Mission (Homebirth) Accomplished

I wasn't sure if I was going to come back to this blog or not.  I had kind of felt it had run it's course and I was ready to just focus on Life on the Bay and Dear Children Love Mommy exclusively and post everything there.  After the baby was born I decided to post about it here instead of on this blog.  It just seemed like I wanted to move everything back to that spot instead of jumping back and forth between this one and that one.

Last night though I revisited this blog and ended up reading through it all, and thought I had to post something.  It was so fascinating reading what I had wrote.  That is the main reason that I write anything anywhere, so that I can go back and read it.  It's so amazing to read about the past with today's knowledge, to read the words I wrote before I knew how things were going to happen.  I have to say I was very impressed with myself, for starting this blog, for keeping track of so many little things that interested me, and for tying my pregnancy into it all.

So after all the blogging about VBAC's, and my pregnancy, and my hopes for an HBAC, and all the drama between hubby and I, I am so happy and proud to announce that our baby girl was born in June, at home.  And it was amazing.  But you can read all about that on the link I posted at the beginning.

What I'm really thrilled about though was reading back through my journey to see how we got to this point, how it all unfolded.  It was an amazing feeling to know that I put my heart and soul into what I wanted and got it.  My daughter's homebirth could not have happened more perfectly.

Now I am thinking about what it all means for my dreams of becoming a doula and for this blog.  Just over one year ago I started this blog with the hopes of starting my doula training.  I felt so strongly that it was something I wanted to do.  I don't feel that way anymore.

I think there are two reasons that I don't really want to pursue becoming a doula anymore.  The first is that, in my travels through the pregnancy and birth scene I have encountered a lot of different people who are very much involved in it.  It has been an amazing experience speaking with midwives, doulas, and other natural birth advocates.  These people are often very similar in their ideals and opinions not only about birth but about a lot of things in life.  I have to admit I often felt intimidated by how strongly they feel about certain subjects, and while it's not that I agree or disagree, I just feel like I am not as openly opinionated as them and it makes me kind of uncomfortable.  It is like many of these topics go hand in hand (natural birth paired with other lifestyle choices) and I respect them but don't like to join any great debates about them.  So I think I'd rather just not be that heavily involved.

The second reason I think my thoughts of becoming a doula have faded has something to do with the arrival of my third and likely final child.  I felt in a way that I was chasing a birth experience, and my passion about it came from wanting to achieve it.  Now that I have had my daughter and had the most wonderful experience, I feel very complete and almost like there is a sense of closure.  I feel almost ready to leave the birth scene behind.

You bet that I'll still want to talk about this kind of stuff with anyone who is interested, and I think I would still be happy to pass on all that I have learned to others so that they can be informed and hopefully have positive pregnancies and births in the future.  Maybe I will even be so lucky to be a labour companion to a friend or family member one day.  That would be fantastic. 

So with that I am going to bring this blog to a close.  I'd like to print off all that I have wrote so that I always have it, but I don't think I will be writing anymore.  At least not for now. 

Short of winning the lottery we don't plan on having any more children, and while a part of me will always long to be pregnant and give birth 'one last time', I have made peace with the fact that it will likely never happen.  I loved each of my pregnancies and especially this last one, and I loved giving birth each time despite the different circumstances of each birth.  But I have realized that I am so lucky to have had three healthy pregnancies, three uncomplicated births, and three wonderfully healthy children, that I don't need to wish for more. 

Thanks to anyone who has had a read, it has been a pleasure!

Sharing My VBAC Experience

Re-living and sharing my VBAC experience never gets old for me.  I could recount it a hundred times and so many details will be the same, but there will always be something new to add to it.  Almost 2 years later and I'm still sharing it with anyone who asks.

The leader of our local ICAN chapter has asked if anyone would like to share their VBAC stories with her to include in a binder that she is putting together to keep at the midwives clinic here.  I of course was happy to send my story to her. 

I think one of the most important things for a woman planning a VBAC is to be able to hear from other women who have planned VBACs, even if they didn't turn out the way they had originally hoped.  Because it is one thing to read all the research and facts, but it is quite another to read about how it all happened for someone in real life.  Somehow the stories of other women seem much more powerful than all the medical research in the world.

