# Pictures of a footling breech vaginal birth - *gasp* AT HOME!



## pamamidwife (May 7, 2003)

http://www.birthingway.com/footling_breech.htm


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## the_lissa (Oct 30, 2004)

Wow that is awesome!


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## Tummy (Feb 24, 2005)

Wow, that is so beautiful!!!
Thank you for sharring this with us Pam.


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## shalena (May 31, 2004)

Wow, thank you for posting this Pam. What a beautiful birth.


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## Boobiemama (Oct 2, 2002)

Wow, those are some amazing pics!


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## AllyRae (Dec 10, 2003)

Oh wow...how amazing!


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## BrooklynDoula (Oct 23, 2002)

WOW! Thanks for the awesome link. Our bodies are so amazing!


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## applejuice (Oct 8, 2002)

Thank you for this...so beautiful!


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## Medusa (Mar 25, 2004)

Thank you for posting those pics!
A dear friend of mine had a home birth for her first child, who was a footing breech...yes it can be safely done! thanks for spreading the word!


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## AugustLia23 (Mar 18, 2004)

This is beautiful, thanks for sharing. Now I'm wondering if I should go post this on my mainstrean pg. board.


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## farmer mama (Mar 9, 2004)

Beautiful birth. What amazing parents and great midwife to have that level of trust in birth!


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## kate~mom (Jul 21, 2003)

wow - that is AMAZING!


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## ~Megan~ (Nov 7, 2002)

quick question, are those just really big hemrhoids or is that what the anus normally looks like when pushing?


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## runes (Aug 5, 2004)

wow~wow~wow~

Thanks for posting this!


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## pamamidwife (May 7, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *amarasmom*
quick question, are those just really big hemrhoids or is that what the anus normally looks like when pushing?


those are hemorrhoids.







although when women push, the rectum can get really large and open.


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## edamommy (Apr 6, 2004)

wow... thanks for sharing that.


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## etoilech (Mar 25, 2004)

Wow, those are fabulous!


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## amydidit (Jan 21, 2005)

Amazing!


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## stayinghome (Jul 4, 2002)

Thanks for sharing that!


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## Jane (May 15, 2002)

I saw that the other day and it made me tear up because it was so cool.


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## carrots (Mar 1, 2003)

WOW!!!! That was a sight you don't see everyday! What a strong woman!!!


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## Galatea (Jun 28, 2004)

Awesome!


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## JanetF (Oct 31, 2004)

Woohoo!


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## rainbowmoon (Oct 17, 2003)




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## Aura_Kitten (Aug 13, 2002)

WOOHOO! thanks for posting!

my partner said, "oh, so it's a little distressed?"

me:









him: ... pooping?

me: actually it's common for breech babies to poop during birth, because --

him: oh, it gets squeezed out of them?

me:


















(at least that's what i remember from what i've read... correct me if i'm wrong ~ :LOL )


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## Debstmomy (Jun 1, 2004)

Wow! That was awesome!


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## Tummy (Feb 24, 2005)

I wanted to share a link to another double footling home birth.

Down to towards the middle of the page you will see a picture of the little feet sticking out. There is two stories of the same birth. One is told by the mother, who is also a MD, and IBCLC. The other story is told by the LM who attended this birth.

Amazing stories!!! Absolutly Amazing!

double footling breech home birth - two stories, same birth


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## Aura_Kitten (Aug 13, 2002)

thanks tummy!


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## Cutie Patootie (Feb 29, 2004)

So amazing!!! Just...WOW! My midwife will and has delivered double footlings.







The pictures make me even more confident of having a homebirth even though my little one is head down.


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## ladybug021305 (Apr 9, 2005)

Wow that was amazing... I wish I could have tryed it. My doctors wouldn't let me even though my daughter was already starting to come out when i arrived at the hospital!
















Thanks for sharing!


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## georgia (Jan 12, 2003)

Wow. I am speechless.


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## lynchmon (Nov 12, 2004)

That's how I was born! Not at home, but my Mom always told me the story of going to the restroom in the hospital and seeing my foot hanging out! So cool. I always wondered what it might have looked like. She did it without drugs. Amazing


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## Victorian (Jan 2, 2003)

thanks for the pictures Pam! Is that local to PDX? Who were the midwives?

I just think that it goes to show that when midwives are allowed to practice true midwifery (like they are in Oregon) their art shines!

V.


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## sun-shine01 (Aug 9, 2002)

WOW!

My husband was a footling breech (not born at home though)


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## BrowneyedScorpio (Mar 29, 2005)

WOW! That's interesting to see.


