Wednesday, February 8, 2012

The Truth about VBACS 02/06 by ProgressiveParenting | Blog Talk Radio

I'm in the 33rd week of my second pregnancy and will be pursuing a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean). I'm approaching everything completely differently this time around and part of that has equated to a happier, healthier pregnancy as well! My doula, Katie Reeves sent me a link to this Blog Talk radio show and I just had to share it. I've learned so much about VBACs and feel really compelled to spread the word.

One point I want to be sure to hit on is that finding the right practitioner to support you in pursuing a VBAC is the most critical first step for having success. It's not always easy to find an OBGYN practice that fully supports VBACs, but it's worth the search if that's an outcome that's important to you. Even if they say they will allow for a trial of labor, many practices will only allow you go unscheduled for surgery until your actual due date. If you don't go into labor on your own by your due date, often times you could still be forced into a c-section. A full term pregnancy is considered to be 38-42 weeks, so that's a lot of pressure to give birth by week 40 mark; not something I was willing to accept. Be sure to ask lots of questions when considering what practice you want to go with. Ask about their VBAC success rate. If they aren't open to giving you a number/percentage or avoid the question in some way, then they are probably not the practice for you. It can be uncomfortable going from practice to practice trying to find the right fit, but peace of mind, knowing you're on the same page with your care provider is so important. The last thing you need going into labor is doubt or fear that your wishes won't be carried through.

There are other options as well, such as finding a midwife and considering a home birth or birthing center instead of a hospital. These are all personal decisions that are worth looking into to have a full understanding of all of your options. Follow your gut and don't settle for anything less than what's most important to you. There is an answer for you! Just keep moving forward until you're confident that you have the right team around you to support your wishes.

Believing that it's possible and empowering yourself with factual information and VBAC success stories helps to build upon your belief of a healthy and successful outcome as well. Search YouTube videos and blogs all over internet to see just how many success stories there really are.

Part of my recipe to changing my mindset and releasing fear was to enroll in a HypnoBirthing class. At this point, I would say it's been worth every penny! Granted, I still have labor and delivery ahead of me, but I've learned that childbirth is a natural process that our bodies were designed for. I've learned breathing, relaxation and visualization techniques to help me labor efficiently which should also result in a less painful experience. I'm practicing daily and have heard that you get exactly what you put into it once labor and delivery rolls around, so I'm taking it very seriously!


Stay tuned for my birth story!

If you're thinking about a VBAC, please take the time to listen to this interview. It really is full of great information and uncovers a lot of misinformation floating around out there.



(Just a side note...I'm definitely not an expert on the topic. I'm just sharing what I've learned on my journey in hopes that it might help someone else)

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