I hope she will be able to include my story in her collection for other women to read, because I think it is a really positive one and hopefully will give others hope that they too can achieve their VBAC dreams. 

More pregnancy updates to come!

Halfway!

I'm halfway through this pregnancy.  Which means 20wks down and 20wks to go.  It's hard to be patient sometimes.  I really want to enjoy every minute of this last pregnancy because I know I'll never do it again, but at the same time I already feel like I'm tired of being pregnant.  It seems like with every subsequent pregnancy my body has just given up a little bit more, and some days I feel like I'm much further along than just 20wks, which makes me scared for how I am going to feel at 25...30....35wks!

Still can't really complain though.  Well, I can, but I shouldn't.  I feel good, am eating well, sleeping fairly well, and managing to stay active. 

Not sure how much weight I've gained at this point though, maybe around 15lbs.  I'll check it out tomorrow at my midwife appointment.  I feel huge sometimes, but actually when I look at pictures from my last pregnancies at this same point I look about the same, so I don't think I'm bigger than I should be for 20wks along.

We had our big anatomy scan last Thursday and it went really well.  The ultrasound tech was really nice, but the scan took forever, or at least that's how long it felt as I lay on the table needing to pee so badly.  It's really cruel making a pregnant woman drink so much water and then not letting her pee.  I don't like scans simply for that reason.  But everything looked good as far as we could tell, of course she couldn't actually tell us anything and we'll have to wait to hear if anything looks amiss from the pictures.  We saw two arms and two legs, and it looked like baby had all 10 fingers and toes.  I was surprised that I wasn't even tempted to find out about the sex!  It's too late now, we really have to a wait until baby arrives. 

I'm feeling tons of movement and have been for many weeks already, since about 14wks.  I have always felt movement from 14wks on with all my pregnancies, which I know is early.  Now I am feeling full out kicks and can even feel them with my hand on the outside.  All of my babies have been super active in utero, and this one is no exception!

One thing I can complain about though is I am experiencing a lot of discomfort in my hips already.  I have felt it before in my other pregnancies, but it occurs earlier and earlier since my body is more relaxed from having gone through this before.  It's just given up!  So while I stay active and I feel great when I am exercising, by midday and the evening I'm often in a bit of pain.  It's affecting my legs which get tired and sore very easily.  I have been seeing my chiropractor and a massage therapist which really helps, but I am pretty much always aware of the discomfort all day long, every day.  It's only going to get worse I imagine!  One thing that really helps is sitting on my exercise ball instead of on a chair or couch, so I try to do that every evening as well as stretching.

I'm coming to terms with the fact that this will be my last pregnancy and feeling pretty good with that decision.  My hubby has made it clear that he is not interested in more children after this, and while I really did agree I also found it hard to shake the feeling of not going through it again.  It was hard to close the door on pregnancy and babies for good.  But as time goes by, I am actually looking forward to being done with this stage.  I have always loved being pregnant so much, and so I'm sure I will always miss it, but I am very ready to move on and focus on me, and get my body back!  There are things that interest me that I haven't been able to fully pursue because I've either been pregnant or breastfeeding or taking care of small children.  So I look forward to the days when I will get to do more stuff for me again. 

On a related pregnancy topic, I finally got my copy of More Business of Being Born!  I have watched two of the four dvds so far, the one in which they visit the Farm Midwifery Centre in Tennessee and speak with Ina May Gaskin and the other midwives there, and the one about VBAC.  They were interesting for sure.  I look forward to watching the other two dvds as well, hopefully sometime this week.

Will try to post pics of my last ultrasound if I get around to scanning it onto the computer, and will write more after my next midwife appointment as well.

Home Birth and Home Birth After Cesarean (HBAC)

Ok ok, I've put it off long enough.  I have been avoiding doing this post because I haven't been in the mood to sit and think and write.  But really, I don't think have to think about much for this post if I don't want to.  All I really wanted to do was link up a bunch of information I've come across in my research about home birth and HBAC so that if anyone is so inclined they can have a peek.  That's easy enough to do!!

I guess a little blurb on what home birth means for me is in order though.  The first time home birth may have come up between my husband and I as on option for birth, it was not something we would have considered.  I think I may have read a little about it during my first pregnancy, but did not think I would ever be comfortable with it.  This is probably something that is really common for most first time parents to think.  Childbirth and becoming parents can seem like such an overwhelming experience the first time around.  It's uncharted territory. 

