Empowering VBAC at home
E contacted me early in her pregnancy when she was looking into options of care for her second baby. E experienced a traumatic birth with her first baby overseas, pressured into an induction at 41+ weeks during lockdown which resulted in an emergency c.section and endured a lot of birth trauma due to this.
E was determined to have a better experience this time around, so much so that she moved back to the UK for independent midwifery support and was planning a VBAC at home in her gorgeous rental cottage in rural Northumberland.
Virtual support was offered regularly until
E moved back to the UK at 32 weeks where birth preparations began & E also sought the support of an amazing Doula in Northumberland, Jessica Ord (Positively Pregnant), who brought so much incredible support, wisdom and experience into the birth team. I felt honoured to work alongside Jess. E was also supported by another incredible Independent Midwife in the North East, Sarah Forster (The Indie Midwife).
E was booked with a nearby obstetric unit in the event a transfer in labour was required or home birth was no longer advisable or E’s choice, here she had a clinic appointment with a consultant who spent the entire consultation telling E about the risks of VBAC, how incredibly painful and dangerous uterine rupture is and that he didn’t support her choice of birthing at home.
E was already well informed of the extremely small risk of uterine rupture and what the evidence and guidance stated, so was prepared for this information from the consultant, however was still left feeling disheartened and upset at how insensitive, negative and disempowering he was. Luckily E had an incredible birth team behind her who supported her wishes.
E went into spontaneous labour at home and endured a long, hard, tiring back to back labour lasting over 2 days. Lots of support, encouragement, reassurance, love and care was given during this time from her birth team and positional changes, spinning babies techniques, massage, going for walks, rest, eating and drinking were all encouraged.
The environment was incredible, so homely, welcoming, comforting and warm. Fairy lights strung around the room with the birth pool set up, with the log burner roaring away. So much oxytocin and love was in that room.
By tea time of the second day E was physically and emotionally exhausted. Contractions had slowed down from the previous evening and were around 1 in 20 at this time. After a lengthy discussion about options and reassurance given, it was decided that I would go home to get some rest and await for contractions to become more regular again and wait to be called back and E was going to try and have some rest also and for her and her partner to have some alone time.
A while later, whilst having a bath to ease back pain E experienced a sudden increase in contraction intensity and quickly began to experience rectal pressure with urges to push. Soon after E gave birth to her beautiful baby girl at home at 40+5 on the bathroom floor with her partner & Jess present and before I could make it back! After a long latent and 1st stage of labour, 2nd stage crept up and was over so quick before E even had time to process what was happening.
Just like labour, the 3rd stage was long too. E went into the bathroom to be alone when she felt ready to let go, where she eventually gave birth to her placenta.
Sometimes the 3rd stage of labour can take a while, it isn’t always over within a few minutes & in the absence of any concerns, this is normal for some. Hormones, emotional, psychological and physical state and the environment can all influence this stage. For E, there were signs that her placenta had separated a while before it was passed, she felt well, she simply was not ready. Birthing your placenta is such a significant and final part of your birthing journey and just like in labour and birth, the body and mind will work in harmony to do the physiological stuff that is required for birth to happen. Sometimes this is on your terms and in your time when you have made that mental switch and feel ready to let go. Undisturbed and unobserved.
We’ve discussed at length her labour and birth and we feel that it happened exactly how it was supposed to. E had to let go of a lot of fear and trauma and when she was undisturbed and unobserved her body did what it needed to do.
E was absolutely incredible, her strength, determination, resilience, ability and trust in her body that she demonstrated throughout the whole marathon event was just awe inspiring with endless love and support from her also incredible partner.
This is what care outside of the NHS can look like. A pregnancy journey that you choose. Birth on your terms. A team you choose who align with you and will bring a wealth of experience, expertise and knowledge of physiological birth and will help empower you, advocate for you, hold you and support your birth preferences that may be “out of guidance”.
