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The VBAC Companion

The Expectant Mother's Guide to Vaginal Birth After Cesarean

By Diana Korte

• I believe in myself and my body.
• My body is always strong and capable.
• I will give birth vaginally with effort, but also with joy.
• I see myself easily getting past where I was stuck in my last labor.
• I enjoy watching my baby start down the birth canal into my waiting arms.

Look for the professionals who offer what you want, instead of trying to fit what you want into what they do. This is true whether you want a high-tech pregnancy and birth or whether you're looking for a midwife to assist you with unmedicated childbirth. As you interview possible doctors and midwives, eliminate the people who you know will not give you what you want. Remember, you're looking for cooperation and enthusiasm, not reluctance.

If some of the healthcare providers you interview tell you that your ideas are unsafe or unnecessary, isn't it better to determine their attitude early while you can still change doctors more easily? When calling hospitals, ask about everything on your birth plan list. Don't assume that if you're breastfeeding, they won't offer your baby formula in the nursery. Don't take for granted that if they have a Jacuzzi for laboring women to help relieve labor pain, it will be available to you. Ask first.

I started with a big upscale OB practice with seven OBs and, as I found out, seven different opinions on how to treat a VBAC. One doctor said external monitoring was fine; another wanted an internal pressure catheter, et cetera. At 32 weeks, I finally got the nerve to investigate the other OB practices available through our HMO. I actually interviewed the doctors about their VBAC procedures, quite a change from my "trust your doctor" mindset in my first pregnancy. I ended up switching to a "no-nonsense" HMO group -- no fancy examining rooms, no classical music piped into the waiting room. They all knew me as the lady who wants a natural childbirth. But they gave me respect and treated me as an educated adult who wanted to be an active participant in her birth experience. I spoke to all four OBs in the group about my birth plan, brought my doula with me to an appointment with the doctor I was least comfortable with, and took a proactive role in my pregnancy.