When I was pregnant with our second son, while I did know more about birth and had more confidence in the process, I still would not have considered a home birth, mainly because I was having a VBAC and also it was not given to me as an option by my midwives.  I'm sure I could have pressed for it had it been something I really wanted, but given my births were going to be only 20mos apart, it was not recommended and I was fine with that.  Plus, since I hadn't laboured or given birth naturally with my first, the birth process was still very unknown to me, even though I had taken the time to educate myself a lot more than I had with my previous birth.

My husband likes to remind me of the fact that we had previously decided that home birth was not for us.  I am not so quick to go back to my ways of old thinking.  I know a lot more now, I have been through a lot more.  I would like to consider a home birth this time around.  He on the other hand is not so keen.  Let's just say we have had two arguments about it thus far (months ago already) and have not spoken a word on the topic since.  It is still early, and I have no desire to bring it up again this early in the game.  But trust I am not laying down and giving up on this one.

For me:  I have experienced childbirth in two different ways now, both in hospital settings and both positive experiences.  I have spent the last several years reading and learning about the birth process, and have come to have confidence in this process and in my body.  While I did have a positive hospital birth with my VBAC, in my heart I just want to be at home.  I know it is safe, I know it is where I want to have my child.

For him:  He has not read anything on the safety of home birth (or anything on birth for that matter), and is still following the ignorant point of view that it is best to be in the hospital.  He cannot shake that fear that something could go wrong where we would need instant access to care.  He feels I am putting myself and my baby at risk and am being selfish for wanting to do this.

Well, how much detail do I need to go into here really?  I have been secretly compiling information on home birth (as well as HBAC) for him to read, because the bottom line is he has not read anything and does not have significant information to back up his side of the argument.  Right now what I think would be fair is if this discussion is only brought back to the table once he has read the same amount of material as I have, for only then will he be allowed to have a say in this choice.  He is free to try and dig up as much anti-home birth information as he can find, but I think he will see that what I have researched is accurate and much more compelling. 

The stats and the research is there:  Planned home birth under expert midwife care is just as safe and maybe even safer than hospital birth.

My case was not helped by our first meeting with the midwife, who in her inexperience did not seem nearly as comfortable with an HBAC as I would like.  I made the mistake of having my husband at this appointment, and let's just say he was rather shaken by her lack of confidence in the matter.  This of course was very disappointing to me, because I know a more experienced midwife would have had a calmer manner and more accurate information and experience to share with us.

There are other factors as well that are making it hard for me to really express why this is so important to me.  Most of the time when asked why a woman wants a home birth, her response is so that she can avoid medical intervention.  In my VBAC hospital experience, we arrived and had no issues with doctors or medical staff trying to intervene.  It all went really well.  So my husband might argue that there is nothing to try and avoid, we can have the same birth at the hospital that we could have had at home.  On the other hand, we would be giving birth in an entirely different hospital this time around, so there is no guarantees that I wouldn't still fall prey to a cascade of intervention.  I will admit though, that this is not a concern of mine.  Already having had one fully natural VBAC, I would be confident enough to say that interference from the medical staff or unwanted suggestions of intervention is not one of my concerns.

Our midwife did make a very interesting point though and that is the hospital in this town (unlike the hospitals in the city where we had our other children) is only a class 3 hospital (or was it class 1? I can't remember the order they go in), meaning that obstetricians and anaesthesiologists are not always on the premises, rather they are on call.  So the time it would take to assemble the team in the event of an emergency would be about the same whether I was at home or in the hospital.  Of course my husband's argument to this would be that nevertheless, there would still be staff on hand to get the ball rolling, if let's say I needed blood asap or something along those lines.  I think what he fails to realize is that midwives are professionals equipped to deal with all sorts of emergencies, including hemorrhages, and they carry all the necessary equipment and medications in such an event.  He also fails to realize that incidents of maternal hemorrhaging are actually higher in hospital settings.  All information I plan on relaying to him, in good time.

