VBAC Inspiration
Lately, I’ve been collecting VBAC birth stories and anecdotes that speak to me on some level, and I’d like to share some of them here.
My new celebrity VBAC hero: Kate Winslet
I’ve always really liked Kate Winslet; she seems very down-to-earth and funny and normal. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that she had a very healing VBAC for her second child!
There’s this thing amongst women in the world that if you can handle childbirth, you can handle anything. I had never handled childbirth, and I felt like, in some way that I couldn’t join that “powerful women’s club.” So it was an amazing feeling having Joe naturally, vaginally. […] It was an incredible birth. It laid all the ghosts to rest. It was really triumphant.
-Kate Winslet
Birth Story: Accidental UHBAC (Unassisted Homebirth After Cesarean)
This birth story is great. (Plus, the picture of that baby’s chubby little face up top is great too.) This lady birthed her baby into her husband’s arms, in her kitchen, after her labor went much quicker than she expected and her midwife and doula weren’t able to make it in time. She used hypnobirthing techniques during her labor, which is something I’m interested in checking out, and her description of her postpartum experience is so sweet – she felt great, and her family got to come over to meet the baby!
At that point I really wasn’t in too much pain. I didn’t really feel anything other than a baby’s head just hanging out. It was obvious my body was in control and I was just along for the ride. I attribute being a birth story junkie to knowing what to do, since it’s not like I had previous practice.
Her tone is really conversational, and I’d say her story is probably my favorite of the ones I’ve found.
Empowering Hospital VBAC
I like that this birth story shows it’s possible to have a really great hospital experience. I kind of feel like positive hospital VBACs are few and far between, so it’s nice to read of one that went really well for both mom and baby.
I couldn’t believe it: I pushed her out. Not only was I in awe of my newest daughter but I was in awe of myself. I was so happy and I kept saying “I can’t believe I pushed her out!”
Obviously not all VBACs are sunshine and butterflies, but I really enjoy reading positive accounts of women’s experiences, as they help me envision all the different ways a birth can go and still be a positive experience.
1 Comment
I know it’s not even remotely the same because I didn’t have a c-sec but it wasn’t until I was pregnant with Oliver that I realised there were parts of Isabel’s birth that actually.. weren’t OK. Too rambly to get into here, but mostly being left alone so much as a first timer, the constant change of midwife, and the after treatment. Oliver’s birth, despite the scary bit with the whole cord-round-neck thing, was very (to steal a word used above..) “healing” in that respect.