birth activist

Questions:

1. Please give me your full name, how you want to be identified (full name, first name only, anon, etc.), your general location, number of children, number of cesareans, number of VBACs, anything else pertinent to your story.

Heidi Stone, full name, Ohio, expecting fifth baby, 0 cess./VBAC, 4 natural births, 2 homebirths and plans for a third, 1 unassisted birth.

2. Did (do) you ever believe that you might have a cesarean? When did you first think that a cesarean was a possibility for your birth?

I feel that, given the current procedures in hospitals, cessarean is always a possibilty and so I have always tried to do what I could to prevent that.

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise?

N/A

4. If you had a cesarean, do you think you could have done anything to prevent it?

N/A

5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this?

N/A

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention?

Be really picky about your doctor and your hospital. FInd out their cess. rate. To be perfectly honest, from my own experience and those of women close to me, I feel that going with a midwife or someone who supports your body doing what it knows how to do naturally and uninhibited is the best way to prevent. The more intervention used(including drugs) takes your body and your baby's body further away from that instinctual knowledge.

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean?
intervention

8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...)N/A

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories?

Every woman's body is different. Every birth is different. There are so many contributing factors in how a woman's labor progresses, we cannot be compared.

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn?

Aunts who birth at home with their families, other countries who do itdifferently,and our ancestors who managed to have healthy babies without the doctors and hospitals.

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.)

12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC?

13. Anything else you’d like to add?

I feel very fortunate to live in a country where, given a real emergency situation in childbirth, I have the very best of technology and specialists available to me and my baby. However, childbirth is a natural process and it has become so medicalized with the levels of intervention at a grotesque proportion that they are actually causing a perfectly healthy progression to become an emergency situation. That is why I have chosen to have my babies naturally and in a more health supported environment.

1. Please give me your full name, how you want to be identified (full name, first name only, anon, etc.), your general location, number of children, number of cesareans, number of VBACs, anything else pertinent to your story.

Anon

2. Did (do) you ever believe that you might have a cesarean? When did you first think that a cesarean was a possibility for your birth?

When I was 2 weeks past my due date and scheduled my induction, I knew it was a possibility since the cesarean rates are high after inductions.

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise?

We discussed it when we discussed by birth plan before labor.

4. If you had a cesarean, do you think you could have done anything to prevent it?

Yes, I had one and no, I don't think I could have prevented it.

5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this?

No, no complications.

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention?

My advice would be don't ever eliminate it as a possibility. You don't know how labor is going to go for you.

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean?

Ask for one.

8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...)

No, I was not going to risk my baby's life by having a home birth where immediate medical care wasn't available at the time of birth. I have a good friend who had an uneventful pregnancy and labor (no intervention) and was at low risk for any type of compliation, and it turns out the baby had a serious birth defect. The baby would have died if she hadn't been at a hospital. No way I would risk that.

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories?

Do your research yourself. Almost all people and all books have a bias, and omit research that supports the opposing point of view.

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn?

I believe it is most important to get a REALISTIC view of birth. Neither horror stories nor pollyannas do you any good when you are in labor and trying to cope with all that entails.

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.)

I have no intention of having a VBAC. I will get a repeat C. I would take the recovery from a C-section any day compared to natural birth. Not to mention the long-term side effects of natural birth such as incontinence later in life that can be avoided by C-section.

12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC?

N/A

13. Anything else you’d like to add?

My only regret is waiting so long to have the C-section.

1. Leah --please identify me as "Leah".
I live in Florida. I have one child, born vaginally.

2. I never even entertained the idea that I might have a cesarean--it was not an option.

3. Didn't happen.

4. N/A

5. N/A

6. Educate yourself--do not depend on your provider to give you important information. Take good care of yourself and your fetus. Eat right, exercise, do keigels, yoga, etc. Take a birthing class that teaches you how to have a natural, vaginal birth. Read lots of books on giving birth naturally. The more you know, the better.

7. Don't take care of yourself and your fetus, and let your doctor call all of the shots.

8. See #6

9. Don't listen to them. Your birth will be what you make it. Have a vision in your mind of how you want your birth to go. Play it over and over, envisioning as much detail as possible. Believe your birth will go that way--do not doubt the ability of your body to do what it was made to do.

10. By educating myself and associating with others who had positive views of birth.

11. N/A

12. N/A

13. My pregnancy was great. I ate healthy, I exercised, I got enough sleep, I did yoga, I did keigels and other birth exercises. I had no cravings or morning sickness, due to a great diet and supplement regime, and didn't have any complaints, other than being more tired than usual, until the last month, when my expanding uterus caused my ribs to hurt and caused me to sleep less. My advice to pregnant women--see #6.

14. Educating yourself is so important. Western medical doctors are operating on a philosophy of trying to fix something that is already broken and trying to manage natural bodily processes. They do not focus on prevention or on assisting or monitoring natural bodily processes like birth. Women need to take back control of this precious and natural process and trust in their bodies' ability to birth a child without medical intervention.

1. "Jenn" is fine. currently in South Dakota- moved here from FLorida to finish my PhD, raise our boys in a better environment. found out I was pregnant with #3 two months after we got here (at the time #s 1 and 2 were ages 2 and 1 year.)
3 children- now ages 3, 2 and 1.
no cesareans, no VBAC.
perhaps my - OUR- story can serve as "hope"? we were not intending to have 2 children, much less 3 and certainly not 3 in a row. but we did, and I managed to do it and stay healthy. I would love to be more involved in helping pregant women stay healthy, feel GOOD (yes you can...at some point ;) and be strong.

2. When I found out I was pregnant for the third time in 3 years, I had a few moments of consideration. But they passed as I read about cesareans. Mainly, the things that have to be given artificially during and after bothered me. Plus, cutting my abdomen is not exactly fun. Neither is having your vagina stretched to imaginable lengths, but IT is SUPPOSED to. It is MADE to. My rectus abdominus is NOT. I think that there is a reason for the all the things that happen during vaginal birth, to mom and to baby. We may not have scientfic evidence of them yet, but why else would and infant's head be so malleable? There are certainly good and sound reasons FOR a c section. But, eVerything is (usually) natural and does not require much "thinking" when birth is vaginal and without anesthetic. (I should note that this momma had an epidural at 9 cm dilation with her last 2 births. An interesting thing happened with my 3rd: I actually pushed him out while listening to my contractions on the monitor but feeling nothing. I NEVER would have done that, but I was SO tired, with my 2 at home and literally no help (save for my amazing husband) for the past 2 years, that I asked the doctor if I could and she said sure. Anyway, regarding the "artifical": things: the nurse came back in to the room a few minutes later as I was nursing, and started putting an IV in for something to "bring my uterus back to size." I thought it ridiculous, since I know that breastfeeding automatically does this (and anyone who has more than 1 child knows, with each consecutive birth, the "after pains" are quite, um,
shall we say obvious! ;) I said as much, and the doctor agreed and of course, my uterus
is just fine.

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise? NEVER. I had a midwife in Florida, and the MD who delivered my 3rd in South Dakota was so relaxed and sure everything would work out fine, I just believed her!

4. NA
5. NA

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention?
PREPARE. Prepare in whatever way is good for YOU. If you are a worrier, find out all the information possible beforehand and think through your options, talk to your spouse and someone (probably a woman) who knows you really well. If you just "trust" your maternal instincts and all the billions of women who gave birth before you without c sections, PREPARE anyway. For me, continuing to EXERCISE EVERY DAY even to the morning before I gave birth with each child, helped me avoid severe nausea and morning sickness , stay strong for delivery, get my normal weight back, be strong to handle a new child, a second and then a third afterwards, my MOOD, my appetite, my general feelings about having a baby and the "pain" involved, etc...Food and sleep were long gone by the time #3 was born, so exercise is the only factor left that could have helped me!

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean? Schedule it.

8.NA

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories?
Just don't. You may feel like you should explore EVERY possiblity, but find someone who knows the true statistics. Most likely, you can and should have a very normal, vaginal birth. If not, then there are factors already apparent that your doctor/midwife can point out, some that you can change, some maybe not. Instead of the horror stories, read an honest book about midwifery.

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn? My mother had 4 children vaginally and was and is the picture of health and vitality. Her mother had her first child of 4 when she was 38. I was 30 ("old" by some standards) with my first, but I had genetics to calm my worries. Look at your family tree...there is a lot of strength there.