And of course, there is the little factor of HBAC that I have to contend with.  Perhaps persuading him to go for a home birth would be easier if it weren't for that one little thing - having had a previous cesarean section does put me at a higher risk for complications.  This risk is really so minimal though, and I have information on the safety of VBAC to back it up as well.  Not to mention the fact that I have already had one VBAC already, which significantly increases my chances of another successful one. 

But putting all this information together to support my case is not as easy as it sounds.  I KNOW all this in my head already, I have read it, researched it, and fully believe it.  Getting it across to him is not so easy, as I don't have much of a way with words (or arguments) and really I just come off as a blubbering mess whenever the topic has been brought up.  Which is why it is important he reads it for himself.  Unfortunately he doesn't want to be an active participant in the pregnancy or birth planning process, which makes it hard (and also wants to make me say "Hey, if you don't care to be involved, you have NO say in this matter and I'm giving birth where I want to!").  He is not interested in reading any information or doing his own homework.  It is all up to me.  But don't worry, I have lots for him to read, I'm just waiting for the timing to be right.

We will be attending a home birth information session at the midwives practice in April.  The baby is due in July so there is still time to read and discuss further this matter.

So WHY do I want to give birth at home?  Well, my last birth happened so smoothly, that I look back and think, "Why didn't I just stay home?".  I mean, I could have.  I spent almost my entire labour by myself at home, and not even the slightest bit uncomfortable.  Why would I want to move on to a setting that might change the outcome?  Even while my hospital birth was a positive one, I still can't help but feel I'd be better off at home.  I remember when I got to the hospital, at 9cm and almost ready to push, there was just this feeling of being 'there', and wanting to get on with it.  All I could think was, "Get me on that bed and let me push this baby out".  It's like my mind switched over, and I just stayed there.  I pushed and gave birth on my back, resulting in horrible tearing.  It's almost like from the moment I got there, I gave up my 'natural birth' and succumbed to the 'get on your back and push' mentality.  I feel as though staying at home will help keep me focused, and help me want to stay upright and stay moving, and birth this baby without having to be cut or tear really badly. 

I would also like to consider the possibility of a water birth, something that is not an option in a hospital setting.  Again, maybe the feeling of the water will help me avoid giving in and giving up during that last gruelling stage, so that I can have a less traumatic and more peaceful birth.

And really, who wouldn't want to be in the comfort of their own home?  To avoid having to pack a bag that is usually overpacked because you didn't know what you'd need.  To not have to sit in a car while in the throes of labour, in pain as you go over every bump in the road.  To avoid arriving at the hospital, moaning in pain, and being wheeled to L&D while people watch.  To not have to check out and go home again.  To be able to get up and go take a shower in your own bath tub, and sleep in your own bed.  It's really too appealing to pass up.

He'll ask me "But what if something goes wrong, how could you live with yourself?".  Well, first of all you have to inform yourself and weigh the risks.  Birth is not without risk, where ever you are.  Heck, life is not without risk.  And if you do your homework, you will know the risks are there, but they're small, and the midwives are equipped to handle almost anything that could happen.  Of course I can't say that I'm 100% sure nothing would go wrong, but I am sure enough.

So as promised, before I go on any further with my own dribble, some information I dug up pertaining to home birth and VBAC/HBAC (I've included info that is strictly VBAC because it helps when deciding whether or not to go for HBAC).  This is essentially the same list of links I have saved to send my husband, when I am ready to bring it up again.  (I have more links to news articles about the studies on VBAC safety but have omitted them since I have included the link to the very study that all info in the articles refers too).

VBAC Facts - HBAC

Midwife Thinking - VBAC, Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill

Midwifery Today - Home Birth After Cesarean

CMAJ Research on the Safety of Home Birth ***well documented and acknowledged Canadian study on the safety of home birth with midwives vs hospital birth with midwives vs hospital birth with doctors that provides accurate numbers supporting the safety of home birth***note: if you read the whole thing, it does state that once the VBAC subgroup was removed the outcomes were not significantly different

Ontario Midwives - Birth at Home

I'm sure this is just the tip of the ice berg.  I'm sure I could find even more compelling information to support home birth.  And I'm also sure than someone who is anti-home birth could find equally as much information supporting the dangers of home birth.  Such is how these things usually are.  Another fantastic resource that I have mentioned, and I will mention it time and time again, is Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.  Her statistics are undeniable proof that home birth under the proper care is safer than hospital birth.  And I would also recommend the documentary, The Business of Being Born (which I was able to get hubby to watch with me, so I'm hoping that has opened his eyes somewhat).

