Will a doula be any service to me?

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I am 12 1/2 weeks preg. and was told by my ob/gyn that I will not have the choice of having my 2nd child vbac, because my 1st born was c-sec. The reason is because the CEO or our hospital made this choice for us. So many of the doctors are informing the woman that if they wish to have their child born v-bac they can drive to other hospitals that are at least an hour away. My doctor told me if I am able to get to 8 they would have no choice but to let me deliver vbac. I am very upset. My question to you is, I truly want to try and have this baby v-bac would a doula be any service to me.

-- Kim Jones (klmezei@aol.com), June 21, 2000

Answers

Having a doula is a great service to ALL labouring/pregnant women!! Having a VBAC is YOUR choice and it's not fair that you already have this added stress so early in your preganancy. Is your local hospital's policy "Once a c-sec, always a c-sec" or is there a medically indicated reason for you NOT to try a VBAC? (i.e. type of incision from your previous birth). Does the hospital not have the adequate requirements to handle an emergency c-sec? Your doctor says if you get to 8cm that they would "let you deliver".....(right off the bat it sounds like they are taking control of your body). Does that also mean that if you want to deliver locally you shouldn't show up at the hospital until you are 8cm?? I'm sorry if I'm sounding sarcastic but you do have the choice of going elsewhere where they welcome VBACs. I live in a town where women have NO choice BUT to drive at least an hour to a hospital to deliver.

I guess the other question I would ask is what was the reason for your C-section? For example, if "failure to progress" is a diagnosis, sometimes that can mean that a woman's body is taking longer to labour than the caregiver/hospital staff would prefer. Medications, especially epidurals, can slow down labour and/or cause further interventions,etc. Position changes, walking, etc help speed up labour, helps decrease pain.

I could go on and on, but to answer your question - yes, you should definitely seek out the services of a doula, read books/info on VBAC and ask more questions of your doctor. A doula can help you get PAST the point in labour at which last time they told you a Cesarian was required. A doula can come to your home and help you labour there before going to hospital. A doula can help you have the birth experience YOU want.

Check out just a few of the many websites that are childbirth/doula related: dona.com, icea.org, alace.org(?), childbirth.org. You will find info on VBACS and locating a doula in your area.

Hope this helps

Joanna

-- Joanna Nicholson (doula2nb@hotmail.com), June 22, 2000.


Hi. I was just wanting to add my two cents worth here. You have probably delivered but maybe this would be helpful to others who are looking for answers.

My personal opinion is to find another doctor or better yet, look into getting a midwife. I had one for the birth of my son and would never consider having a dr. for a birth. Keep in mind that this is my opinion but I think that midwives tend to be much more empathetic to pregnant women. They don't tend to look at women in the same way that your dr seems to.

Birth is not an illness. Birth is the brining forth of life into the world. I hope you had a wonderful delivery.

-- Amy Stevenson-Ness (blissfulbeginnings@doula.com), December 06, 2000.


I am responding to the article from Kim Jones. What a coincidence I am also 12 weeks pregnant and was also told the same from my doctor that I will have to deliver ceserean. This angers me to the point where I will probably not have my baby at my local hospital. I feel violated, and my rights obviously have been taken into others' hands. I have read plenty on Vbac and was always told that it is much better for mother and baby and now since my hospital has changed thier policy on this matter my doctor is now saying that it is much safer for me to have a cesarean. Do they think they can push us into what is more convenient for them? Also, this is not a situation that any woman should ever have stress over, this is my body and I will do what God intended birth to be not what doctors say because they may be scared of lawsuits. What is healthcare coming to? I also want to have my baby vbac. My first child was born cesarean because I was noted as "failure to progress". If their is a medical reason that comes later on in my pregnancy that puts my baby or myself at risk, then I agree that their are benefits to having cesareans. My main question to you is thier new evidence that vbacs should not be performed or is it politics?

Thank you Jamie Brown

-- Jamie Brown (court1@citlink.net), February 24, 2002.


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