11. NA
12. NA

13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here.
It was wonderful- all 3 times. I'll say again, exercise helped with so much. DO whatever you need to do (this differs for all of us) to stay healthy, be positive (but honest), and prepare. Trust in the billions of women who have given birth "naturally" before you. It sounds so simple, but they did it...we can, too.

1. Ashley Porter,Iowa 2 children, 0 cesareans, 0 VBACs, 2 Vaginal Births with the first one being a sholder distocia and the second birth induced 2 weeks early to prevent shoulder distocia (which I now regret.)

2. Did (do) you ever believe that you might have a cesarean? I see a regular main stream doctor so yes I suppose someday a cesarean could be in my future if I ever have another baby over 9 pounds. When did you first think that a cesarean was a possibility for your birth? I thought that I might have one with my first, but REALLY DID NOT WANT ONE!

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Only with my second child saying that since my first was 8lbs. 14oz and had shoulder distocia, if this baby was over that I would have to have a cesarean.

4. If you had a cesarean, do you think you could have done anything to prevent it?

5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this?

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention? I have never had one but I know that I dont want one unless it was REALLY life or death. There are to many risks for it to be taken so lightley.

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean? Say you want one, they will take you at your word in most cases

8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...) I was induced with my second baby so as to avoid another large baby, I do regret having done this now becasue she was only 6 pounds and so tiny!

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories? I had a shoulder distocia birth and I dont remember it being that bad, scary yes alittle painful for 2 weeks, but not that bad, dont listen to others your birth story will be your own.

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn? After studying about the risks of vaccinations I have learned about all risks of everything else medical,plus I think birth is a magical wonderess event that should not be taken over by hospital regulations.

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.)

12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC?

13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here.
Treat yourself as you will treat your baby. Everything you do for yourself is something done for your baby. Get educated on everything from Birth to Schooling options.

14. Anything else you’d like to add?

I have had 4 homebirths. I found that being fairly active during pregnancy, but less active in the last month kept me fairly fit. I am not and never have been skinny so I had lots of energy reserves to come and go on! I did yoga type stretching exercises to keep me flexiable. I read every book that I could, my fav being "Spiritual Midwifery" - it has lots of positive stories. I kept in mind that my ancestors had all done this before, therefore so could I. For my first baby I leant over a stool for most of the labour, my husband pressing on my lower back. My midwife suggested that I squat for the final stage of labor, so my husband supported me. (Baby weighed 9lb 14oz.) I did tear badly, but was lucky that a obstatrician was driving past on her way back to the city and she was able to stitch me up without me needing to go to hospital. Second baby (1 year later),I ate lots of carbs the day before labor. During contractions I found standing up and hugging my support people - mostly my husband and mother-in-law. (baby 9lb 12oz). I don't remember much of third labor. baby was born quite quickly, but I did get very sick after and had to go to hospital. I do remember that I did too much for everyone else during the end of that pregnancy. I surprised the doctors by first refusing to die, and second insisting on breastfeeding so they had to find antibiotics that would not hurt my son. My daughter taught my midwife not to rely on the bloodtests to prove pregnancy. Apparantly your hormone levels rise daily, so at 11/12 weeks the levels should be in the thousands - not 3.5 - 4 (less than 5 and you are not pregnant!) My labor with her was lovely, my sisters and a friend were there. I hugged my youngest sister during contractions and during the delivery the midwife used hot water for my perinium. My sister was the one who caught my daughter. She found it a lovely labor and feels very let down because her labor last year was not at all like mine - she had a ceserean. She is tiny and her mother-in-law paid for an obstatrician and gave the expectation that there would be problems. I think maybe I am just pigheaded enough that things were only given one option and that was what I wanted.

1. Please give me your full name, how you want to be identified (full name, first name only, anon, etc.), your general location, number of children, number of cesareans, number of VBACs, anything else pertinent to your story.

Michelle, Michelle, Tallahassee, FL, 1 child, 1 cesarean, 0 VBACS.

2. Did (do) you ever believe that you might have a cesarean? When did you first think that a cesarean was a possibility for your birth?

I asked my OBGYN what the odds were that I may have to have a cesarean b/c I had several fibroids inside my uterus which were a concern to the pregnancy. The OBGYN gave me 30% odds

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise?

OBGYN recommended cesarean during labor. I already had the epidural which had slowed the labor to a crawl. OBGYN indicated the slow-down was part of his reasoning for the recommendation.

4. If you had a cesarean, do you think you could have done anything to prevent it?

In retrospect, I probably should not have gotten the epidural but the labor was pretty intense. Not sure I could have handled the labor without some kind of pain management.

5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this?

No complications. My middle toe on each foot was numb for months and of course, I still do not have feeling around my abdomonal scar.

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention?

A friend went in for an induction and did not realize that if the induction doesn't bring on the labor, then the next step is a cesarean. This is something I did not realize either so if you really want to avoid a cesarean, hold off on the induction. If the idea of getting an epidural is not appealing and you are concerned that would lead to a cesarean, I would recommend hiring a doula. I ran into a doula after I had my baby and she felt that most women with a doula were able to get through labor without drugs.

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean?

Ask for it?

8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...)

I did not have a doula but I had planned on an RN friend to be with me. My husband however did not call her until we had been at the hospital for quite sometime. In retrospect, I probably should have gotten her there earlier.

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories?

All pregnancies are different...

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn?

doula friends

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.)
N/A

12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC?
N/A

13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here.

I think it is tougher on you when you are pregnant in your late 30s early 40s. My feet and legs hurt constantly from the 3rd month until the end. Ugh! I tired easily so I wasn't able to get things done around the house like I wanted.

14. Anything else you’d like to add?

Please send these questions with answers to me at: robin at robineliseweiss dot com

By robin@birthacti... at 10/17/2007 - 11:10am | robin@birthactivist.com's blog

1. Please give me your full name, how you want to be identified (full name, first name only, anon, etc.), your general location, number of children, number of cesareans, number of VBACs, anything else pertinent to your story.
Megan, Megan-first name only, Chattanooga, TN, 1 son, 1 C-sec, 0 VBAC so far!, C-sec due to placental abruption and PROM at 29 wks 5 days
2. Did (do) you ever believe that you might have a cesarean? When did you first think that a cesarean was a possibility for your birth?
No way! We planned a homebirth w/a CPM, but was under doctor’s care, too. I kept the possibility open in case I had a major emergency, just so I wouldn’t be shocked, but I certainly did not believe that I might need a C-sec. I knew that it was a definite possibility as soon as I began bleeding and my water broke at home. It was a serious emergency, and I knew that I might have to have a C-sec to save my son and I.
3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise?
Never, b/c my own physicians were out of town. The high risk ob on call at the hospital told me that it was a possibility if the bleeding didn’t slow down or if baby got in distress. So, it was during labor…and the whole ordeal was a bit of a surprise.
4. If you had a cesarean, do you think you could have done anything to prevent it?
Sure, in my heart, I think that there are a few things—not picking up my 35 lb dog that afternoon to take him outside, not going boating the weekend before, not working so much, eating better, and more. The guilt goes on and on. But in my head, and according to the doctors, there was nothing that I could have done to cause the placental abruption or to prevent it. So, I couldn’t have prevented the C-sec.
5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this?
Not big ones. I had to have an x-ray before they closed me up to check for lost instruments, as a preventative b/c I was taken to surgery so quickly. I was under general anesthesia for quite a while (hours), and it took a long time to wake up. I also had to have my incision reopened and restitched, b/c the surgeon missed a bleeder. Any other complications were due to the placental abruption and premature labor, not the C-sec.
6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention?
Learn about cesareans. Learn why they are performed. Learn why they are sometimes needed. And definitely learn to know the difference, b/c it is HUGE! And get it in your head from the start that having a baby is hard work! Having a c-sec will not make it less work, but it can certainly make it more!
7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean?
Stick your head in the sand and pretend that most C-secs are necessary and trust that only your doctor knows what’s best for you.
8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...)
Absolutely, but I didn’t make it far enough in my pregnancy to put much of it into practice, except mainly learning to trust myself and my baby—which kept him in the womb another 10 hours after the placental abruption and PROM. This gave us time for the steroid shot to have some effect on his lungs and for the hospital to get the NICU team ready. We didn’t even get to begin our Bradley childbirth classes! We did pay out of pocket to our midwife, we intended to go to Bradley classes, we read everything we could get our hands on, and I even went to the Farm and met Ina May when my friend was pregnant and going to birth there (which she did-VBAC!)
9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories?
Smile, nod, and tune out. Everyone wants to share their story, and you might glean something positive from it, but keep in mind that we as a society have been brainwashed into believing that birth is a horror story and that we must turn ourselves over to male doctors to be able to birth our babies.