Now, as it is time to get the kiddos up from naps, that will be all from me today (didn't I think this was going to be a quickie just to post some links?).  Maybe someone else might find the information I've dug up helpful as well.

A Birth Story to Share

I'm certain that every woman who has given birth will no doubt agree that it is an experience like no other, no matter how it happens.  There are many words a woman may use to describe giving birth - powerful, spiritual, life-changing, amazing, terrifying, the list could go on.  For all women, there is no denying the feelings they have surrounding their birthing experiences, but many of us don't know how to put it into words.  Some women have a gift with words and can share what we all feel so beautifully.  I'd like to share a birth story with you that I read today that was powerful, moving, inspiring, and close to my heart as it was a VBAC.  I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did!

Hello Judah - A Birth Story by Adriel Booker from The Mommyhood Memos

Tips for a Successful VBAC

I think that really, most of what I will suggest here are more like tips for planning any birth.  In my case, it took the second time to put more thought into it.  But really, if most women put more thought into what they wanted to achieve through their birth experiences right off the bat, I'm sure most of them would end up getting the result they were hoping for.  Anyways, I did learn a lot through my second pregnancy and VBAC experience, and am more than happy to share some of the things that I thought were important during the planning process.

First and foremost, make the decision to have a VBAC.  Most women I have talked to in a VBAC situation didn't start their journey thinking they wanted to have one.  It was more of a "well, let's see how things play out" or "I'll decide closer to my due date" sort of a situation.  In my personal opinion you are setting yourself up for failure leaving it to chance.  If you know a vaginal birth is something you want, for yourself and for your baby, make the commitment right away.  If you are unsure initially, do all the preliminary research to help you make this decision.  Don't let it go on and wait to decide later. 

Read and research about VBAC.  Even if you are not pregnant yet but think that you want a VBAC for your next birth, start now.  I started reading about VBACs when my first son was only weeks old and continued my research throughout that first year even before we knew we wanted to have another baby.  Seek out other women who have had VBACs to share their stories with you.  Hearing from others first hand is very inspiring.  I was fortunate that my mother in law had experienced a VBAC, 25yrs previous, and in less than ideal circumstances when it was not the norm.  Sharing her story with me gave me a lot of hope for my own VBAC.

Find a care provider who supports VBAC.  And I don't mean a doctor who tells you "sure, you can give it a shot".  To me that is also setting you up for failure.  Your doctor or midwife should be supportive right off the bat, and there should never be any doubt that it is achieveable.  A good care provider will give you all the proper information up front, and answer any concerns you have honestly and without judgement.  If he/she has any reservations, I can almost guarantee they will cast a negative cloud over your efforts.  If for any reason you feel like your doctor is not supportive, don't hesitate to get a second opinion or even change care providers.

Hire a doula.  Especially if this will be your first labour and you don't know what to expect, but even if it's not every birthing couple will benefit from the added support and knowledge a doula will bring.  We didn't decide to hire ours until I was in my 6th month of pregnancy, but I had always felt we would benefit from having one.  And I was right.  A doula is not there to replace the support from your partner.  Many partners (mine included) may feel threatened that you would like to have a third party involved at such an important time.  But the support from a doula is invaluable.  She is not there just for the mother, but for the whole family.  She can provide lots of information throughout your pregnancy, not just at the end when it's time for baby to come. 

Prepare your mind.  This is one of those things that every pregnant woman should consider anyway, but I felt that in my VBAC situation especially, with the added pressure of success, I really needed to focus on my preparations.  I felt a lot of anxiety throughout the later months of my pregnancy, anxiety about the position of the baby (my first son being breech), about whether my body could handle labour, about whether I could handle labour, about going into labour on my own, and of course about the pressure of being successful and how I would cope if I wasn't.  Talking with friends, my husband, my doula, my midwives, and other members of my support team helped with this.  It helped me to air my frustrations and worries, and to be reassured that I could do it.  I also found that practicing my Hypnobirthing breathing techniques helped me relax and release any fears that I had.

