Hoping for a VBAC? Had an unneccesarian?
Wondering if it is safe or even possible to have a natural birth?
YES, a Vaginal Birth After Caesarian (VBAC ) IS possible, with the the right knowledge (as we say, Knowledge is Birth Power!) mindset, preparation and of course a very supportive team who fully believe in you. Don’t ever give up on your wish to have a VBAC!
Many women who have experienced a prior caesarean, feel they missed out on a very special part of what it means to be a woman or that they were robbed of this experience. No wonder they long for that natural birth experience.
Meet Donna and her gorgeous baby girl at our Birth Goddess Gathering in this video interview as she shares what helped her on the way to her amazing journey to VBA2C!!! Such an honour to share in this journey 🙂 ♥
Donna says, “I wanna say a big Thank you to all who supported me in my journey to vba2c. I did it! I had an amazing and empowering vba2c birth almost 6weeks ago, even though it didn’t all go to plan I pushed my baby out into the world naturally, drug free in an Adelaide hospital surrounded by my 6 birth support partners who were with me while I labored hard and fast and birthed my beautiful baby girl Zarna.”
“You empowered me when I was at my lowest, you gave me a glimmer of hope and it lit a fire that burned so bright that it kept me empowered through my hard journey to get my vba2c doing it with no medical support at all until I was in labour and the universe gave me a midwife who stood by my wishes and believed in me and kept me focused. During my journey I didn’t take no for an answer! It did not go all to plan but I just embraced everything and felt empowered knowing I was making informed choices about my body my baby and my birth. I am still feeling empowered and still making informed choices about my body and my baby right through to my family life.
Thank u again”
Donna. xo
She adds, “Thank you Katrina, I loved reading your book – A Modern Woman’s Guide to a Natural Empowering Birth. I am very grateful for the support!
“The book was beautiful to read and with the Birth Goddess Cards. Inspiring!”
“I still am so proud of myself that I stood my ground and listened to my heart! I took a piece from everyone and everything that came into my life and who’s paths crossed mine. I know it gave me the strength and made me feel empowered to birth my baby my way! vba2c” ♥
One mother shares, “I gave birth to my first son, a c-section. The experience I endured, the emotional and physical scars that marked me, still haunt me to this day. Not only was I determined to have a VBAC with my second child. I was adamant about not having another c-section.”
On a brighter note, there are so many wonderful stories of women just like you who have done it – ie had a natural birth after caesarian or VBAC as we call it – and say it was the most amazing and healing experience of their life – and sooooo worth it!!!
Here is what one of our beautiful participants at our Reclaim Your Birth Power Workshop had to say…..”Just wanted to say how great your book and cards were to me during my pregnancy and labor. I attended one of your sessions last year with my Doula Colleen Monk. It was so motivating and so helpful.I was wanting a VBAC for my second baby and I GOT IT. My labor was hard work but I didn’t give up at any stage and what a great feeling it was when my baby was put on my chest, I was so emotional from knowing I did achieve a VBAC that didn’t think to check what sex it was. Then to my surprise, my partner announced it was a GIRL( really sure I was having a boy). I was crying out to everyone ITS A GIRL AND I’VE HAD A VBAC. I suggest your book now to everyone. It was the best reading of my pregnancy so thank you.”
What is the real picture when it comes to risks and benefits?
The only way that VBAC differs from other first time labours is the small increased risk of uterine rupture. Approximately 0.2% higher than that of a normal labour. This is very small when you consider that you are 30 times more likely to require an emergency caesarean for situations such as acute foetal distress, cord prolapse or ante partum hemorrhage.
The research also shows that approximately 75% of uterine ruptures occur in women who have never had a cesarean and of the 25% that have, 1/3 do not rupture at the scar line.
Planning a vaginal birth after a previous caesarean (VBAC) has many benefits. A vaginal birth avoids the risks of surgery and anesthesia and improves the health outcomes for the woman and her baby. The research shows that babies greatly benefit from the process of a natural birth.