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn?
Reading!!! I’ve taken out every book I can out of our library about having babies. I’ve bought several books on childbirth. I subscribe to Mothering magazine. I read Midwifery Today online. I talked to several midwives.

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.) N/A
12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC? N/A
13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here.
Pregnancy was a wondrous time for me and for my husband. We loved watching our son move in my tummy and responding to us. Otherwise, I had a lot of back pain and discomfort. Don’t be afraid to bond with your baby from the very first moment you realize you are pregnant!!! Talk to your baby, rub your tummy, listen to your heart. This saved my baby’s life! Don’t sweat the small stuff, like getting tons of clothes or the perfect bedding set. Put together a simple sleeping arrangement, like a Pack N Play next to your bed. Get some newborn diapers, a few sleepers and onesies, and receiving blankets. Get a carseat. And after that, just bond with your baby and with friends and family who will support you and your decisions!
14. Anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks for writing this book! (-:
Please send these questions with answers to me at: robin at robineliseweiss dot com

1. Kelley Sasur, Three Rivers MA
one daughter- Madeleine. Posterior baby, born via C-section after 24+ hours labor and 5 hours of pushing. I'm pregnant again!!! :)
2. I "feared" it as my mom had 3 and so did my grandma. I knew it was going to happen when my OB came back to visit after all the pushing and said "she has not moved in the past 2 hours".
3. We never discussed C-section but she did openly say during one of my visits "you know, Kelley, 5% of women can't deliver vaginally". I thought she was a-okay tossing out such a low number!
4. Hard to say, I asked for an epidural as I had been awake for 3 days prior to labor. Epidural went in at 8cm and then labor SLOWED. Then I needed pit... and so the story goes. I would have skipped the epidural and walked more. Might have helped.
5. Hard to say; she was a "high need" colicky baby. We had trouble w/ latch and nursing. I believe the epidrual and fentanyl had some to do with this.
6. Stay active and keep hydrated. Move, if you can, through labor. Know that many woman can push out posterior babies, I just wasn't one of them.
7. Ask for it.
8. I did have a doula for my previous birth. I have a new OB as my prev. one said she did not think I ought to try VBAC since I could not push out my small 6.14 lb baby. I hold to the fact that she was posterior. There is no saying what might have happened if she was not posterior.
9. You are NOT obligated to listen to any stories- good, bad or indifferent. Simply say "I can't listen to your story".
10. I have a friend who just had an "accidental VBAC"!!! Also many other friends have had normal births and I look to them for encouragement.
11. Well, going to try for a VBAC. THis doctor is very open and he feels a trial is a good idea. He acknowledged to me that he's seen women push out bigger babies than they were sectioned for and that was great for me to hear.
12. Helping my family get past the fear that they have in their hearts.
13. This pregnancy the first trimester was a doozy but oh, the gift at the end is so worth it all.
14. My biggest concern about this upcoming birth is related to my anesthesia experience. I've let go of the anger and hurt. I understand I may not succeed with a vaginal birth again. I'm not electing for a c-section but I don't have to be angry over one either. I am trying to be very careful about meeting with an anesthesiologist prior to this labor, however. Last time I ended up w/ too much drug, no memory of my daughter's birth and a spinal headache that I was told "was not" a spinal headache. My first week with my daughter was marked with intense pain with standing and misery on my end.

1. Please give me your full name, how you want to be identified (full name, first name only, anon, etc.), Jamye your general location Northern Nevada, number of children 1, number of cesareans 1, number of VBACs, anything else pertinent to your story.

2. Did (do) you ever believe that you might have a cesarean? Yes When did you first think that a cesarean was a possibility for your birth? When I had infertility due to a large fibroid tumor, I was told that after surgery and uterine reconstruction IF I was able to get pregnant I would not be able to undergo labor due to increased isks of uterine rupture.

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During the surical consult for the myomectomy. During labor? Was it a surprise? No

4. If you had a cesarean, do you think you could have done anything to prevent it? Had children at a younger age, before the fibroid had grown. Had a better physician prior to all of this who would have recognized my flaming thyroid (thus estrogen) imbalances that contributed to the fibroid growth.

5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? Yes If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this? Nursing difficulties from day 1 to 4 months. Some of this was due to the 3-4 hour lag for the first latch I'm guessing.

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention? Have frank discussions with your provider. Pick your provider based on his/ her stats and don't go into labor on Friday :)

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean? Have a 10cm firoid removed and full uterine reconstruction.

8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...) No. I had researched the options and come to grips with it long before becoming pregnant.

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories? Tell them thanks for the terrible advice but you'd really rather keep yourself in a positive place.

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn? I think it helps to be flexible and realize that you did the right thing at that moment in time and try not to second guessyour decisions later. The outcome is that you have a wonderful gift of a child.

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.) I think my doctor would discuss this with me, but I'm ony planning on having one child.

12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC?

13. What was pregnancy like for you? Easy. What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Enjoy your sleep now. Have a plan, but be prepared for alternate outcomes. Feel free to add stories or quotes here.

14. Anything else you’d like to add? Hope this helps. Feel free to email me if you need to clarify anything.

1. Please give me your full name, how you want to be identified (full name, first name only, anon, etc.), your general location, number of children, number of cesareans, number of VBACs, anything else pertinent to your story. Lisa Delaplace, 4 births, 3 live, one stillbirth, Stillbirth and 1st live birth in Jonesboro, AR. 3rd and 4th births in Seattle, WA.

2. Did (do) you ever believe that you might have a cesarean? When did you first think that a cesarean was a possibility for your birth?I never considered that I might have a cesarean.

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise? We never discussed cesarean, but during my 2nd labor, I had an epidural and my son's heartrate started to decel. It became an emergency pushing situation with the understanding that I had to push or they were taking the baby.

4. If you had a cesarean, do you think you could have done anything to prevent it?

5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this?

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention? Let labor happen as naturally as possible and assert yourself in keeping an environment that is comfortable for you. Seek birthing professionals who are against c-sections (midwives especially) Seek professionals who make sure you have the power in the birthing process.

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean? Getting induced and having someone who you dislike being in the room with you during labor.

8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...) I switched to a birthing center in the 7th month of my last pregnancy. I felt that something would go wrong with a hospital birth. I was right. My son was very big with huge shoulders. I wouldn't have been able to push him out in any other position than on my hands and knees. My dr. had been pushing an epidural since my 5th month of pregnancy. I was glad that I switched, but it did cost about 500 more out of pocket.

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories? Consider the person giving the advice. If someone swears that their child was born with some difficulties and would have died at birth had they not been in a hospital, consider how the hospital/provider may have contributed to the baby's problems. I had many people try to scare me. Each time, I could see how the problems formed, even though the person trying to warn me couldn't see the connection.

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn? Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Natural Childbirth.

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.)

12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC?

13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here.My pregnancies were fairly easy and uneventful, except for the first stillbirth.

14. Anything else you’d like to add? If a medical professional gives you the urge to run.....run! Explore all of your options until you're comfortable. If it seems you've run out of options,

Please send these questions with answers to me at: robin at robineliseweiss dot com

By robin@birthacti... at 10/17/2007 - 11:10am | robin@birthactivist.com's blog | add new comment | email this page

reply to questionaire

1. Please give me your full name, how you want to be identified (full name, first name only, anon, etc.), your general location, number of children, number of cesareans, number of VBACs, anything else pertinent to your story.
Ingrid A., Central Valley, California. 2 children, pregnant with third. :) 2 c-sections so far.

2. Did (do) you ever believe that you might have a cesarean? When did you first think that a cesarean was a possibility for your birth?
I NEVER thought I would be having a c-section in a million years, only when I was in the hospital with my first daughter after trying to induce me did I realize that was the possible outcome.

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise?
We basically only discussed a c-section after I was in the hospital for 3 days with them trying to induce me, they thought my first daughter was going to be very large (she was big enough, 8 pounds 7.6 ounces) and should be delivered as close to her due date as possible. I actually never went into labor, which was very odd considering I had pitocin and cervidil switching every 12 hours for 3 days. So it was very much a surprise.

4. If you had a cesarean, do you think you could have done anything to prevent it? We could have waited a little longer to see if my first daughter would have come on her own. But with my second daughter we waited until we were two weeks overdue with her before deciding to have another c-section, I never went into labor with her either, there were not any signs of labor either, no thinning of the cervix, no dilation, NO contractions at all either! My dates were absolutely correct too, by early ultrasound and keeping track of my periods.

