Making an informed choice about
Vaginal Birth After Caesarean (VBAC)
Birth environment for a VBAC labour
Basically, the choice about where to actually labour
and birth during a VBAC is based on what local options are available
to you, and these all relate to the current political climate surrounding
VBAC in your local birthing community. You may have the option of
a Birthcentre birth for your VBAC labour, or you may choose to birth
in hospital. You may even be able to choose the option of homebirth
for your VBAC, with the support of an experienced independent midwife,
GP or Obstetrician. The options available to a woman planning a
VBAC should vary, from those available to all birthing woman, only
in that you would need to resource a childbirth professional that
is experienced in VBAC births, especially when choosing the homebirth
option.
Women who do choose the homebirth option often do
so to avoid the technology that was involved in their previous caesarean
birth experience, or to avoid the interventions that the VBAC policies
adopted by many hospitals stipulate (eg, CTG, fasting, I/V access,
etc). They also wish to regain faith in their body's ability to
birth naturally, and are usually making an informed decision, after
much research into the risks involved, in choosing this birth environment.
If women do choose a homebirth VBAC, with the support of an experienced
childbirth professional, then it is important for them to be aware
of the risk that, in the rare circumstance of uterine rupture, the
time delay involved in transferring to hospital may have serious
consequences for both mother and child.
'My midwife had been with me for a marathon 29
hours. I did it! I had my VBAC at home in a pool to soft music and
candle light. It was a dream come true.'
Once the mother has researched her options, and
made her informed decision, then she should be supported to give
birth in whichever environment she feels most at ease, comfortable
and confident with the help of an experienced childbirth professional.
This will encourage her body to labour effectively and birth naturally.
To find out how to obtain a free copy, or how you
can organise to distribute the booklets, please click
here.