Prepare your body.  Again, a good tip for any woman planning her labour but even more so in a VBAC situation, at least for me, because of the desire to be successful.  Perhaps in the case of the woman who attempted labour and ended up with an emergency c/s, she may feel that her body somehow failed her.  Spending extra time preparing your body for labour may give you confidence and peace of mind that you can do it.  I found in my case especially, since my first son was breech, I was always wondering if there were ways I could have encouraged him to be in the right position.  So for my second pregnancy I was very attentive to my posture, making sure not to put my pelvis in any positions where it might be out of alignment.  I attended regular chiropractic and osteopath appointments.  The knowledge I gained from my chiropath and osteopath was invaluable.  I consulted with my naturopath to find out how I could be as healthy as possible through my pregnancy.  I stayed active and did moderate exercise.  In the weeks approaching the time my baby was due, I used several different homeopathic and herbal remedies to help prepare my body (on advice of my naturopath.  I would urge any woman interested in this route to seek advice of a qualified professional).

Consider fetal positioning.  Spinning Babies is an amazing website and resource when it comes to learning about fetal positioning and how it affects labour.  In the case of a previous breech baby (like mine) you might be more worried about a second breech.  Or in the case of the mother who was told she had to have a c/s because her pelvis was too small (something that is actually not truly likely), position may be even more important.  There are things you can do to help baby get into the right position for birth, which in turn may be the difference between a quick labour or a more drawn out one. 

Avoid induction.  Actually, every woman should avoid induction VBAC or not, but that could be another topic altogether.  Depending on where in the world you are, induction may not even be an option, as many medical methods of induction increase the chance for uterine rupture (not just in VBAC situations, but in all births).  The best thing for you and your baby is to go into labour spontaneously.  Many inductions will go on to end in c/s, even for the woman who is not trying for a VBAC.  I remember feeling very nervous about baby going post dates (it also helps to remember that full term is 42wks, so there is no need to hurry the baby out before that point or even after in most cases), but I found that since I had prepared myself both mentally and physically, and practiced fetal positioning, we were all set and my son made his appearance on his own, and in good time.  He was ready, we were ready.

Trust your body.  Probably one of the most important points.  Remember, a woman's body is designed to give birth, it is a natural event.  It helps to remember this when you are stressed or worried about labour and birth.  If left to unfold as nature intended, the birthing process will almost always go smoothly.  Trust in yourself, and your baby, that you will know what to do.

Interesting Article on VBAC

I love finding stuff like this as it fully sums up how I feel about VBACs and reinforces everything I learned when I was planning my own VBAC.

VBAC Sabotage - Is Your Doctor Really VBAC Friendly?

Cesarean Awareness and VBAC Support

A few months back I met a lovely mother at the YMCA where I take the boys for active tots.  Her son was the same age as my older boy, and she was about 37wks pregnant with her second son.  After speaking with her I learned that her first son was born by c-section after a long and gruelling labour, but that she was going to try for a VBAC this time around.  I was happy to hear this of course, and I think she was pleasantly relieved to hear that I had a successful VBAC.  Finding a woman to talk to who has had a VBAC seems to be a difficult task for many other women.

I bumped into her yesterday and her gorgeous new baby, not even a month old.  Of course I was curious how it went, and had even been thinking of her over the last few months.  I was disappointed but not at all surprised to hear that she ended up having a repeat c-section.

Obviously only having spoken to this lady a few times, I wasn't about to go pressing for intimate details about her birth, but I gathered the gist of it was she went into labour on her own (yay!) 10 days overdue, but soon into it decided to have the c-section (boo!) to avoid the same situation she had last time which was a long labour ending in surgery.  I wondered to myself, was she informed?  Was she supported?  Not only by her careprovider, but by those around her.

Why is it so hard to find successful VBAC stories?  This is not the first instance where I have encountered someone who mentioned they were thinking of trying for a VBAC but opted for a c-section instead.  Granted this lady actually went into labour first at least, in most cases the mother just goes ahead and books the surgery ahead of time.

It is not my place to judge individual situations.  But a small part of me cringes every time I hear someone in a possible VBAC situation say they aren't going to go for it, or even if they were but they changed their mind at the last minute.  I don't want this to be taken the wrong way by anyone as I do know many fantastic ladies who ended up in these types of situations, and I'm not going to go unfriending people or making enemies over their choices.  Not to mention the fact that what's done is done, I won't lose sleep over someone else's decision.  But naturally I do wonder, why?  Why did they choose another c-section when a VBAC would have been better for them and their baby?