5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this?
We didn't really have complications, both my girls were born extremely healthy, pink and crying! I experienced quite a bit of pain afterward, but nothing that I couldn't get through.

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention?
Just be patient! Whether you're a stay at home mom or a working mom you'll likely be off the last few weeks before the baby comes, so just relax and take care of yourself, walk around, enjoy yourself, drink lots of water. You have to realize that with all this medical stuff surrounding our lives we have to be patient and remember that the baby will come when it's ready, not when you're ready. I think that's why most people have elective c-sections (that are not health/medical related) because they're doing it for convenience.

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean?
Not listening to your body and what it's telling you! Being impatient and willing to have surgery when there is most likely no need.

8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...) I tried to prevent it with my second daughter by waiting two week after I was due, and even though my doctor said that we could wait one more week, we discussed the medical possibilites, like the placenta not working as well since we were already overdue quite a bit, and the baby getting larger in the last week, so we had a c-section two weeks after her due date, and my second daughter was 9 pounds 0.7 ounces.

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories? Don't worry too much, there are plenty of people with problems, and EVERY SINGLE WOMAN is DIFFERENT! Most women think they're going to be just like their mom and sister when it comes to giving birth, and that is absolutely not true! We are all different and our mom could have had the worst labor in the world with little babies, and then her daughter could end up having a wonderful east labor with big babies. :)

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn? Anything I read I go to the facts, not the rumors and stories. You can get positive stories from women with horrible experiences, and you can get negativity from women with good experiences. You can't be negative about stuff, things won't always go the way you like, there are always emergencies and we have to be prepared for them no matter what.

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.)
I would have liked to have a VBAC, and I had no resistance from my doctor, or my mom- who is a labor and delivery nurse.

12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC?
Well, it wasn't successful for me, but the hardest part for most women is finding someone who is willing to do one, and one that is willing to give the women the real information. There is actually a very low risk of uterine rupture on healthy women with only one previous c-section, it may get a little higher if you've had two, but it's so very low still. Although, women don't need to be stupid either, if you've got a serious health condition that requires a c-section, don't try and VBAC when the health of you and your baby are in serious risk.

13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here.
My pregnancies are wonderful, besides bad heartburn, I try to enjoy them throughout. It's harder when you already have kids to focus on your pregnancy, but sometimes you just have to sit there and rub your belly and still be amazed that you're growing a little person inside you.

14. Anything else you’d like to add?
That's all. :)

1. Lisa from Ontario Canada. I've had 4 pregnancies and 1 birth. I had to go to a specialist in miscarriage and used IUI to get pregnant the time we were successful. No known cause of miscarriages.
2.I never thought I'd need a c-section. I had a midwife, studied natural birth, went to classes. I didn't think about a c-section until about 5 hours into labour when the midwife told me the baby was not dropping despite beautiful natural contractions.
3. the midwife raised it during labour and it wasn't a surprise. There was no progress at all and I was bleeding a lot. The baby was so high they had a hard time feeling his head. The midwife had me doing all kinds of positions, but nothing helped.
4.I don't think so. My labour was spontaneous, my water broke on its own. My contractions were strong. The midwife may have let me go longer, but I was bleeding alot and getting exhausted. She offered an epidural and try some more, which I accepted, knowing that with a c-section i'd need one anyway. The epidural effected the baby's heart rate, and they did the c-section immediately.
5.The baby was fine. I had problems with my milk supply which forced me to supplement at first. I also had problems with the incision healing.
6.Get a midwife. Don't get an epidural.
7.Epidural.
8.The midwife came to our home for early labour. We didn't go to hospital right away. I requested no pain meds. I used positions to ease pain.
9.My birth was scarey, but because I felt like I'd done all I could, and the midwife made me feel as in control as possible, taking on a support role after OB took over, I felt disappointed, but noy angry or sad.
10.Read. Get a midwifeor at least find a care giver you trust.
13. Because of the miscarriages, pregnancy was both incredibly joyful and terrifying. I want to do it again soon. I would tell women to educate themselves, find a caregiver you trust, and stay in control. If you don't feel in control, it's scarey, frustrating and depressing. Make your own informed decisions. I've been told that I'll need another c-section, even by my midwife, whom I trust. If i decide to try a VBAC, she'll support me. When the time comes i'll do the research and make the decision.

i

Questions:

1. Please give me your full name, how you want to be identified (full name, first name only, anon, etc.), your general location, number of children, number of cesareans, number of VBACs, anything else pertinent to your story.
Rachel Bailey, Wasilla Alaska, 2 kids, no c-sections

2. Did (do) you ever believe that you might have a cesarean? When did you first think that a cesarean was a possibility for your birth?
I never considered or believed that c-section would be an option.

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise?
It was never necessary to discuss it except as the legally required mention during a prenatal education visit.

4. If you had a cesarean, do you think you could have done anything to prevent it?

5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this?

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention?
Go through a reputable midwifery, not a hospital!!! Ask around for referances, search online to find midwives in your area, ect -- but always talk to previous clients and choose someone you are comfortable with.

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean?
Let the Dr break your water before the actual birth and/or be induced are the reasons I hear most often from other moms.

8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...)
I had all of my prenatal, birth, postnatal care with a well established midwifery center in my town. Yes, I did have to pay out of pocket for the birthcenter fee but all other care was covered by state childrens medical program. I also used a healthy diet to minimize weight gain and treated any health issues with naturopathic methods. But above all I trust Jesus Christ as the great physician to care for me! :-)

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories?
Tell them that you are believing to have an exceptionally great natural birth expieriance but appreciate that they are trying to "prepare" you.

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn?
I was blessed enough to have many healthy, natural birth stories among my family and friends to encourage me. And when I compared them to the horror stoies others told of hospital births the choice was so clear!!

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.)

12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC?

13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here.
My first pregnancy I had NO problems whatsoever --I didn;t even realize I might be pregnant until I was 4 months along. With my second I had a few occasional days of feeling vaugely nauseous. Otherwise I had 2 incidents in my second pregnancy -- At 10 weeks I had light spotting so I went in to get see what was going on. The midwife couldn't get a heartbeat so I was sent for an ultrasound which discovered that my uterus is tipped back so baby was too far back to be heard that early.(Spotting is a normal thing brought on by hormone changes. I just didn't know since I "missed" my first trimester entirely on the first pregnancy.) The second incident was my fault as I was simply going about life as I would any other time and did not consider the effects of staying up with my sister in law all night while she was in labor at the hospital. I went directly from that to my 36 week check up where I was found to have high blood presure and very swollen feet. I'm sure all the coffee during the night was the primary cause. So I had to put my feet up and eat turkey for 3 days till all went back to normal.
Both of my births were completely natural and attended by only my husband and midwives, lasting only about 3-4 hours. I did of course have relatives and friends praying for me through each labor. my first labor was intense but very much bearable. My second labor was much more painful back labor due to my daughter's position. Squatting while leaning into the bed was the best position I found.

14. Anything else you’d like to add?
Having a strong Bible based Christian belief in God and trusting Him to take care of me and my babies is the one thing I can definatively say brought me through both pregnancies with no serious issues.

1. My name is Tiffany O'Connell and I live in Gunnison Colorado. I have a 2 1/2 year old girl and my second baby is due in early February. My 2 1/2 year old, Mikayla was born at 37.5 weeks.

2. I never gave thought to having a cesarean birth. During Mikayla's birth I noticed the doctors monitoring her heart rate very closey but they were not saying anything to me. While I was pushing the doctor was using a manual vacum in order to get her out quicker because her heart rate was dropping. She was born with the umbicall cord wrapped around her neck and that was causing her heart rate to drop. The doctor said afterwards that he was concerning but since she was so low in the birth canal that if he got really worred he just would have reached in and grabbed her (painful?!?).

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories? Everything birth is different and everyone's experience. I remember a birth story on mothering.com and it seemed very similar to mine but the author of the birth story said that is was a horrible experience and she is still not over how bad it was. I felt the opposite, I had a great birth, yes I would do some things different but if I had to do it again I would,

1. Please give me your full name, how you want to be identified (full name, first name only, anon, etc.), your general location, number of children, number of cesareans, number of VBACs, anything else pertinent to your story.

Nikola, mother of three children (6,5,1), two born in birth center in New England, one born in hospital in Germany. All three were vaginal births, no interventions. All three were two weeks overdue.

