April: First and Second Births, Two Emergency C-Sections, Failed Induction, Large Baby, Bonding Difficulties, Birth Trauma, Attempted VBAC

She planned a home birth. She hypnobirthed. She did everything right. And after two days of induction at 42 weeks, her son was born by emergency C-section at 10 pounds. She never even got to hold him for the first four hours.April is a mum of three from the East Midlands who shares two very different but equally difficult emergency C-section births. Her first, at 22 years old, left her separated from her baby in recovery, unable to breastfeed, and spending the first six months of her son's life struggling to bond with him. Her second was supposed to be her VBAC. She had done the research, fought her way into the midwife-led unit, laboured in the pool for hours, refused Syntocin, and got to 10 centimetres. And then an obstetrician she had been battling all night took her to theatre anyway.She lost 2.5 litres of blood. She came out with a blood drain in her scar. And she left the hospital knowing she had been let down. In this episode we talk about:What it is like to be 22, in labour for two days, and separated from your baby after a C-sectionHow April fought to access the midwife-led unit for her second birth as a VBAC patientWhat actually happened in theatre and why April still has unanswered questionsHow being autistic affected her experience of both births and why nobody understood her decisionsWhat birth trauma really looks like and how it can take years to processThis episode is for anyone who has ever felt like the system failed them. April is proof that your instincts matter and your choices matter and you are allowed to say no. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care.British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery.These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional.Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTubeWant to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.