VBAC Birth Stories

In this episode we speak to Adelaide mum of two Rosalie about her two births. Rosalie underwent IVF and speaks about the unique challenges women in same sex relationships face when dealing with healthcare.  Her first birth was an emergency caesarean which followed an induction for having a macrocosmic baby and being post-dates. Rosalie was very well educated about birth and was planning a public hospital funded homebirth before she was 'risked out.' She knew about the cascade of intervention yet she was coerced into a procedure that she did not want. This coercion was the catalyst for her birth trauma and PTSD. In her next pregnancy Rosalie hired a private midwife and a doula to give herself the best chance of having a physiological birth at home...but once labour was underway she knew on an intuitive level that there would be a curveball right at the end. Rosalie shares a wealth of knowledge about birth in this episode which is important listening for anyone who wants to give birth. A must listen for anyone working in maternity too, to understand the ways they can support mothers and prevent birth trauma from occurring to 1 in 3 women, and the 1 in 10 Australian women who are diagnosed with PTSD following their births. Episode Sponsor: Miim KidsFeatures of the small and lightweight Miim Kids sleep aid & feeding light include:Portable for 12+ hoursWhite Noise (4 safe volume levels)Pink Noise (4 safe volume levels)Red LED light Therapy (4 brightness levels)Wireless Bluetooth connection (play any music you like, straight from your phone)White LED torch light (4 brightness levels)30min, 60min, and continuous loopMeditation & Relaxation Sounds (4 volume levels)Learn more about Miim Kids through Instagram @miimkids or www.miimkids.comShop:15% discount code: VBAC15https://tinyurl.com/miimkids~ AFFILIATES ~Access discounts with our amazing affiliates:Birth Time film:20% DISCOUNT CODE: CICADA20https://www.birthtime.world/a/2147503775/Eb2KfvxtPartum Panties:10% DISCOUNT CODE: Vbacbirthstorieshttps://www.partumpanties.com.auThe Birth Store:10% DISCOUNT CODE: VBAChttps://thebirthstore.com.au/?ref=VBACA big thank you to our patrons for helping to bring this episode to you. Please consider supporting the podcast from as little as $2 a month. Your donations go toward the up-keeping costs of running the podcast and really help us to keep going with the pod.https://www.patreon.com/vbacbirthstories~ Notes ~Birth Preparation Course: Calmbirth www.calmbirth.com.auBook: Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passagewww.midwifethinking.comMidwife: @embracemidwifery on InstagramDoula: @brookehiltondoula on InstagramPsychologist: Heather Matter https://www.mtloftychiropractic.com.au/staff/heather-mattner/Optimal positions for pregnancy and birth: www.spinningbabies.com"Dimensions, not weight" Instagram reel by B from Core, Floor & Restore: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CftTT7Vj7XH/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=VBAC Australia Support Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/342851302473349Induction of Labour Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/inductionoflabour~ Birth Trauma & Post Natal Depression/Anxiety support ~ If this episode raises any concerns for you please don't hesitate to contact:The Gidget Foundationhttps: //gidgetfoundation.org.au/get-support/**VBAC Birth Stories features women's lived experiences. It is not intended to replace medical advice. Should you have any concerns during your pregnancy please always consult your healthcare provider.

Today we have the honour and pleasure of chatting to Hazel Keedle once again on the podcast. Hazel is a lecturer at Western Sydney University and midwifery researcher who has primarily focused on women’s experiences of vaginal birth after caesarean and is now a lead researcher in the Birth Experience Study- the largest study on women’s experiences of maternity care in Australia. Since we last spoke Hazel has completed her PhD and is now an author with her newly released book Birth After Caesarean: Your Journey to a Better Birth. We spoke to Hazel way back in Season 1 and you can find this interview by searching for our 7th episode. In this episode we cover:The inspiration for the book Birth After Caesarean: Your Journey to a Better Birth and what readers can expect to gain from reading itInteresting preliminary observations from data collected from The Birth Experience Study Survey which had almost 9000 respondentsFeminism and birth and the impact of social mediaImpact and importance of continuity of midwifery careEncouraging words of advice for midwives and student midwives navigating fragmented care in our Australian maternity system + much moreFollow Hazel at these locations:Instagram: @hazelkeedleFacebook: @VBACmatters https://www.facebook.com/VBACmattersTwitter: @HazelKeedleFor links to papers, events and more:https://linktr.ee/hazelkeedleBuy the book on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/vbac-bookStay tuned for a GIVEAWAY of Hazel's book Birth After Caesarean for VBAC Birth Stories listeners :) Be sure to be following the pod and Hazel on social media.Instagram: @vbacbirthstoriesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/vbacbirthstoriesAUSupport the podcast on Patreon:~ PATREON ~Please consider joining our Patreon if you are enjoying the podcast and would like to help support us by making a donation:https://www.patreon.com/vbacbirthstories~ AFFILIATES ~Access discounts with our amazing affiliates:Birth Time film:USE DISCOUNT CODE: CICADA20https://www.birthtime.world/a/2147503775/Eb2KfvxtPartum Panties:USE DISCOUNT CODE: Vbacbirthstorieshttps://www.partumpanties.com.auThe Birth Store:USE DISCOUNT CODE: VBAChttps://thebirthstore.com.au**VBAC Birth Stories features women's lived experiences. It is not intended to replace medical advice. Should you have any concerns during your pregnancy please always consult your healthcare provider.Please connect with us on Facebook or Instagram: @vbacbirthstories