2. Did (do) you ever believe that you might have a cesarean? When did you first think that a cesarean was a possibility for your birth?

I never believed I would have a cesarean. As I would find one very traumatic, I read about c-sections to prepare myself in case I had to have one. That made me want to have one even less.

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise?

At my birth center, cesareans were only routinely discussed in a birth class, but treated as an exception and a sometimes necessary intervention. Had any medical intervention been necessary, our midwives would have brought us over to the adjoining hospital and remained our midwives throughout the labor. This, I believe, results in a lower intervention rate, along with the fact that all routine care and exams during the pregnancy are conducted by the same midwives.

4. If you had a cesarean, do you think you could have done anything to prevent it?

n/a

5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this?

n/a

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention?

Try to understand the culture you are living in regarding birth, so that you can make the most informed choice possible in order to avoid interventions you do not wish. Read about birthing practices and study statistics, so that you might understand where births are most natural and safest for mother and baby. In the US, at least, this will not be in a university hospital, but might be a midwife-assisted birth in or near a birth center that is affiliated with a small hospital (to take that edge off for those that are afraid to be completely removed from emergency care). If properly informed, you can avoid the slippery slope of interventions that, in my opinion, often leads to cesarean sections. Still, we were lucky to have specialized medical care close by (20 min.) for our first baby after the birth due to breathing difficulties (ICU).

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean?

Imprint in your mind that this will be the way you will give birth.

8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...)

We definitely did everything to prevent all interventions, including cesareans. We switched from ob-gyn care to midwife care. We had midwife-assisted births in birth centers. I wrote birth plans. I read books and talked with the midwives. I fought with doctors who were trying to tell me I was too high-risk for a birth center and would have to birth in the hospital (I had a thyroid disorder which posed no threat to the babies or me). We hired a doula to be with us at our birth. And we succeeded. We had two fantastic and easy births in a birth center in New England. When we moved to Germany and had our third, (see question number 13)

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories?

Say "Hey, I am afraid of a few things myself, please don't give me more to worry about, tell me something that went well."

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn?

I think I got a lot of strength from my grandmother, it gave me that feeling that I could do it, too, and that I had it easy by comparison (she birthed alone at home). However, I also got a lot of support from reading Mothering magazine, Ina May Gaskin, and other comparable literature. I also lived on a farm as a child. Watching animals birth gave me a feeling since I was little that it must be easy if it's like what I saw.

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.)

n/a

12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC?

n/a

13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here.

When we moved to Germany and had our third, our baby developed a heart arrhythmia just a few days before the due date. We had been planning a home birth (our second birth had only lasted two hours and we figured why go anywhere, and the German model is such that you can choose a midwife that works in the nearest hospital and she will come to your home for the homebirth and be your midwife in the hospital should you need to go), which was now out of the question. We gave up our midwife, who was not allowed to practice in the large university hospital that has a children's cardiology ward, and decided to have the baby there. I didn't care about my birthing experience this time as long as the baby had the right care. Luckily, it was my third birth and luckily I had prepared well for those first two, as this was a shocking experience after our cushy birth center. The first thing that happened there when I walked in (this was 1 and 1/2 hours before the baby was born) is the nurse at the window where you have to register said "oh, you're 42 weeks, well you must certainly be here to be induced." I said no, I am in full labor and was sent to a room with no chair, nothing, and waited. Then, a nurse came with about ten pages of paperwork for me to read through and sign, but by this time I was on all fours on the floor, breathing and meditating. I had to yell at her to get her to leave me alone and let me into another more comfortable room. Finally, after at least thirty minutes, I was led to a more comfortable room (including tub). I wanted to be in warm water badly and said so, but there were all kinds of excuses, until I yelled at someone to fill the tub and the head nurse was called. She finally allowed the water but the birth was so fast that as I was just in a few inches of it she asked me to please get out since water births are not allowed in that hospital (she hadn't told me that before). I was enduring all of this until I felt someone begin to examine me from behind (I was on all fours), and I blew my lid. I yelled at this head nurse to never touch me anywhere ever again without permission, etc. A few minutes later our daughter was born and up to ICU we went. It was a horrible birth psychologically, and had it been my first, I am certain all labor would have abruptly stopped as I had to concentrate all of my energy outward to fight these people off me. I am lucky that all went well, especially that the baby was fine enough to go home after 24 hrs and the arrhythmia went away completely :) after six weeks.

14. Anything else you’d like to add?

I believe that a lot of us are often misguided by the feeling that we need help to have a baby, and we are afraid because we think we can't do this on our own. It takes a lot of education and meditation for some of us to realize that we don't normally need any help, we don't normally need any interventions, heck, we don't even have to know what to do, our bodies know what to do all by themselves! The key for me was to learn to let go. To let the body do what it needs to do without my fear or worry or anything else interfering.

1. Gina, Ithaca, NY, 1 child, 1 c-section
2. No. Hadn't even crossed my mind. The c-section discussions began after I had been transferred to an out-of-town hospital when my water broke 9 1/2 wks early. My baby was premature, breech and had no fluid surrounding him.
3. My midwives never brought up a c-section. Not in my appointments prior to birth, not when they met me at the hospital after my water broke so early. The discussions (or rather hounding) began once I had been transferred to a hospital with a level 4 NICU and my minor contractions had ceased. That is when the hospital staff began talking to me as if I was there to have a c-section. I made it abundantly clear (after sending my partner out to get books from the library, calling my midwives, talking to a friend, and mulling the whole thing over) that I would not be getting a c-section and would not sign the regular release form, instead signing an "emergency only" document for c-section approval.
4. Yes. Hunted down a doula and/or midwife in the town to which I had been transferred. Been better prepared for what the hospital would hold for me. Encouraging my partner to be an activist regarding our baby's need for a natural birth. Possibly to have not even gone to the hospital and risked a premature birth at home (though I would doubt my midwives would have been able to attend).
5. Yes. Though I think many a medical professional would argue that the complications we experienced were either due to premature birth or were simply unrelated. Apgars were 7 and 9 after birth, though he was still wisked away in an isolette to the NICU without my seeing him. After our release fomr the hospital, my baby was desperately stressed. He screamed for hours and hours and hours each day. He would not sleep unless in motion until he was at least 1 1/2. There were other high-needs indicators and I think they were the direct result of both a stressful pregnancy and a stressful birth.
6. Stay out of the hospital. Unless you have an emergency of some kind, the risks of a hospital birth FAR outweigh any perceived benefits.
7. Pitocin.
8. Yes. I talked to every person on the hospital L&D staff. I did my best to listen to their concerns and to assert firmly but compassionately that our perspectives on birth and healthcare were very different and that, though they didn't understand my objections to cesareans, they needed to respect (or at least abide by) my choice.
9. Focus on what went right and see if it can be emulated in your own birth plan.
10. I had virtually no view of birth until after my child was born. My positive outlook on natural birth comes from a newfound relationship with the wonders of my own body as well as bearing witness to 2 natural homebirths via video and hearing the birth tales of other women.
11. N/A
12. N/A
13. Depressing and overwhelming. I had no intention of having children. Though I was in a life partnership, children were not on the menu... or so we thought. I was 2 months pregnant when I found out I was pregnant. Then I spent a month in a mix of upset and acceptance. During month 3 and 4, I had 3 seperate occasions when I was told I had had or was having a miscarriage. Any acceptance I had worked towards was repeatedly undermined by these experiences until I had basically just detached from the idea of pregnancy at all. 2 months of denial and severe depression followed that with a mix of suicidal ideation and crippling bouts of almost psychopathic thinking. In month 7, after a move and some intervention by my midwives, I was not chippper, but fully functional and again finding some peace with my pregnancy. Then I went into early labor.
14. I know a billion women who had "medically-necessary" c-sections, that were in no way "medically-necessary," just "medically endorsed." Small hips, long labors, changes in heart rates, poor position, etc., etc., etc. This is your baby. This is your body. You're the expert. Go out there and give birth, mama.

Questions:

1. Please give me your full name, how you want to be identified (full name, first name only, anon, etc.), your general location, number of children, number of cesareans, number of VBACs, anything else pertinent to your story.

Anonymous
Washington State
3 children
#1 and #2 - preterm vaginal births, #3 at-term cesarean (breech)

2. Did (do) you ever believe that you might have a cesarean? When did you first think that a cesarean was a possibility for your birth?

