My Attraction (HomeBirth After 3 c-sections) HBA3C. A story of healing ♥

Study: Two-Thirds of OB-GYN Clinical Guidelines Have No Basis in Science

Majority of ACOG Recommendations for Patient Care Found to Be Based on Opinion and Inconsistent Evidence

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 15, 2011)—A study published this month in Obstetrics & Gynecology, the journal of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, found that barely one-third of the organization’s clinical guidelines for OB/GYN practice meet the Level A standard of “good and consistent scientific evidence.” The authors of the study found instead that the majority of ACOG recommendations for patient care rank at Levels B and C, based on research that relies on “limited or inconsistent evidence” and on “expert opinion,” both of which are known to be inadequate predictors of safety or efficacy.

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Cesarean vs. VBAC: A Dramatic Difference

Cesarean vs. VBAC: A Dramatic Difference from Alexandra Orchard on Vimeo.

My VBAC Success Story I ignored my doctor to have the birth I wanted

By Jana Llewellyn | September 27, 2011

I ignored my doctor to have the birth I wanted

When I was pregnant with my son in 2007, I read articles, listened to radio broadcasts, and watched TV shows that all reported the alarming rate of C-sections. Since my pregnancy had been without complications up to that point, I assumed this wasn’t something I had to worry about. I was more interested in the increasing popularity of natural birth.

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Bringing Back the VBAC

Vaginal births after Cesarean (VBACs) are an important part of the question surrounding the rising Cesarean rate in the US. While many organizations support access to VBACs, they are still elusive for many women. Transforming Maternity Care published an article by Amy Romano on Monday that begins:

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Special maternity clinic leads to hike in natural births at Norfolk trust

14 September, 2011 | By Jo Stephenson

A specialist clinic at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital has led to a big increase in the number of women choosing natural childbirth having previously had a caesarean section.

The Birth After Caesarean clinic was set up at the Norwich-based hospital by consultant obstetrician Fran Harlow with two specialist midwives.

The number of women opting for a normal delivery after a C section has gone up from 40% to 68% since the clinic launched in May 2010.

The percentage who went on to have a natural birth has also increased from 64% to 73%.

Ms Harlow said often women were not aware that normal birth was possible after a C section.

“It is important the women are allowed to make informed individual choices and if a woman does want to have another caesarean section then that’s fine,” she said.

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Vaginal Birth a Safe Option After Multiple C-Sections

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Very few, if any, obstetric topics have raised more discussion and controversy in the past several years than VBAC, or vaginal birth after cesarean section. Most studies on this subject have come from small, single institutions or have relied on birth certificate data with all of its inherent inaccuracies.

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Mom defies doctor, has baby her way

Mom defies doctor, has baby her way

By Elizabeth Cohen, Senior Medical Correspondent

December 16, 2010 1:28 p.m. EST

Aneka gave birth to a healthy boy this month at home, after she had given birth to three children through Cesarean section.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Aneka decided to give birth vaginally after having C-sections
• She was told her actions were irresponsible and that she could die
• Vaginal births after cesarean sections pose some risk, but so does having another cesarean

(CNN) -- On Thursday, December 2, as Aneka sat at home nine months pregnant, the phone rang.

It was her obstetrician wanting to know where the heck she was. Did Aneka forget that today was the day for her cesarean section? How could she have forgotten?

No, Aneka hadn't forgotten. She hadn't shown up intentionally.

"She told me, 'You're being irresponsible. Your baby could die. You could die,'" Aneka recalls. Then the doctor hung up.

To read the entire article please click here: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/12/16/ep.vbac.birth.at.home/index.html?hpt=C1

Women need chance to avoid 2nd C-section

Associated Press
updated 2:30 p.m. MT, Wed., March. 10, 2010

Panel: Many hospital policies deny patients choice

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

WASHINGTON - Too many pregnant women who want to avoid a repeat cesarean delivery are being denied the chance, concludes a government panel that urged doctors to rethink litigation-spurred policies that have swung the pendulum back toward the days of "once a C-section, always a C-section."

Fifteen years ago, nearly 3 in 10 women who had a first C-section were able to deliver their next baby vaginally, a trend called VBAC for "vaginal birth after cesarean."

My Journey to a VBAC

Posted by Kim:

One of my amazing friends on Facebook posted this video and I thought it was fantastic and wanted to share it with you. What an inspirational story of a woman who used her first birth experience to charge the outcomes of many other women's birth experience. It is not only inspirational that she was able to complete a VBAC, but in fact it was amazing that she had the courage and passion to become a doula, birth educator, lactation consultant, midwife and finally the mother of a natural birth. What a blessing.......

My Journey to a VBAC from Lindsey Meehleis on Vimeo.