The reason for your previous cesarean delivery is not the same as why another woman has had one. There are many reasons why a birth ends with a surgical delivery. You now want to attempt a vaginal birth after a cesarean or VBAC.
A vaginal birth after a cesarean delivery (vbac) is a hot topic of political debate between obstetricians and pregnant woman. You also might have very emotional reasons why you want to have a vaginal birth. Whether you feel supported in your decision and hope to have a vaginal birth or not, there is a great deal that you can do for yourself.
There is no doubt there is lots of support for your decision by other women who have had a vbac. There is also two important things that is rarely discussed about vbacs. The first consideration is knowing that if you believe another cesarean delivery is the right or safe thing to do, you can still enjoy preparing for the birth of your child and use birth skills during the surgery and recovery.
The other important thing to know is that preparing your body for giving birth is vitally important in your goal to have a vbac. However, this can also lead for feeling positive about the birth if it is another cesarean delivery. Birth is birth. You, your partner and child are having a very unique experience and all births should be positive experiences.
By learning very specific breathing and relaxation skills that can be used in both labours/births and non-labour/cesareans will heal a lot of the shame, blame and guilt surrounding birth today.
Whether you will labour then give birth vaginally, labour and have a surgical delivery or have a non-labouring cesarean birth your pregnant body is preparing to give birth. One hundred percent of pregnant women will give birth. How we give birth can hugely be influenced by the skills we bring to that birth experience.
Giving birth is not a noun or inaction even in a surgical procedure unless you are unconscious. Giving birth is something to be prepared for doing. This is all about learning birth skills and preparing your pregnant body to give birth.
Giving birth is an action you and your baby. Your baby has to come out of your body. Your body is a container or vessel for your baby. It’s important that this container be prepared to liberate a large object. There are ways to prepare your body during pregnancy to do this that are based on what we all share in common … our birthing body.
We can learn how to keep our inside soft tissue relaxed, how to keep the bony pelvis mobile and how to prepare the exit so it opens. This can be done during pregnancy no matter what birth will eventuate. By preparing our birthing body we get to enjoy the experience, take charge of the changes toward giving birth our body is making and to feel more involved with the process. Preparing our birthing body also gives us more confidence.
Learning birth skills such as Directed Breathing, the Pelvic Clock or Deep Touch Relaxation not only grows that confidence, the skills become applicable for the job of giving birth. You are much more likely to know that unless there are medical reasons affecting you or your baby that you will be able to achieve a vaginal birth after a cesarean.
Keep in mind that childbirth is called ‘labour’ because it’s hard work. When you have learned the appropriate skills to do the hard work then you are more likely to accomplish the task. This is particularly true when you have prepared your container for the task ahead.
During the ‘doing’ of birth you can then work with your baby’s efforts to be born particularly when the work gets harder and more painful. Having a vaginal delivery after a cesarean is a working event, not an outcome. And if you have another cesarean you can still use these skills, having enjoyed preparing your birthing body and have a positive birth.
No matter how you give birth, it is an action word and when you take your birthing skills and use them throughout the whole experience then you will feel like you’ve had a natural birth experience rather than having things happen to you.