This is under construction. In the meantime, have a look at these videos. Video from ICAN Article from Julie Bell, R.N. In our state of Victoria, birth centres are "not allowed" to accept women for VBAC, even though birth centres in New South Wales can. Go figure. So, for women wanting low-tech, midwifery model care as opposed to obstetric care, this greatly reduces their options. Women don't have a problem with it if they know the ceasarian was necessary, but there are growing numbers of women who are realising that their "unnecesarians" were actually iotrogenic, so they're leery about returning to the same system that caused their c/s in the first place. As a result, in Victoria, they have two choices. Go to a hospital - stay home and hire an independent midwive. So we have uite a few home VBAC waterbirths going on in Victoria, with outstanding results. I will be attending my first home VBAC waterbirth as doula next March. I like the saying, re. VBAC, "it's just a birth". Very true. There are some excellent websites that go fully into the safety & risk factors, the research etc. I always keep in mind, "your scar is strong". The chances of UR or dehiscence is significantly less than other serious and rare obstetric complications. So, I feel the safest approach to VBAC is to treat it as a birth like any other, not practice defensive 'wht-could-g- wrong" obstetrics, and trust birth and trust the woman. She's no more at risk of developing a serious complication thatn any of us. It is not fair to strip VBAC women of all the things that ANY woman needs to give birth with the mistaken idea of "making it safer." I think CEFM (external fetal monitor) is cruel and unusual punishment for a VBAC birthing woman. I remember reading a comment from a UK midwife, "I would much rather have a midwife observing me, listening to me and in tune with me regarding any possibilities of UR, than be strapped to a machine that is supposed to detect early signs of UR, and have the staff watching the machine instead of me." So how to dodge CEFM during VBAC? Best way: stay home. Have your own midwife and birth pool. Have a baby. But if you choose to go to hospital for VBAC, be prepared with good research and be willing to be very clear and assertive that you do NOT give your consent to CEFM. I know of one young woman who took off the monitor, removed herself to the toilet and locked the door so that she could have her baby with out the CEFM. I also know of other hosptials where they removed the locks on the toilet doors just so women could not do that! And I know of one woman who managed to have an active labour, and even a bath, while wearing the CEFM belt. (She had a private independent midwife with her, though, to help her negotiate an active labour within the hospy system). There is a plethora of evidence showing that CEFM is the kiss of death for ANY normal labour, but our culture is addicted to it and we do not care if women are butchered as a result, we just like our toys and our systems and our policies and we tend not to place too much credence on the voice of women: the consumers. Therefore, each individual woman has to take it on herself to research, prepare, become informed, and be clear and assertive about what she wants, what she is going to do and what she will and won't consent to. For women who are used to passively allowing others to wield the authority and make the decisions, this becomes a great learning curve towards maturity - learning responsibility and assertiveness. This maturing makes us better mothers! |
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Cascade Christian Childbirth Association
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