VBAC aside for a moment, I will never understand why a woman would book a c-section (ok wait, we had booked our first one so I guess I do understand from a certain point, but now that I am the wiser I would not do it).  Like with breastfeeding, I will respect that women have the choice, but in most cases I won't understand why they would choose surgery over at least trying for a natural birth.  The only thing I can come up with is, they were not properly informed.  I know that if I had been, and done my homework, I would not have booked an elective c-section for my first son's birth.

When I was pregnant with our first son, my husband had a client who swore up and down that booking a cesarean was the only way to do childbirth.  Her reasoning?  It was more convenient for her.  She almost had him sold on the idea.

In a VBAC situation, I realize that a lot of women are scared.  Particularly if they laboured the first time and ended up with a c-section, they are afraid of the same situation happening again.  I had the fortune to not have this fear, never having gone into labour my first time around.  I can appreciate that fear is a very strong emotion and driving force when making decisions, especially one where the health of your baby is concerned. 

Of course then there are all other things I hear - the doctor said there isn't a chance at successful VBAC, it's too dangerous with the risk of uterine rupture, first labour was failure to progress and the mom's pelvis was too small so no point in trying again because the same will happen.  I cannot stress how there is so much information out there about these topics that is not being shared, and what women aren't being told is that medical intervention is often what led to their cesarean in the first place. 

I feel that it is a woman's job to be informed when making these decisions, and unfortunately most of them are not being given the proper information and support.  In the case of the lady I spoke to yesterday, I suspect she was under OB care and the doctor said to her "sure you can try if you like" but didn't give her the support or the resources she needed to be successful.  With a proper support team in place, the chances of having a successful VBAC are great.

I think I just have such a hard time wrapping my head around two things:  One is why there are so many cesareans in the first place, and two is why more women aren't offered support for attempting VBACs when it is a known fact that vaginal births are healthier and safer for mothers and babies in almost every instance.  I will not dispute that in rare cases a cesarean birth is necessary, but in the vast majority of situations it could have been avoided with proper knowledge and support.

There is a great organization called the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) which offers information and support for women planning VBAC, as well as providing awareness about unnecessary surgical births.  I am currently in contact with the Simcoe County branch and am going to become a member and volunteer, so I can help educate and support others about these important and often overlooked topics.

I wonder how many cesareans could be avoided, or how many women would go on to have successful VBACs, if only the right information were being shared.

It is easy for me to sit here and preach about VBAC after having had a successful one.  But I can honestly say that it did not come without research or effort.  If you want it, then learn and do all that you can to make it happen.  If you are indifferent and decide to see what happens, or want to just go ahead book a c-section, make sure you are making an informed choice.  You might find your attitude changes when you realize not only how much better a vaginal birth is for you and your baby, but that you have a great chance of success and are at no greater risk for complications than in any other birth situation.

Back to the topic of my own planned cesarean.  Of course at the time, being far less educated than I am now, I was made to believe that it was the safest thing for my baby.  I now know that it would have been better to at least have let us go into labour naturally before making the decision to have surgery.  I do feel a little guilty for having taken that decision out of my son's hands, and again feel fortunate that we had a positive experience because it could have been worse.  He might not have been ready to be born and as a result had suffered complications.

I feel like I have so much knowledge to give other women planning their births, not just in VBAC situations but even for first time pregnancies.  There is so much information that gets overlooked which could mean the difference between an unnecessary surgical birth, and the natural birth that is healthier for the mother and child.  This was a hard post to write, simply because there is so much information to share, and because I feel so strongly about these topics.  It was hard to organize my thoughts, hopefully I have made some shred of sense in all my jabber.

I found this article really interesting on the topic of risks associated with VBACs:  VBAC: making a mountain out of a molehill (be sure to watch the video at the end, it is so heartwarming and empowering, and I cried all the way through it)

The bottom line, the choice is personal, but make sure it is an informed choice.  The natural start of labour and a vaginal birth is how nature intended babies to be born, and it is a healthy and safe choice even in a VBAC situation.