"Positive VBAC Birth"

VBAC Birth Story

This birth story begins with the birth of our older child, who was born by non-elective C-section 14 hours after being induced – leading to the “cascade of interventions”. Labour for our older child was intense, painful and tiring. After they were born, they were wrapped up straight away so we missed out on skin to skin and I was too unwell from pain relief and tired to remember their first breastfeed in the recovery room. Though I don’t feel the birth or surgery were traumatising for me, I always felt like I was missing a part of our journey because of that fact.

As soon as we fell pregnant again, I began my research for a VBAC and was accepted to the Midwife Group Practice in Bunbury. We listened to many, many midwives podcasts and attended the Positive/Hypnobirth class. We had planned to do this with our first birth but it was cancelled, and as we lived in Tom Price at the time had no other option to reschedule. The class in particular taught us what labour and birth could actually look, sound and feel like in comparison to our previous experience. I practiced the breathing and meditations regularly (although they usually made me fall asleep!). We hired a birth pool, as I really wanted a water birth, and met with the Obstetrician at the hospital to agree to our non-standard management plan (as we were “refusing” all of their recommendations for a VBAC: no CTG, no vaginal exams, no cannula and having a water birth). However, with the research I had done and the support of many midwives at the MGP, this was easier than I thought it would be. At the end of the day, it is my body and my baby and we have every right to plan for the birth we want. I felt confident in every single one of my decisions throughout pregnancy, birth and afterwards with the knowledge I had. We also planned for our ideal C-section, including skin to skin contact, which I felt very positive about as well if things came to that.

One Sunday night I began to have contractions throughout the night. I couldn’t sleep and kept thinking of everything I hadn’t gotten ready! I tried some meditations but really couldn’t focus. Unfortunately, by the morning the contractions had stopped, although this gave me time to actually finalise everything I needed to. That night contractions started again and continued until mid-morning the next day and then slowed down again, it was super frustration. I had a massage booked in that day so I went to that, came home, had a shower and went to bed for an afternoon nap, as my husband headed out to collect firewood. However, suddenly contractions started coming every 3-4 minutes and I called my parent to come help with our older child, and hooked up the TENS machine. Within an hour they were 2 minutes apart and I called my partner to come home as we had a half hour drive to the hospital and didn’t want to wait any longer.

When we got to the hospital for assessment, my contractions slowed and we almost were sent home again, which was quite stressful. Thankfully by the time some assessments and monitoring were done (I agreed to a short CTG, but no vaginal exam) things had ramped back up again. I continued using the TENS machine and breathing through the contractions, sitting on my exercise ball. This helped a lot, and was such a different experience to the contractions that come with being induced. After a few hours, I decided to hop in the shower, sitting on the ball and leaning on another propped on a chair. Whilst in the shower I fell asleep on my ball multiple times between contractions. After another few hours, when I was starting to feel like I couldn’t cope anymore, I hopped in the birth pool which felt amazing. I laboured in the pool for another couple of hours, again sleeping between contractions with my head rested over the side of the pool. I kept checking myself internally and could always feel a head there, but no one gave me any vaginal exams for the whole birth. The contractions got more and more intense and each time I was telling my partner I can’t do this! And each time I breathed through and they passed. After a while I asked for the gas to help with the last stage. Soon I felt the urge to push and felt my baby starting to crown. After about 4 contractions their head was out and they turned around (what a weird and wonderful feeling).

The midwife helped my baby out in the next contraction and passed them through for me to lift to my chest. What an amazing feeling this was to hold my baby skin to skin, they were so tiny and precious! We relaxed in the bath still in shock that I achieved my VBAC. We had asked for delayed cord clamping, and the midwives waited as long as they could before giving my baby a little extra help to clear their chest, whilst I got out of the pool and into bed. My baby was placed straight back onto my chest in skin to skin and they had their first feed whilst I waited for the placenta to be delivered physiologically. Feeling them skin to skin and feeding for the first time was amazing and it didn’t matter what method of birth we ended up with, this was what was important to us. Despite both labours being similar length and intensity, all the right hormones kicked in this time, and I was definitely awake enough to remember it all! It is amazing what our bodies do. My baby was born at 2am, and we were back home by lunch time that day! 

Seeing the whole me

Being listened to

Involved in decisions

Being given time