In this episode we chat to Shelley, a mum of two from Adelaide. Shelley reached out to us shortly after having her baby because she wanted to share the unique circumstances surrounding her first birth and VBAC. Shelley lives with Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Genital, it is classified as a type of STI, and because of the stigma this carries Shelley could not find any stories from women who have navigated pregnancy and birth with this condition. It is estimated that three-quarters of Australian adults are infected with HSV1.Shelley talks about how her genital herpes affected the outcome of her first birth, and although a very empowering and positive caesarean she still held the desire to have a VBAC for next time. Unlike her first birth genital herpes didn't play a role in the outcome of her second birth, however being covid positive at the time her body went into labour certainly did. Shelley got covid twice during her VBAC pregnancy.Although her VBAC didn't go the way Shelley envisioned- there was intervention there- she felt in control the entire time due to the preparation she had done during her VBAC pregnancy. Shelley also shares how she had a positive breastfeeding journey with her second baby, which wasn't the case with her first baby.  A big thank you to our patrons for helping to bring this episode to you. Please consider supporting the podcast from as little as $2 a month. Your donations go toward the up-keeping costs of running the podcast and really help us to keep going x https://www.patreon.com/vbacbirthstories~ AFFILIATES ~Access discounts with our amazing affiliates:Birth Time film:DISCOUNT CODE: CICADA20https://www.birthtime.world/a/2147503775/Eb2KfvxtPartum Panties:DISCOUNT CODE: Vbacbirthstorieshttps://www.partumpanties.com.auThe Birth Store:DISCOUNT CODE: VBAChttps://thebirthstore.com.au/?ref=VBAC~ Notes ~Books:The Birth Map by Catherine BellBirth Skills by Juju Sundin with Sarah MurdochPregnancy Loss:Https://www.bearsofhope.org.auHttps://rednosegriefandloss.org.auHttps://miscarriagessupport.org.au**VBAC Birth Stories features women's lived experiences. It is not intended to replace medical advice. Should you have any concerns during your pregnancy please always consult your healthcare provider.Please connect with us on Facebook or Instagram: @vbacbirthstories

Amielia is a 21 year old Djab Wurrung woman and this week we would like to share her birth stories in celebration of NAIDOC week.Amielia only found out about the details of her indigenous ancestry when she was 12 and who her family were related to. She grew up learning about her cultural practices and a part of the disappointment in her first birth was the disconnect between these practices and the public hospital system. Later she would learn there was a program dedicated to indigenous women that she would seek to be a part of in her next pregnancy.When she first fell pregnant it was unexpected but despite this her partner vowed to support her no matter which path she took. She speaks about the lack of knowledge she had going into the pregnancy and how it felt going through her first pregnancy amid Covid lockdowns in Victoria.At 41 and 5 days, doctors suggested an induction which she agreed to. She had tested positive for Group B Strep. After what was deemed ‘failure to progress’ at 2cm dilation Amielia felt powerless and agreed to an emergency caesarean after her baby’s heart rate started to show signs of distress.After this experience Amielia did not want to be induced again. She hired a student doula and ended up experiencing the vaginal birth she always wanted at almost 43 weeks. Due to her baby passing meconium in her womb she agreed to have her baby tested for infection and tells us how her baby ended up staying in hospital for 5 days and what that experience was like for her.Thank you Amielia for sharing your VBAC journey with us.NAIDOC week: https://www.naidoc.org.au~ PATREON ~Please consider joining our Patreon if you are enjoying the podcast and would like to help support us by making a donation:https://www.patreon.com/vbacbirthstories~ AFFILIATES ~Access discounts with our amazing affiliates:Birth Time film (20%):USE DISCOUNT CODE: CICADA20https://www.birthtime.world/a/2147503775/Eb2KfvxtPartum Panties (10%):USE DISCOUNT CODE: Vbacbirthstorieshttps://www.partumpanties.com.auThe Birth Store: TENS Machine hire and more (10%):https://www.thebirthstore.com.au/?ref=VBAC~ Notes ~Doula: Courtneyhttps://beyondbirthcollective.com.auInstagram of womb specialist: @rosewomb_xVBAC Australia Support Group (Facebook):https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=vbac%20australia%20support%20groupPerinatal Depression & Post Natal Depression/Anxiety support: If you or anyone you know is affected by PND symptoms please don't hesitate to contact the following support networks.The Gidget Foundationhttps://gidgetfoundation.org.au/get-support/,PANDAhttps://www.panda.org.au/info-support/pandas-national-perinatal-anxiety-depression-helplineBeyond Bluehttps://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/get-immediate-supportCopehttps://www.cope.org.au**VBAC Birth Stories features women's lived experiences. It is not intended to replace medical advice. Should you have any concerns during your pregnancy please always consult your healthcare provider.Please connect with us on Facebook or Instagram: @vba