No, I never thought it would happen to me - although I had other complications during pregnancy #3 due to pre-term labor, that was not a concern until the last trimester when we were dealing with a breech baby who refused to turn.

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise?

During the last few weeks, my midwife and I discussed it as "the outcome to avoid" and I really thought we could. My Ob-gyn knew how opposed I was and she really made an effort to work with me on every other option. She even agreed to assist in a vaginal breech deliver against hospital policy, so I thought I had worked it out.

4. If you had a cesarean, do you think you could have done anything to prevent it?

With a breech baby, we did all the natural things advised to turn the baby (slant board, acupuncture, homeopathics) as well as the more Western tricks like an external version which we tried three times and would have tried a fourth time if my water hadn't broken and I hadn't begun labor on my own. Ironically though, I'm completely at rest regarding this c-section because in my heart I believe that the outcome of a breech delivery would have been dangerous to both myself and my baby(see below). I'm only OK with it because I believe it was warranted and not just an easy-out for the doctor. The procedure may be called for in a very small number of cases and because I believe I was one, I'm grateful that I had access to emergency medicine when I needed it.

5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this?

No, I recovered easily and quickly and had had abdominal surgery in the past for ovarian cysts so I knew what to expect. It was hard for the first week or two, but I've almost forgotten it now in a mist of "mommy amnesia." My baby was mellow but not dopey and had no trouble nursing (nothing compared to nursing a preemie!)

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention?

Be a strong advocate for your self and your baby - this can be hard for some first time moms but go ahead and be rude, speak your mind, don't worry about what people will think of you, you may never see that nurse again anyway or else you can blame everything on hormones!

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean?

From what I've read and heard it's the "cascade" of interventions - induction, fetal monitors, epidurals, etc. - all roads lead to c-sections. My first two births were so fast, no one had time to get their hands on me! So stay home until it's no longer an option.

8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...)

I worked with both a midwife and ob-gyn to manage my high-risk pregnancy and both were well aware of my stubbornness and disdain for c-sections. My OB had agreed to a breech delivery (against hospital policy), however, after my water broke we realized that the 3 criteria necessary to go into a breech delivery could not be met. They were #1 - breech position, not footling (he was by then transverse), #2 - weight not over 8 pounds(he was 9 1/2 pounds) and #3 chin tucked (turned out the cord was wrapped around his neck which was also what kept the version from being successful). Yes, I know most breech babies can be safely delivered vaginally, but in this case, with these circumstances, I don't think I would have been one of them.

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories?

People will talk and you can learn a lot from their stories, but you don't have listen or to take it to heart.

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn?

Mothering Magazine, Birthing from Within, Ina May Gaskin, and other quality books like them. Knowing that my mother gave birth naturally was a good foundation. Certainly not from my peers!

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.)

N/A

12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC?

N/A

13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here.

Easy, no morning sickness, until around 28 weeks preterm labor/bedrest - not so much fun! But still a magical time to be cherished. Just remember that you are not in control, this is Mother Nature's way of preparing you for Motherhood, learn to be flexible and go with the flow!

14. Anything else you’d like to add?

I never thought I'd feel OK about a c-section, but I do. It is survivable! However, it was my third birth and I think for first time mothers it is much harder to not have the "birth of your choice."

Hi,
I'm Jeannette Williams. I had my first baby 17 years ago in California and my second 7 moths ago in New Jersey.
My first was a "normal" vaginal delivery in a hospital. I had wanted to do a homebirth but my family was very against it. I was not happy with my experience at the hospital. Pitocin was forced on me, my water was broken and I received an episiotomy- all against my wishes. My daughter was born healthy after 15 hours of labor though. I lost a lot of blood and had a difficult recovery.
My second pregnancy was IVF. From the beginning we knew that I had a very large fibroid adjacent to my cervix. I had numerous ultrasounds during my pregnancy. The fibroid was closely monitored and in my third trimester it was suggested that I would need a c-section because the fibroid would not allow the cervix to dilate.I was offered the opportunity to labor if I wanted to, just to see what happened. But after careful consideration of the fact that I was 39 years old and not planning to have any more children, I decided to go with the c-section so it wouldn't be on an emergency basis if it came to that. I was scheduled for a c-section one week prior to my due date. I was sad that my husband and I would not be able to stregthen our marital bond by going through labor together. But I was glad that I had some time to get used to the idea of the c-section ahead of time. After all the invasive procedures associated with the IVF, I wasn't too worried about having surgery. My water broke at 36 weeks and I never had a contraction. So the c-section was done early. The worst part was not being able to hold and nurse my baby right away. Otherwise, the procedure was fine. My recovery was actually much faster after c-section to my great surprise! I was up and around running errands that same week! I have two healthy daughters and that matters more than how they got here.

1. Anna in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 3 pregnancies: 1 vaginal birth, 2 miscarriages

2. I went into preterm labour at 28 weeks. I was transferred to a level 3 hospital. The new nurses did not read the files sent by the old nurses to know I'd already been given nitroglycerin to stop the contractions - so they gave me another dose and OD'ed me. I was dying. They were prepping the OR for an emergency C-Section to "save the baby" I heard the doctor say outside of my room. Miraculously, the labour stopped and he was born at 41 weeks and 3 days!

3. They discussed a cesarean with us during my labour. I wanted to avoid a cesarean if at all possible, but would agree to one if it became a true necessity for my child’s sake.

4. I didn't end up getting one, but in the future we will not trust that the nurses have read the chart. We will make certain that they do. We will ask: what are ALL the side effects so we know what to watch for; what are the usual doses; do you know about any previous medications I’ve been given?

5. N/A

6. To help prevent a c-section, EDUCATE YOURSELF! Read as many books as you can get your hands on about pregnancy, labour, and birth (The library is free!). Go to classes. Talk to other moms. Ask questions about everything, even if you think it won't apply to you. I NEVER would have thought I'd go into pre-term labour, or have to consider a c-section. I wanted an intervention free birth.

7. How to surely have a cesarean?
Don't trust your body.
Don't read a thing about childbirth.
Don't ask questions.
Skip childbirth classes (or only take ones offered by the hospital, which are really just "How to be a good patient that doesn't take up a lot of our time" classes.)
Don't voice your own opinions or wishes.
Get as many interventions, as soon as you can; induction, epidural, pitocin, artificial rupture of membranes, and stay in bed strapped to monitors instead of walking and trying different positions to help baby move down the birth canal. I am not saying that these are all bad. They all have their time and place, but I believe they are VASTLY overused and other options are often not considered beforehand.

8. As far as preventing the cesarean, my husband stood in the doorway and refused to let them take me until they declared me dead. "Nearly-dead" wasn't good enough for him if there was a chance I'd make it; since with my blood pressure deathly low, I would have certainly died had they cut into me. Next birth, I will hire a doula to help me avoid interventions.

9. Learn what you can from other people's birth stories. If they have a horror birth story, try to figure out why, and what you can do to not have that happen to you (if anything). It's tempting to tune out the bad stories, but you can learn from those as well as the good ones. If it is truly upsetting you, tell them so or change the topic.

10. To get a positive view of birth, Google "natural childbirth". There is an abundance of information. Talk to a doula or midwife.

11. N/A

12. N/A

13. What pregnancy was like for me: At 14 weeks pregnant, I was leaking amniotic fluid. My doctor told me that I would lose my baby and there was nothing she could do. I put myself on bedrest for a few weeks and baby was fine. The body can replace amniotic fluid, and a small tear can heal over. Rest, drink lots of water, and get ultrasounds done to measure the fluid levels. They can also do an "infusion" where they use a needle to insert some fluid back into the sac.

At 28 weeks, I went into preterm labour. I detailed that experience above (# 2 & 8).

At 30 weeks, I leaked more amniotic fluid. I stayed in the hospital for 3 days. I drank lots of water, had an IV to put more fluids into me, and had an ultrasound to measure the amniotic fluid levels - which were normal.

After I went into preterm labour, I was in and of the hospital with more labour for the remainder of my pregnancy. They ended up inducing me and he was born at 41 weeks and 3 days.

I tried to enjoy every day of my pregnancy since my husband was saying he may not want anymore after that. It helped a lot during the uncomfortable last days.

14. ASSERT YOURSELF! Make your wishes known, but be flexible. It may not be possible to have the exact birth you want, but if you don’t ask, then you almost definitely will not get the birth you want. Whether it’s something as small as asking for the lights to be turned down, or allowing labour to progress naturally for a certain amount of time before augmenting it. The on-call doctor was going to set me up on pitocin, he routinely does this to everyone! I told him I did not want it, and he agreed to wait 9 hours and see how my labour progressed, then decide whether I needed it. My son was born at 9 hours and 42 minutes and I never even had an IV put in.

