown on, she said I would wait till the surgeon comes around. She’ll be in here around 8:15.

My partner and I just stared at each other, we thought it wasn’t possible. It had been so long with Ozzy being breech that we just thought there was no chance he wouldn’t be. It was so late as well. I was 39 weeks. How did he even have the space to flip? He asked what I wanted to do, he didn’t mind either way it was my body. I said I’d always wanted to try a natural birth so if that was an option I wanted to try.

The surgeon came round and spoke with us, saying if I didn’t want the section, I didn’t have to and with that she left. The midwives told me to wait until they got in touch with my consultant but I could start to pack up. So after all the fuss of the compression socks I didn’t have to fight to get them on.

The midwife came back and told me my consultant would be in touch and I could go home. So out we walked, my partner rang his mum to ask her to come back and get us. He also rang his work as his paternity was meant to start on the 1st.. but now we had no baby and no idea when we would. All while I stood there in a weird state of shock. I was having a baby today, I was having major surgery and now I have no idea what was happening.

We’d been home for a few hours when my phone rang and it was my consu ltant, he laughed at how outlandish it was that he had saved his big move for the day of the C-section, claiming clearly Ozzy had a flair for the dramatics and his own timeline. He then laid out a plan, on Saturday I was meant to go back to the hospital and ask for him, he’d then see us in person and discuss.

So Saturday came round, we went to the hospital and waited for him to come off of labour ward, this took some time as when he started walking towards us, his pager would blare and he’d sheepishly have to rush back.

When he finally had a minute we practically sprinted down the hall to the antenatal unit where I was going to be scanned. He wanted to see for himself this baby that had cancelled his C-section. I was praying to every god imaginable that he hadn’t flipped back to breech in the 3 days a scanner hadn’t been tracking him.

He piled on a mountain of ultrasound gel and waved the scanner over my bump. I held my breath terrified for the bad news I’d convinced myself was coming.

“He’s head down.”

It felt like the weight of the world was off my shoulders and then we could laugh and joke while he took measurements for a sneaky extra growth scan.

He then wanted to discuss options, he was worried that Ozzy could flip again and my blood pressure as it had been throughout pregnancy was elevated. He looked at me and said It’s rare but I think we’re on the same page, should we get this baby out today?

He barely finished the sentence before I responded absolutely yes. I was scared he’d flip and was also in this weird limbo, I was meant to have a baby already, I kinda wanted him. So he rang down to the ward to check there was a bed and sent me off to start my induction process.

So all in all my experience with breech baby was certainly memorable.

I had the horrendous kicks right on my bladder right up until the end. I had to sit bolt upright at times just so I could breathe around his big head. I spent weeks worrying about going into spontaneous labour and having to rush to get to hospital.

But Ozzy was very kind and decided to flip right when I needed him most, saving me from a C-section and the recovery that comes with it.

Looking back, I probably should have realised sooner that he was always going to do things on his own timeline.

Thanks, little man!