Life

Shay Mitchell Had A Relatable Reaction To Learning She Might Need A C-Section

by Christina Montoya Fiedler

It has been a long road for Shay Mitchell and her boyfriend Matte Babel. After suffering a miscarriage, she's pregnant again and is inching toward the finish line but things aren't going as planned. As the actor revealed in her most recent installment of her "About Ready" YouTube series, the couple found out their baby is breech, which isn't ideal for giving birth vaginally. As for Shay Mitchell's reaction to possibly having a C-section? is totally relatable.

The episode starts off with Mitchell and Babel watching birthing videos in their Lamaze class. The look on Mitchell's face is one of horror and surprise when she can't tell if what she's hearing is the mother or the baby crying. "I was at a zero and now I'm at 110! It looks like some alien movie," Mitchell says.

Babel appears equally as freaked out, commenting that the doctor in the video is supposedly "pulling on the head so hard" to get the baby out of the birth canal.

Hmm... I'm wondering if Babel has since changed his mind about Mitchell possibly getting an epidural. Because in a past episode of their YouTube series, Babel suggested that a woman's body is built for birthing and therefore doesn't need any pain medication, according to SheKnows.

Next up is a visit to the OB-GYN to see if Mitchell's baby has moved into position, but the news from the doctor is not what they were expecting. "It's head up," the doctor says as he looks at the ultrasound, before recommending an External Cephalic Version (ECV). For those not familiar ECV, it's when an OB-GYN tries to manually turn the baby from the outside by pushing on the abdomen until the baby is turned into the correct birthing position, according to WebMd. And the doctor explains how they have to do it soon if Mitchell wants to avoid having a C-section.

"I don't know how the hell that's gonna go because I had someone tell me it's almost as bad as labor," Mitchell tells Babel on the way home from the appointment.

Before trying the ECV, she tries acupuncture along with a prenatal chiropractor adjustment as a last resort because at this point she'll do anything to flip that baby. And the stress is really getting to her. While talking about a potential C-section on the way to the ECV, Mitchell breaks down. "It's not just the surgery, it's the recovery time. I cannot be bedridden for however long it's going to be," she says amid tears, according to Glamour.

Although there's nothing wrong with getting a C-section, I think many parents can relate to feeling frustrated when things don't go according to plan. It can be emotionally tough to abandon your ideal birth plan, no matter what that might be.

In the end, however, everything is fine! The baby is head down, which means there was no need for the ECV and no need for a C-section. Even Mitchell seems surprised by the news.

Fortunately, all is well now in the Mitchell-Babel household. Mom's in town for the delivery and the nursery is almost finished.

Side note: the room is painted in a soft pink blush with white trim. The focal point of the room is the brushed gold crib, which is so gorgeous.

So good luck to Mitchell as she nears the finish line. And as those last few weeks of pregnancy are always the hardest, I'm glad to hear this mom-to-be's preferred birth plan is a go.