This is the story of a humbling birth with history. Caroline had hoped for a homebirth for her first baby boy and instead of fulfilling her dreams, gave birth by a needed caesarian section. Caroline, a personal trainer by profession, had fallen on her sacrum and coccyx in her twenties, not once but several times …
Sometimes labour and birth can go backwards, stall or slow down when the mother is tense or frightened. It is important to meet the needs of each individual woman and birth.
Vaginal Birth After Caesarian (VBAC) and Homebirth After Caesarian (HBAC) are gaining momentum in South Africa and provision needs to be made for women seeking these options through collaboration of the medical health care systems. Preventing unnecessary caesarians by providing adequate support and information to women should be the first approach.
Vaginal birth after two caesarians is possible when the mother is healthy and encouraged to do what her body is made for.
Mieke lost her confidence in her ability to give birth after a caesarian section with her first baby. She attempted and succedded to have a natural birth second time around and became champion of mothers!
This story is not for those women who choose to have an elective caesarian. This story is for those women who feel they were coerced into having an unnecessary caesarian section and feel robbed of their right to have a normal birth or at the very least, to try. Many women do not know that …
Tanya approached me last year for a vaginal birth after 3 caesarians (VBAC3), after she had weighed the risks versus the benfits of a repeat caesarian section. The risk of uterine rupture in women with more than one prior caesarean who attempt VBAC is not significantly increased over the risk for women with one prior caesarean.