Figure out what you want, and let your caretakers know, but also be open to changes to that. Discuss any procedures and learn of possible side effects and alternatives. (Better yet, research them beforehand if at all possible!)

Think about how important something is to you, and whether you’re willing to switch caregivers if you can’t get that. For me, next time (if there is one) I will have a doula, in addition to my mom and husband. If my hospital or doctor says only 2 people in the room, then I will go to a different place that allows 3 people. Also be aware that it may be difficult to switch if you’re late in pregnancy, although not impossible.

I’ve been hearing some women who think that having a cesarean will be easier. It won’t. It will not be painless or quick. You will have a longer recovery time. If you are properly educated and prepared for the birth and have a good support system, labour and birth need not necessarily be a scary prospect. The more you know about something, the less scary it will be.

Incontinence later in life is NOT linked to vaginal birth. There is some temporary incontinence right after the birth which goes away (If you’re concerned, do kegal exercises), but incontinence later in life is linked to old age, not whether a woman has had a vaginal birth. It occurs in women who’ve had cesareans, women who’ve had vaginal births, women who have not had any children, and in men!

1. Please give me your full name, how you want to be identified (full name, first name only, anon, etc.), your general location, number of children, number of cesareans, number of VBACs, anything else pertinent to your story.

NIcola, Maine. 3 children. 1st c section. 2nd and 3rd Homebirth VBAC

2. Did (do) you ever believe that you might have a cesarean? When did you first think that a cesarean was a possibility for your birth?

Never imagined a c section!! Did not even consider it until 10 hours into Labor in Hospital when OB said I had to do it as baby was 'in distress' and 'could not come out" Assumed I would be OK as I did yoga and was in good shape.

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise?

Total surprise during labor

4. If you had a cesarean, do you think you could have done anything to prevent it?

Yes. It could have been prevented had I had the right/skilled people around me. Needed to learn how to take control of my body. Lamaze class really hindered me.

5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this?

No obvious complications although I felt terrible for 2 days and everything was a blur making it difficult to tatke care of baby (due to anasthetic). Bleed longer than vbac. Huge numb scar. Olivia has some breathing issues I feel are related. More challenging to find a comfortable position to breastfeed.

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention?

Get a midwife. Do hypnobirthing. Talk to someone who has had a vbac.

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean?

Assuming your Dr and Rn have the skills and/or inclination to fully assist you in a quest to avoid c/s

8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...)

After 1st c/s I did everything I could not to have another c/s: Homebirth, midwives who had done vbacs, hypnobirthing, yoga.

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories?

Create your own birth story. Don't become another horror statistic. It does not have to be that way and birth can change your life.

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn?

Mothering magazine. Midwife. Some friends who believed birth should be non medical.

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.)

Decided on home but could have gone to 1 hospital although posed a 'risk' as soon as I walked in door-which seems to me to be bad energy for birth. People say a lot howbrave I am to do a homebirth and/or vbac. Also lots of people said I was crazy not to have drugs. I had ALL the drugs during my 1st birth and it did not help at all- quite the opposite=got in the way and gave me a false sense of security. Sure my 2nd and 3rd births were 'challenging'. That's OK. It is totally do-able.

12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC?

Getting over the fear of another c/s.

13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here.

14. Anything else you’d like to add?

During my last vbac I totally immersed myself in hypnobirthing with my husband- I worked really hard at deep relaxation and breathing- I did not fight my body but rather let it do the work while I concentrated on relaxing- I hardly pushed at all but let her come out her own way. I believe this shortened my labor and had I done this the1st time I believe I could have avoided a c/s. I had no tearing, no stitches, no hemmoroids and my bleeding pretty nuch stopped within 4 days. This is no coincidence and not just down to luck or genetics.

Questions:

1. Please give me your full name, how you want to be identified (full name, first name only, anon, etc.), your general location, number of children, number of cesareans, number of VBACs, anything else pertinent to your story.

My name is Ela. I'm Australian, I have one child, born unassisted on a soccer field in Brazil in 2003.

2. Did (do) you ever believe that you might have a cesarean? When did you first think that a cesarean was a possibility for your birth?

I would never have a cesarean. excluding a case of confirmed placenta praevia, there is simply no chance.

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise?

NA

4. If you had a cesarean, do you think you could have done anything to prevent it?

NA

5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this?

NA

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention?

Read, read, read. Inform yourself. Hire a good doula, birth at home.

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean?

not doing any of the above. surrendering control to an OB.

8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...)

NA - I gave birth unassisted.

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories?

same as #6.

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn?

The book spiritual midwifery is probably a good place to start. don't watch tv shows or movies that depict 'westernised' birth. dont read hospital birth stories.

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.)

NA

12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC?

NA

13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here.

Listen to your body. It knows how to give birth.

14. Anything else you’d like to add?

1. Please give me your full name, how you want to be identified (full name, first name only, anon, etc.), your general location, number of children, number of cesareans, number of VBACs, anything else pertinent to your story.

Sarah, located in Maine, 2 vaginal hospital births-2nd was waterbirth, planning 3 waterbirth in Jan.

2. Did (do) you ever believe that you might have a cesarean? When did you first think that a cesarean was a possibility for your birth?

I believe I could have one just like I believe I could get hit by a car walking down the street, you just never know. I hoped it wouldn't happen but I knew that if I or my baby were having possibly fatal complications then I would be able to be ok with a C-section. If I had not educated myself and been in a more uptight hospital then I'm sure I would have ended up with a C-sec. with my first labor. My contractions were not very strong but 3-5 minutes apart for 3 days. Part way through my labor the staff started to push me to consider pitocin, even though the baby and I were fine. I had developed a good rapport with one of the nurses, and my husband was of great support and a great go-between, so we told her that as long as baby and I were fine, "leave us alone!", and they did. After 72 hours of labor, I pushed out my 9lb. 5oz boy in 45 minutes and all was well. With my 2nd I assumed a C was a remote chance and I also went with a midwife. After 41 weeks I was diagnosed with low amniotic fluid, which I now believe is a bunch of bs, and the hospital started me with a suppository in the evening. By morning with lots of overnight nipple stimulation and threats again of Pit, my labor started and 17 hours later I pushed out another 9+ pounder after 35 minutes of pushing. My hopes are up for another great, even shorter waterbirth:).

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise?

It was discussed in our prenatal class and everyone hoped to avoid it but knew it was a possibility.

4. If you had a cesarean, do you think you could have done anything to prevent it?

N/A

5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this?

N/A

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention?

EDUCATE, EDUCATE, EDUCATE yourself and your spouse/partner!!!! Stand your ground with obnoxious doctor's nurses that try and tell you what your body can and can't do. Take an early childbirth class, do not work up until your due date-rest, rest, rest, subscribe to Mothering Magazine, read everything you can on childbirth and talk to mom's about their experiences, they are all different and you need to hear the good, bad, and the ugly.

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean?

Ask for it or be clueless about childbirth.

8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...)

Made sure I knew everything I could about birth, and I'm still learning.

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories?

Lots of horror stories can be blamed on horrific docs that treat birth as an abnormal medical condition.

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn?

From the millions of moms that have given birth for centuries. Also from reading Dr. Sears, lots of birth stories from friends and relatives, Bradley method was a savior, and again...Mothering magazine!

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.)

N/A

12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC?

N/A

13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here.

Besides heartburn and some hip sciatica I had very little problems with my first 2 pregnancies. I was physically active and I think the best advice I was ordered to take by my Doc was that I stop working 2 weeks before my due date. I ended up being a week late with both pregs. so I had plenty of time to rest and get ready for the work of labor. For my current pregnancy I don't even have the heartburn or hip problems which I "blame" on being in even better physical shape and starting yoga about a year before getting pregnant.

I believe that being clueless and working right up until you begin labor is a sure fire way to end up with a C-sec., you need to be physically and mentally rested to handle the challenges of labor. I didn't take a Bradley Class but my husband and I studied his books over and over again. The fantastic thing about his books is that he does an amazing job of explaining exactly what is going on with your body during the stages of labor and how to deal with them. Since his method has you completely relaxing every muscle in your body during the contractions, instead of fighting them like many women end up doing, I had plenty of energy after 4 days of labor to easily push out my bouncing boy. Again, educate!! If your husband/spouse is not a strong viable advocate then find yourself a midwife or at least a doula and stand your ground!

