WARNING: This report contains some graphic content, reader discretion is advised.
This is the remarkable moment a mother reached into her own body and delivered her twins during a caesarean section.
Gerri Wolfe gave birth to her 10th and 11th children Violet and Matilda on 22 December at a hospital in New South Wales, Australia.
The hands-on mother told Huffington Post UK: “It was a very rewarding experience. Once I learnt that I couldn't have a natural birth and the girls needed to be born sooner rather than later, I thought about how I could turn a surgical procedure into a birth.
Scroll down for more pictures of the birth
Gerri Wolf delivers her twin baby daughters in December
“I had worked damn hard for my two previous births, a hospital vba4c (vaginal birth after four c-sections) and then a hba4c (homebirth after four c-sections) a year later, so I was devastated to learn that I'd need to undergo a fifth c-section and I needed to make it a close to a natural birth feeling as I could.
“I was very nervous on the day, about the actual c-section more so than about how it would be performed. But I was excited to meet my girls.
“The whole experience felt quite personal and I was treated with respect from the theatre staff, rather than as just another c-section patient.
“The procedure was the same as a regular c-section, until I was told to reach out for my baby. The doctor delivered her up to her shoulders, then I grabbed her from there. I had a little help for my second twin as she was breech. It was a beautiful moment.
Wolfe was able to participate in the delivery by agreeing not to touch anything or move so she remained completely sterile throughout the procedure.
The girls were the 41-year-old's 10th and 11th children
She added: “I'm very surprised at the reaction to my photos and story. When I originally shared my photo on a Facebook births page it was to encourage women to make informed, empowered birth choices instead of being passive bystanders.”
The 41-year-old decided to make a stand on the matter when she was told the babies would have to be delivered at 36 weeks after a complication arose.
Photographer Simone Harvey said she was flattered to be invited to share such a person, intimate moment but that “the photographer’s goal needed to be as unobtrusive as possible.”