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## pamamidwife (May 7, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Victorian*
thanks for the pictures Pam! Is that local to PDX? Who were the midwives?



no, not oregon. it's from a midwife in Georgia!


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## onlyboys (Feb 12, 2004)

Thanks!


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## Electra375 (Oct 2, 2002)

Totally awesome!!! And what a good size baby too!

Makes me wonder why the baby died during the hb with the mw in PA... It was a known breech, then turned footling.


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## iamama (Jul 14, 2003)

Wow that was great...


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## Eaglevoice (Nov 30, 2004)

That was awesome, thanks so much for sharing!


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## Quindin (Aug 22, 2003)

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## fourgrtkidos (Jan 6, 2004)

WOW!!! How awesome. I do not think the midwives here even will attempt breech births.
Equally cool were the flowers in the bath water.


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## cottonwood (Nov 20, 2001)

Pretty cool! I love the flowers in the bath ritual too -- so beautiful.

I have to just mention this video again -- an amazing footling breech homebirth: http://www.earthbirthproductions.com/


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## 2+twins (Apr 20, 2004)

Very very cool! Thanks for that link. And I have to second Linda's recommendation for the footling breech homebirth video (it's a twin birth too). I have it and, although I wasn't thrilled with how long it took to get to me, it's really great.


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## soulsistah (Apr 21, 2005)

Great birth pics Pam! Thank you so much for sharing....Awesome


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## caitlinsmom (Jun 10, 2004)

that is amazing! and to think most people are told they cant do that at home!!


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## mom2savannah_grace (Jul 31, 2004)

Wow!! Absolutely amazing!!! Thank you for sharing.


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## Carsonsmama (May 17, 2004)

I am awed! Incredible pictures!~


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## pfamilygal (Feb 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pamamidwife*
those are hemorrhoids.







although when women push, the rectum can get really large and open.

Ain't that the truth! I had big hemorrhoids with my first. My husband said it looked like a flower blooming on my behind as they got bigger with every push.


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## meowee (Jul 8, 2004)

my friend had a footling breech... in a hospital. they didn't know there was a twin in there waiing to come out! unbelievable, right?

of course they grabbed the forceps and started yanking though


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## AngelBee (Sep 8, 2004)

Thanks for posting that!!!


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## camille76 (Apr 9, 2005)

(That's pretty amazing.)

Was is really necessary to wait 1hr to make sure she was fully dilated? That had to be torture!! I know I cant stand to wait 1 minute! Couldn't they tell by checking the cervix, or were they unable to?

Also, why were the baby's legs purple/blue?


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## Junebug (Mar 31, 2005)

Wow! That is so freaking beautiful!







:


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## Rach (Nov 11, 2003)

I think one of my boyfriend's mother's old copies of Mothering has a picture of a double footling breech being born.
Very fascinating stuff!
Thanks for the link, it was a bit informative too!


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## 3 for me (Mar 30, 2005)

That was so amazing and inspiring to show that women are meant to have babies! Thank you so much for sahring that


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## Rach (Nov 11, 2003)

Haha. Because of this post, I had a dream that I gave birth at my mother's house to a footling breech baby boy.  I caught him, they just watched. :LOL


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## Maialuna (May 24, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *camille76*
(That's pretty amazing.)

Was is really necessary to wait 1hr to make sure she was fully dilated? That had to be torture!! I know I cant stand to wait 1 minute! Couldn't they tell by checking the cervix, or were they unable to?

Also, why were the baby's legs purple/blue?

I know it is late to be responding to these messages but I just registered on this list.

I am the midwife who attended the woman at this birth. Sometimes we hear that the reason breech is so dangerous is that the cervix will close and trap the baby's head. Some people, myself included, don't believe that happens. The head is the largest part of the baby, that is why it is preferable for the head to be first. Therefore, it is possible to begin delivering the body before the cervix is fully open. I think that is how the heads get stuck. When she felt like pushing there was no more cervix that I could feel but the body had passed through it and I can only reach as far as my fingers will go. Many midwives try to assure that the cervix is fully dialated by waiting the hour before adding to the pushing. It is just a furthur precaution.

The color of the baby was actually very good. Be aware that neither photos or our monitors have true color. But, heads and bodies during birth can look purpleish due to restricted blood flow. White is the color we don't want to see. Blessings and happy birthing!


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## luckymama (Oct 3, 2004)

awesome, awesome, awesome!

and thank you for the additional information, beth! congrats.


