VBAC SUPPORT

well said misses mom... i was with marijke yesterday and she told me Rikki ws the one who almost had her hand broken and she was the one to care and guide her and keep her calm. her midwife, was always there though.

if i have have another baby, i will have a vba2c, and will def make use of a doula.

marijke... love you lots my friend and you are such an inspiration! you are the first real-life person i know to have a vbac.

sma - shame. your story really made me tearful. i am so very sorry that you had to go through that. i look up to your strength and i wish you all the very best for this baby you are carrying. please keep us posted on how everything is going.

kiewiet, looking forward to reading your story too.

lots of love xxxx

Wanna - just want to say, that Marikjie had a lovely caring supportive midwife - but her midwife couldnt be the one to sit and let her hands be sqeezes to death while pushing, she couldnt be there the entire time, and sometimes husbands feel a bit like they cant do anything right and get flustered. Hense the need for a doula. While a midwife is delivering the baby, at least someone is totally focuses on the moms needs.

Hi sorry but I have to comment on this ... a true midwife ( independent not an obstetric nurse working in a private clinic) DOES provide loving caring support to her clients , their partners - which is why most women who have chosen to birth with an independent midwife don't feel the need for a doula as well .

I'm thinking.... In a way, this will be my 2nd VBAC ...

1st pregnancy - At exactly 40 weeks, 19 Dec 2010, woke up with contractions, laboured nicely all day, got to 10 cm, started pushing, was stopped, "emergency" c-section around 17h30..

2nd pregnancy - Around 21 weeks, at the mall, BH get too strong and frequent, but not painful, dismiss it, get home around 7, BH stop, horrible back pain starts, can't sleep, wake up after midnight, pain still bad, stay in the tub the whole night with the back pain, not clicking that I'm actually in labour. Woke my husband up around 4h30 am, by now can only be on my knees, takes time to get to the car. Fortunately my older son, who's 15 months at the time, normally wakes up when we wake up to go to work, so he wakes up fine, I try to hide it from him as best as I could, he doesn't really catch on that mommy is in labour. We all get in the car, husband had to quickly pack his bag. Got stupid restricting medical aid, had to drive 45 minutes to their hospital, in the car I'm in the back with my son and he's chatting away, I'm trying to smile in between the back pains. After like 20 minutes, still 15 minutes away from hospital, my water breaks....sweet relief....I've accepted I'm miscarrying and God just gives me strenght to let it be. Joke with my son, also just to help husband breathe behind the steering wheel, he's totally in shock, worse than me. After a short break, back pains again, in a short while a bbbbrrrrr and baby slides out... My son didn't see a thing, it was still dark, and I tried to act normal. We get to hospital, placenta not there yet, then they start their normal interfererring!!!! Doctor on call about to knock off, makes me lie on my back, presses on my stomach, gosh someone give me a gun!!! Placenta is delivered. Glad everything came out by itself before they rushed me to theatre. My son was playing with the nurses, after all was delivered, hubby went to drop him off with friends, was around 6h30 am at this time. Hubby comes back, I'm not in pain at all...somehow....I attribute that to not being messed with, almost not at least... Then we just cry and cry and cry and cry. Saw our baby boy, he was perfect. They couldn't figure out what's wrong with me, nothing wrong with him also.... So after a few weeks Dr assumed I have an incompetent cervix...hence the stitch I have with this pregnancy....

So transferred to the ward, am so hungry, starting to be able to smile now, I can't be like rude to people regardless of what I'm going through hey, so I joke with the nurses and everything. I think they thought the baby has died but still in me, cos they refused to give me food, thought I was going to theatre. So Dr comes to check on me, they ask him, and he's like no everything came out naturally and they are shocked, guess they are not used to natural miscarriage. Somehow I didn't have pains after the labour, guess cos he was still around 500g and I did dilate well. Just had to take pills to dry up my boobs and went home the following morning.

So I guess in a way I have already delivered naturally after the c-section... I decided to take that part as a gift from my 2nd son....he helped mommy believe that she is how God made her... And hey, I will see him in heaven and spend all eternity with him....

3rd pregnancy - current... it's a girl.....32 weeks today....Macdonald cerclage put in at 18 weeks...seeing a midwfe....delivering naturally at Genesis...EDD 11 Jan...Feeling like I'm gonna explode already, and looking like it, but liking how people move out of my way

Congrats Marijke!!!!!!!

Hasie I'm seeing my midwife today. Let me first ask her cos from what I've heard the midwives at Genesis normally have "assistants", and even if they don't they are only focusing on the physical and medical side, they are actually amazing with love and support. Also let me consult my husband before I go making plans

It's so inspiring when the ladies here achieve their VBACs... Can't wait for the stories..

Thanks for letting us know MM!! And a huge congratulations to Marijke!!!!!

Kiewiet, I look forward to reading the full story!!

Wow you ladies are amazing, so many successful VBACs!

Widget, to answer your question about why you would need a doula if you have a midwife:

Doula is a NON medical support person, trained to support emotionally, physically and help dad to support mom as well. The midwife looks after the medical physical side, not the loving caring side. A doula's job is much harder in a hospital setting as they kind of have to "fight" for the mom, and do this without upsetting the staff or else they would get kicked out! But with a midwife birth, support is still needed. A doula lowers your experience of pain, your need for intervention, your need for pain relief etc. The benefits are huge.

But if there is some medical issue, the doula doesn't step in and make decisions for the mom, but she helps the mom ask the right questions so that the mom understands better why what needs to be done and is more part of the process.

Hope that shed's some light on it?

Ahh congratulations Marijke en Kiewiet!!!