27 | Vanessa's accidental homebirth following an emergency caesarean after induction; PROM, Private Hospital, High BMI, Doula, GP-shared care, Public Hospital

VBAC Birth Stories

Welcome to Season 2 of VBAC Birth Stories! In this our first episode of 2021 we hear from Vanessa, a Brisbane mum of two who had an accidental homebirth with her VBAC baby.

Vanessa’s first pregnancy was textbook all the way through and when her waters began to leak at 38 weeks she headed straight into hospital to be assessed, and it was then she was told she would be induced the following morning. Vanessa, like many first time mums we speak to, did not know at the time that she could have declined and was not given any other option other than to admit herself into the hospital that night. After her caesarean she experienced the baby blues in a bad way, but didn’t get assessed to see if it was possibly post natal depression. She was grateful to still be able to breastfeed although it wasn’t any easy start for her.

Vanessa honestly recounts her treatment in this hospital, which may be triggering for some our listeners, but an important listen, especially for our healthcare professionals to understand the potential impact of their actions and words on birthing women.

After experiencing an early miscarriage Vanessa fell pregnant with her son and she knew by this time she wanted to do things differently. She hired a doula for starters and joined the VBAC Australia Support Group to get informed about birth. She was told early on she would need to take two Gestational Diabetes tests because of her BMI, which made her question a few things. This pregnancy although also textbook Vanessa did need to advocate for herself particularly towards the end stages and she did this brilliantly. Vanessa had her hospital birth game plan all figured out, but little did she know her body and her baby had made plans of their own…

~ Notes ~

Doula & Birth Photographer: https://www.brisbanebirthphotography.com.au/welcome/

VBAC Australia Support Group (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=vbac%20australia%20support%20group

Post Natal Depression/Anxiety support: If you or anyone you know is affected by PND symptoms particularly at this time of COVID-19 please don't hesitate to contact the following support networks.

The Gidget Foundation

https://gidgetfoundation.org.au/get-support/,

PANDA

https://www.panda.org.au/info-support/pandas-national-perinatal-anxiety-depression-helpline

Beyond Blue

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/get-immediate-support

Cope

https://www.cope.org.au

Pregnancy Loss:

https://www.bearsofhope.org.au

https://rednosegriefandloss.org.au

https://miscarriagesupport.org.au

**VBAC Birth Stories features women's lived experiences. It is not intended to replace medical advice. Should you have any concerns during your pregnancy please always consult your healthcare provider.

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