Robin's Birth
What was the reason for your initial Cesarean birth?
I
think it was probably the interventions. I was young and I trusted my
doctors. My first baby's birth
was hurried along with Pitocin, drugs, and breaking of my water. As a
result, my baby boy went into distress and I had an emergency Cesarean
birth. My second
was a scheduled repeat C-section.
Why did you choose a VBAC?
I had two C-sections and felt that I was missing out on the
experience of birthing my child, of acting on my own to bring my child
into this world. Had the C-sections been truly necessary I'm not sure
I would have felt as strongly about this.
What were your fears and concerns (if any)?
Initially, fear of uterine rupture, but I did my research this time.
What was the biggest challenge during pregnancy and then during labor and birth?
I was totally stressed out about
having to justify my decision for a VBA2C when I reached the hospital. I
was told upfront I would need to sign a waiver when I got there.
Choosing a home birth resolved this fear and I was able to enjoy the
rest of my pregnancy.
How did you prepare for your VBAC?
Reading books on natural birth, especially by Ina May Gaskin. I did the Hypnobabies home study and daily prenatal yoga exercise.
How did you find your care provider and were they VBAC supportive? If
so- how? If not, did you think they were and they ended up not being
so? How did you respond?
I was with Kaiser, so I saw the midwife at my local office. She was
pretty supportive, but let me know that not every doctor would be,
so it was good that I knew all the facts and would be able to get them
across to them. I didn't want to have to do that while I was in labor when I
wanted to concentrate of everything going right. I got recommendations
for homebirth midwives from local ICAN members and never looked back.
What would you say to a woman who's considering a VBAC? How would you encourage her?
It was an absolutely life changing and a life affirming experience. I'd
recommend a natural birth with LOTS of preparation. It more than paid
off.