Her Baby Stopped Breathing for 10 Minutes After Natural Childbirth
Her Baby Stopped Breathing for 10 Minutes After Natural Childbirth
Natural childbirth is trendy right now, but it does come with some risks. Many women assume that natural is healthier, but it does not guarantee a safe delivery. One mother learned this the hard way after her precious newborn stopped breathing. In a miraculous turn of events, her baby came back to life after not breathing for 10 minutes.
Liam and Amy Fynn were excited about their first pregnancy, so the couple decided to choose a natural labor method. 32 year old Amy explained, “I wanted it to be natural so I had a birthing pool and no drugs.” Though the experience was painful, she thought that there would be less risks without medical intervention.
As soon as little Lilia was born, the parents and nurse knew something was wrong. When she came out, she was “completely white and wasn’t moving.” She was immediately rushed to emergency care while her bewildered parents waited. They did not know if she was okay, and they did not even know the gender of their child yet.
The Fynns were eventually told that Lilia had actually not breathed for the first 9.5 minutes of her life. Amy said that “hearing our beautiful baby had come back from the dead was indescribable. All I wanted to do was cuddle her.” Sadly, Lilia’s parents could not hold her for five more days. She remained in an incubator in the intensive care unit where she could be monitored by staff.
The incubator was used to keep Lilia’s temperature down because this could reduce brain damage. The doctors were not sure if she could survive her body temperature being raised to normal. Gradually, she reached an average temperature and started breathing again on her own.
After six days, doctors said Lilia was not in critical condition anymore. However, she was not perfectly healthy yet. Because she did not get any oxygen to her brain for ten minutes, there could be brain damage. While she was still so young, there was no way to tell. Doctors told the family to wait and see.
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Eventually, Lilia was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of five months. Though it is hard for her to move, she might learn to walk with therapy. The Fynn family is accepting donations to pay for her medical treatments. Right now, they are just happy to have their daughter back from the dead.
Though Lilia’s story has a happy ending, many other women who used natural childbirth did not get so lucky. Because it sounds so natural and healthy, women are not aware of the risks. Not being monitored by doctors throughout childbirth means that it takes longer to get help. If something goes wrong, the infant may not get medical attention in time.
The increase in natural birth and home birth has lead to an increase in infant mortality. A 2014 study found that an infant delivered at home was four times as likely to die as an infant delivered in a hospital. The Fynns were able to save their daughter’s life because they picked a natural birth at a hospital setting. Therefore, she could be rushed to intensive care in just minutes. If they had been at home, little Lilia would not have survived.
Stillborn babies like Lilia are one of the most common childbirth complications. In a hospital, the baby can often be revived. Therefore, it is recommended that women not have a home birth if they are a high-risk pregnancy. Though natural childbirth sounds pleasant and easy, the reality is much sadder. It can work for some women, but you should talk to your doctor before making your decision.