Preparing For Your Positive VBAC

Tuesday 14 March 2017

It’s back to the books for me at the moment as I’m currently completing my Positive VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean) training with The GentleBirth Institute, to bring this fantastic Workshop, the first of it’s kind, to Carlow.  As part of my course work I’ve been reading huge amounts of literature.  One of the books I’ve been reading and wanted to recommend is “Birth After Caesarean” by AIMS, primarily as it is so easily accessible, not for me as an instructor but for you, the families I encounter, who are hoping to learn about your care options following a Caesarean Birth.  With so much information available, and so much of the language couched in medical terminology, I think that this book is a really fantastic resource as a starting point to enable parents to begin to consider their options.

It is clear, concise, easy to understand and I loved how it is interspersed with personal accounts and quotes, which I think are a primary way for parents to connect with other’s experiences.  One quote in particular really stood out for me: “Once I understood how labour was supposed to work and how the system had failed me, I got very angry.  How dare they call me a failure? My body did what it should do in a stressful situation, it stopped labour, it waited for a safe, secure space in which labour could be normal.  Instead of giving me that safe space, that support, they just gave me more and more drugs, more intrusions.  It wasn’t my failure to progress, it was their failure to support”. -Elaine, VBAC2C

Having had three vaginal deliveries, one hospital based and two home births, I feel passionate as a GentleBirth Instructor about empowering women to believe in their bodies own capabilities.  I felt this passion as I read the AIMS book.  In a very non-confrontational way it portrayed the message that when we challenge the language and fear around birth and encourage and support women in their decisions, the outcomes for both mother and baby are hugely positive, irrespective of the birth path. 

I found it non-judgemental and very woman centered, particularly around areas of self-blame, or women feeling their bodies somehow failed them and their babies.  For many of us, particular first time mothers, we place our trust in the system, not knowing that so many interventions are non-evidence based and then it is only when we are unhappy with our experiences that we seek alternatives.  This book was written for women, by women and it highlights the very real need to recognise midwives as the experts in birth and stresses the importance of “shopping around” for a supportive care provider. 

Supporting women in the Carlow/Kilkenny region, where we have the highest Caesarean birth rate in the country, I feel it is even more important that the information available to mothers is clear and accessible.  I was startled by figures published by AIMS Ireland, that in November, 66% of deliveries to first time mothers at the hospital were via Caesarean.  I simply cannot fathom why more than one in every two mothers required a major surgery to deliver their babies and all that brings with it, including potentially limiting future birth choices.  I feel that being able to host meetings, information evenings and VBAC workshops is vital to the women in our community, in particular, and I know that this book is a resource that I will be recommending time and time again.

Watch this space for upcoming workshop dates.