14. Anything else you’d like to add?

I can't wait for this book to come out, this American society needs to wake up and stop the unnecessary slicing and dicing of women. Childbirth is a natural, normal, cycle of life and needs to be treated that way.

Thanks for letting me stand on my soapbox for a while:).

1. Please give me your full name, how you want to be identified (full name, first name only, anon, etc.), your general location, number of children, number of cesareans, number of VBACs, anything else pertinent to your story.
I prefer Kim. I live in Idaho, but was born and raised in Texas, and had 4 of my six children there. I never had a c-section. It was never even considered for me. Four of the six were either induced or augmented. A nightmare unto itself. But still no drugs- natural otherwise.

2. Did (do) you ever believe that you might have a cesarean? When did you first think that a cesarean was a possibility for your birth? NA

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise? NA

4. If you had a cesarean, do you think you could have done anything to prevent it? NA

5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this? NA

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention? EDUCATE YOURSELF!

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean? Let the interventions begin- I think drugs have an effect, as does the propensity for hospitals to have mom lying on her back with moniters. These are not necessary...

8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...) NA

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories? Tell the person tha each birth is an individual experience and that you prefer not to hear stories that might cause you to expect a bad experience. FEAR is the cause of most problems.

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn? I was 18 and more or less alone when I had my first child. I was lucky to have a quick labor and delivery. I was not aware of choices, but I was too far along to get an epidural or anything by the time I reached the hospital. Although it was the 80's and I was subject to the whole enema, shaving, and episiotomy thing, my labor progressed naturally, and it was not a horrible experience. I knew what to expect with subsequent births, and I educated myself.

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.)

12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC?

13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here. The first 14 weeks or so are full of nausea and vomiting for me. After that, I experience a high unmatched by anything else (with the occasional mood swing). My advise is to be healthy, surround yourself with positive and healthy people, ask a lot of questions, and be prepared for anything. Stay active and educate yourself. Find a care provider who is open to questions and has a good base of knowledge about all aspects of pregnancy, childbirth, and post partum stuff. Stay connected to the earth, don't eschew spirituality- this is the most spiritual time in your life! Connect with loving people- find suport. Blessings!

14. Anything else you’d like to add?

Please send these questions with answers to me at: robin at robineliseweiss dot com

1. Please give me your full name, how you want to be identified (full name, first name only, anon, etc.), your general location, number of children, number of cesareans, number of VBACs, anything else pertinent to your story.
Please ID me as Charlotte. I live in NC and have one child born by cesarean. About a year before I became pregnant with my son I had an abdominal myomectomy to remove more than six pound of fibroid tumors from my uterus. Because of the extent of the damage caused by the fibroids and the scarring from the surgery and endometriosis I was told pregnancy was unlikely. Upon learning the docs were wrong I went back to UNC women's hospital (where the surgery was performed) for my prenatal care. I was told immediately that instead of their normal midwife led care that I would be seeing an OB and that ceasarean was inevitable. I researched and argued and got other doctors opinions (one wanted me to terminate)but the risk of rupture was just too great. I talked to another who wanted to deliver my son at 35 weeks because it fit HER schedule better. I am so lucky to have had a doc willing to listen to my concerns and show me exactly what the damage to my uterus was and how labor and delivery could result in a bad outcome for me and my baby. I was sad. I still am. I often think about how things should have been different. But I know that I made the best, well informed choice for my son.

2. Did (do) you ever believe that you might have a cesarean? When did you first think that a cesarean was a possibility for your birth? Answered above

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise?
From the beginning. We met with a midwife first as is the common practice at that hospital and she couldn't hand us off fast enough.

4. If you had a cesarean, do you think you could have done anything to prevent it?
I wish. Maybe if I had found adequate treatment for my fibroids before they became so large and necrotic... Who knows.

5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this?
Yes since he was delivered 4 weeks early he was skinny and sleepy and quite cold. he spent two hours under the heat lamps in the NICU. I was and still am so sorry. If I had been able to hold him sooner and more lucid when I did, I would have remembered to unwrap him and hold him close to my skin and try to nurse.

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention?
Sometimes they are truly necessary but that is rare. If you have one don;t beat yourself up or let anyone do it for you.

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean?
Don't ask questions. Don't read and be informed about your own care. Trust the doctors and nurses completely. Think of them as more thatn human. Then you can be sure to have an induction or c-section and never know what hit you.

8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...)
Sure, but it was just not an option. However, with the miraculous healing that occurred within my uterus according to my OB, a VBAC may be an option next time if we wait around 3 years before becoming pregnant again. if it is that is definately the way to go. I would like to try home birth but I don't expect to be able to.

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories?
"Just pretend it is a buffet take what you need and leave the rest."

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn?
Reading and watching stories of non-american birth processes. Learning (maybe remembering) that there is no real need to strap a healthy mother child combo down and cut us up to complete a completely natural process

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.)

12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC?

13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here. It was great. A true miracle. I felt better than ever before. I can't wait to do it again. Well, sometime after my first finally weans himself. :)

14. Anything else you’d like to add?

1.
Vicki - Minnesota - 3 live births (all C-section), 4 miscarriages, currently pregnant.

2.
Didn't think it would happen, although I was prepared for it through reading and birth-prep class.

3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise? The possibility was first brought up at 35 weeks pregnant, as baby was breech, but our attempt at external version was successful, so the C-section talk was tabled for the time being. At full term, my labor lasted 36 hours. After about 30 hours, it was mentioned that C-section might be needed because I wasn't progressing. After each time it was mentioned, I just happened to progress, so they kept postponing. Once dilated to 9.5, they had me pushing and pushing and nothing was happening, and baby was in distress, so C-section was performed.

4.
I had many interventions because my labor "wasn't progressing"...they broke my water, had me on pitocin, and I had an epidural. At the time I was unopposed to these interventions, but have learned over the past five years how they may have contributed to the C-sections. I also know that my state of mind played much in the decision to allow interventions and the C-section. We had experienced infertility and miscarriages prior to this first live birth, and I was at that point willing to do anything to have my baby in my arms. I believe, of all other things, that mindset played the biggest role. With my second C-sec, we had attempted VBAC but had surgery after only 8 hours of labor due to severe issues with baby...that one turned out to be a life saver for my 3 year old, as the umbilical cord was tearing away from the placenta. My third C-sec was planned, as the risks of rupture were too high to justify labor.

5. If you had a cesarean, did you or your baby experience complications? If yes, which ones and how did you feel about this?

The only complication I had was on my second C-sec, and it was a "spinal headache" due to to the epidural. It was easily reversed with what they called a "blood patch" on the day it was diagnosed, my third day post-partum.

6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention?

Just to really understand what reasons justify a C-section. I look back and wonder if my first live birth should have been a surgical delivery. I know that C-section was needed for the second, but now all of my births must be surgical.

7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean?

I guess in my case it was to have wanted the baby so badly that I was willing to do anything, anything, anything to hold her in my arms.

8. Did you try to prevent a cesarean? If so, how? (Did you switch doctors or midwives? Did you pay out of pocket for a homebirth? Did you stay home longer than you normally would have? Hire a doula? Stuff like that...)

I did not actively try to prevent a C-section.

9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories?

Just know that there are always some people who just want to tell big stories...whether it's about birth or anything. Birth stories just happen to be something that nearly half of the population has personal experience with.

10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn?

11. If you have had a VBAC, what resistance did you have? (If any.)

My OB was very open to VBAC. We attempted it with my second live birth, but had to do a C-section that was very much needed.

12. What is the hardest part of having a VBAC?

13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here.

14. Anything else you’d like to add?

There's not a lot of information out there about the number of C-sections a woman can safely have in her lifetime. I have struggled with finding that information both on my own and through physicians. When I asked my former OB about what would be safe (I was at the time close to delivering my third child), he began to talk of why I should want to limit my family size to 2 or 3 kids, because they have so many activities...definitely not a medical opinion. He also stated that the most any woman had in his practice was eight, and that "no one wanted to touch her." Wierd. My current OB, who is pro-life and pro-family, has assured me that I am doing well in this pregnancy, and after baby is born I can likely carry another pregnancy, if that is what happens. I also know that something could happen between now and then to affect my ability to carry another pregnancy, but at least now I have a physician who will give me an honest medical opinion.

1.
Wendy, Connecticut, 1 child, natural birth, 3 miscarri