We believe it is crucial to fight for access to VBAC and for a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body.
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“It is no wonder that most women ‘chose’ repeat cesareans and only 45% of American women are interested in the option of a VBAC (Declercq, 2006). What kind of choice is it when you make major medical decisions without even a fraction of accurate information?”
“… some of the factors that were found to influence success of the VBAC were: maternal age less than 40 (increase), prior vaginal delivery (increase), nonrecurrent indication for the prior c-section (increase), favourable cervical factors (increase), more than 1 c-section (decrease), gestational age greater than 40 weeks (decrease), and augmentation of labour (decrease).”
“Approximately 50 to 85% of women who have had a caesarian delivery can go on and deliver subsequent babies normally. Though obstetricians used to be taught “once a caesarian, always a caesarian” this is no longer the case. The scientific literature documenting the safety of subsequent vaginal deliveries was available by the late 1970’s. We routinely offered VBAC as an option during my training. Yet this option is still not offered to all women who are candidates for it. And for those women who are candidates, it is often not an option they choose because they are frightened. “~ Dr Christianne Northrup MD, extract from the book, “Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom
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You told us….“There really aren’t a lot of resources for VBA2C like this so, thank you.” 🙂
The good news is we are now changing that with every wonderful story from our empowering birth community and every woman who is positively empowered by the book and cards…it is so incredibly amazing to be part of this change!!
You said it….”I really want a natural birth if/when we decide to have another baby. I’d love to talk to anyone who has had a VBAC.”
Now you can be part of our instant positive birth community and find the support and encouragement you are looking for in your quest for a natural birth, from anywhere in the world!! We are loving the beautiful sisterhood in here……
We believe…..Your body is not faulty, it has been beautifully designed to birth a baby.
We can help you to restore faith in your own ability to birth your baby (VBAC) and in nature’s perfect design so you can have the beautiful birth experience you dearly want and deserve.
Follow Larissa’s AMAZING journey to VBA2C after two uneccesarians to welcome baby Indee Elizabeth into the world ~
” NO feeling, NO moment, NOTHING could ever compare to having your baby born into the world the way this little baby was. Natural, no drugs, delivered into the water and into it’s mummy’s arms and held against her bare skin.”
Larissa describes this birth experience as “amazingly beautiful” and “the most amazing and perfect moment of my life.”
[stextbox id=”custom”]”When someone is scared, it is not an indication of surgery. It is an indication for education.” ~ Dr Bruce Flamm (Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom)[/stextbox]
Tip from Caesarian Awareness Recovery & Education Services (CARES) SA:
Even if your care provider and/or hospital ‘allows’ you to plan a VBAC and seems supportive, it is worth asking for their VBAC success rate. Do not accept a generalised answer – politely insist on being given a percentage. Care providers and hospitals should be able to give you this information and it is important – it may make you rethink their ‘VBAC-supportive stance.
Also remember that the relevant RANZCOG position statment (http://www.ranzcog.edu.au/the-ranzcog/policies-and-guidelines/college-statements/441-planned-vaginal-birth-after-caesarean-section-trial-of-labour-c-obs-38.html) mentions that “most series report a likelihood of vaginal birth (if this is attempted) in the range 60-80% (e.g. Turner et al, 2006)” – you might like to ask some pertinent questions if the number you are given is below this range. 😉
Do you believe to your core that you are fully capable of birthing your baby without outside intervention?
Unfortunately for most of us, generations of social conditioning forces us to believe the opposite. It’s hard work to peel back all that misinformation and get back to basics. Your body was DESIGNED to give birth. You CAN do it! ♥
Make informed choices regarding VBAC which best suit you, your baby and your situation.
Too much negativity around you and lack of support from the medical community? Need to get your head in the right space to prepare for your VBAC?
Then you will love our inspiring birth products and workshops!!
For those of you in Melbourne, Australia: Click here for our upcoming Reclaim Your Birth Power Workshops.
Thanks for joining us and we look forward to sharing in your empowering birth journey!
Birth Blessings,
Katrina x