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## Victorian (Jan 2, 2003)

Hi Beth ******!!! Welcome to MDC! Hope that you stick around post. There are a lot of us knowledge vampires here and we would love to pick at your brain!

with my ds they thought he was breech for a long while (turns out that his butt was really boney and mama has lots of padding







). We made the decision to still birth at home so it is so nice to see a healthy breech birth. Even though we didn't need to birth a breech at home (still we did a "sunny-side-up" birth after 6 minutes of pushing!) I always felt like birthing a breech at home is the best choice for me!

Victorian


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## Viola (Feb 1, 2002)

A friend of mine had a footling breech homebirth. I saw some photos and her babies legs looked kind of purplish too. But then my baby was pretty red for the first few weeks or so, so I just figured that was normal for that kind of positioning.


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## party_of_seven (May 10, 2004)

Beth, I just want to give you some












































It is wonderful that you were there for this mom to support her and help her with her baby. There are very few birth professionals out there with the guts to trust mother nature.

Thanks for the pictures they are wonderful.


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## hvl25 (Jan 28, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Beth *******
I know it is late to be responding to these messages but I just registered on this list.

I am the midwife who attended the woman at this birth. Sometimes we hear that the reason breech is so dangerous is that the cervix will close and trap the baby's head. Some people, myself included, don't believe that happens. The head is the largest part of the baby, that is why it is preferable for the head to be first. Therefore, it is possible to begin delivering the body before the cervix is fully open. I think that is how the heads get stuck. When she felt like pushing there was no more cervix that I could feel but the body had passed through it and I can only reach as far as my fingers will go. Many midwives try to assure that the cervix is fully dialated by waiting the hour before adding to the pushing. It is just a furthur precaution.

The color of the baby was actually very good. Be aware that neither photos or our monitors have true color. But, heads and bodies during birth can look purpleish due to restricted blood flow. White is the color we don't want to see. Blessings and happy birthing!

Those were awesome! Sounds like a great birth









OT: are midwives still illegal in Georgia? i was at a friends over the weekend and we were talking about births in Georgia (can't remember why) and someone said midwives are illegal?


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## Electra375 (Oct 2, 2002)

Welcome Beth!!! You are an awesome midwife!!! I say that for the successful breech birth at home alone... It is a skill being lost.


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## Mylie (Mar 15, 2004)

Thanks for sharing....What a beautiful little girl..


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## zion (Feb 22, 2005)

Thanks for posting. I knew it could be done!!!!!


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## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

That is so beautiful! Here there is noone that will do breech births at all anymore. None of the midwives. Until very recently (I think within the past year), there were 2 (maybe 3?) OBs that would, but now they are not allowed to







It's very sad that such important knowledge is being lost.


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## LoveChild421 (Sep 10, 2004)

Quote:

OT: are midwives still illegal in Georgia? i was at a friends over the weekend and we were talking about births in Georgia (can't remember why) and someone said midwives are illegal?
yep, homebirth midwives (CPMs, traditional midwives, etc) are illegal here...







but there are several of them- at least 5 that I am aware of... it's really sad that such knowledgeable women have to be "underground" in a way here in GA


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## majick1 (Jul 29, 2004)

I actually had a homebirth with this midwife this past January. She's AWESOME!!!!


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

Awesome birth photos!!

Of course the breech baby was born at home- had the mom been in a hospital, they would have cut her open


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## Raven (Dec 15, 2001)

I found that site while doing research for my site! I am so glad its out there!!!

I couldnt find anyone to attend my breech births and ended up having UC with Tatum (she was Frank breech though).

GREAT pics!!!


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## FitMama (Jul 20, 2003)

Those were amazing photos. And what a beautiful baby!`


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## momtothreeboys (May 29, 2005)

Early in this thread, I noticed my breech birth story was shared:

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Tummy*
I wanted to share a link to another double footling home birth.

double footling breech home birth - two stories, same birth

I have moved the story to a new site.
http://www.twofloridadocs.com/its_toes.php

One interesting thing about this thread is that I talked to the midwife, Beth, early in my pregnancy by telephone. I doubt she remembers. I didn't know my baby was breech. I enjoyed seeing the photos of Beth's breech delivery. They are so descriptive.

Also, Somone asked why the feet are purple. As I understand it, that is the color that our babies are in utero: the come out head first, breathe, and pink up, and so we don't think about their color. Seeing the feet purple in a still- photo certainly captures our attention because of the delay to the first breath.
Denise Punger
Treasure Coast, Florida
http://www.twofloridadocs.com


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## Victorian (Jan 2, 2003)

thank you for sharing your story with us









On my ds's birth video (he was not breech) the first thing you hear after the birth is "he's purple, that's my favorite color" from my dd (4)


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