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 …
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.
A woman who is respected and supported during pregnancy and childbirth, can achieve giving birth with confidence and without trauma. When we protect the rights of women in childbirth we protect their future as well as ours.
I have just returned home from attending the first Human Rights in Childbirth Summit 2015 on the continent of Africa, held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Participants included delegates, doctors, midwives, lawyers,