10: Empower yourself

Educate yourself on all the choices and decide what fits you best. Think through how you envision your birth going. What will it take to make this your ideal birth? Then use your support network to stick to those choices. You can say no. You can ask questions. You can ask for a second opinion. All of these things are within your rights as a patient. Some people may feel uncomfortable going against their doctor’s suggestions, but by empowering yourself with the information you can have the educated discussion with your provider about your choices and wishes and decide together the best course of action. 

9: Take an out of hospital birth class 

Hospital courses are nice, but they will only teach you the policies for that specific hospital. There are many other possibilities available to a laboring mother that you can learn from an out of hospital class to enhance your birth experience. Class options vary from Bradley, Birthing from Within, Lamaze, Hypnobabies, Hypnobirthing, Birth Boot Camp, and a variety of private classes with great information. There is no one-size-fits all for a birth class so choose the method that makes the most sense for you and your partner and you will be able to maintain through labor and deliver.

8: Create your Birth Bubble

Negativity can have play a large part in your birth. Take some time and think about the people you find support you in your birth decisions. This can be difficult when you want a specific person to be part of your labor and birth, but find they undermine or belittle your choices. These are not the people you want in your birth space. Find the people who share you beliefs, who constantly give you praise, hope, love and support. Those are the people you want in your ‘bubble’. Share with them your feelings about other people and have them help you keep your ‘bubble’ intact and positive. That may be giving a negative person an errand to run for you or other ways to keep them included but not involved.

7: Talk to your Provider

You will want to interview any providers to ask those tough questions: What is your cesarean rate? What is your induction rate? Are you comfortable with me going to (or past) 42 weeks in this pregnancy? Who will attend my birth if you are unavailable? How do you feel about laboring or birthing in different positions? You may even want to ask, “Do you have any vacations planned near my 40 weeks?” 

You may have to interview several before you find the person you are comfortable and confident with attending your birth and is aligned with your ideals and birth wishes. If they refuse to commit to an answer or are vague, that may be a red-flag. Remember…your provider is your employee. You are not required to stay with them if you are uncomfortable at any point in your pregnancy. It can be difficult, but changing providers may be just what you need to be in a better place for your wishes.

6: Write your Birth Preferences

It helps to write down how you would like your labor to go – which things you would like to avoid and which you may or will choose. This is not necessarily HOW everything will go. You should be prepared for every possibility and be flexible. No one knows how labor will progress until you are there. You may find yourself changing your mind several times throughout labor. However, having your written birth preferences allows your birth team to remind you of what you wanted throughout labor. You should discuss your choices with your provider ahead of time as some items may be against the hospital or provider policy and may need to be adjusted. 

Some questions to ask yourself:
What are my feelings on interventions? Which do I want to avoid? Which am I ok with?
Would I like to decline cervical checks or have them regularly?
How do I plan to cope with the pain of labor? 
Would I like to be offered pain meds or would I like to go natural? 
Would I like to be coached on pushing or push as I feel inclined? 
Once baby is born, would I like immediate skin-to-skin? Would I like to wait to clamp the cord until it stops pulsing? Who would I like to cut the cord? 

These are only a few question to get you started! There are many more things to decide. 

What were some things you included in your birth plan? 

5: Find a Doula

A doula is a trained professional who can help guide you through the labor and birth process. Many people choose to have their partner as their ‘birth coach’. However, a doula allows for the partner to have support as well. They are not there to replace your partner, but expand on the unique support your partner already offers. A doula also knows optimal positions for getting the baby to come down or change position. They are not there to catch your baby or to make medical decisions. However, they are there to remind you at the time the choices you have previously expressed. They can also help answer questions you may have about an intervention your provider has mentioned. You can visit DONA (http://www.dona.org/) or CAPPA (http://cappa.net/) to find doulas with those certifications in your area and Doula Match (http://doulamatch.net/).

4: Fetal positioning

Having a mal-positioned baby (breech, transverse, etc) can still offer you the possibility of a vaginal birth. There are many techniques to turn the baby into a better position.  Spinning babies (http://spinningbabies.com/) has numerous resources available. You can find ways to feel your stomach to tell how the baby is currently positioned and techniques to turn your baby and even workshops. The Webster method was named for Dr. Larry Webster and is a chiropractic adjustment technique to turn the baby into an optimal position. There is now a International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) Webster Technique Certification program. You can find a chiropractor certified in this technique in your area here (http://icpa4kids.org/Find-a-Chiropractor/). Another technique is the External Cephalic Version. A version is usually done around 37 weeks to turn a breech baby externally by pushing on your stomach. These are handled by your provider and, according to some statistics, has up to a 65% success rate. However, some providers choose not do this. There can be some risks involved so you should discuss this with your provider before making a decision if it is the best technique for you.

What are some other techniques YOU used to turn your mal-positioned baby?

2: Educate Yourself


Take the time to read everything you can get your hands on. By reading the inspirational as well as the factual, you will find numerous resources. Research the current ACOG Guidelines to see what obstacles you may encounter. Find a blog with inspirational birth stories. Read all of the books you can get your hands on. This isn’t just education about the birth process, but things you may encounter along the way including inductions and interventions. Some can lead to situations that will increase the likelihood of an unnecessary cesarean. By educating yourself about the pros and cons of these procedures you put yourself in a better position to make decisions about your care. A few favorite sources –Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin, Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer, Mama Birth Blog has a large list of birth stories (http://mamabirth.blogspot.com), Peaceful Parenting (http://www.drmomma.org/).


What are your favorite things you read or would like to read?

Over the next days and weeks I will be sharing 10 things you can do to help you achieve a VBAC. 

1: Get in Shape

This doesn’t mean you necessarily need to lose 100 pounds. But start eating healthier and exercising now. It sounds cliche, but labor is like a marathon - you have to train. Labor can last hours, days or even weeks and you will need the endurance to see that through. Just like a marathon, you would walk to the starting line day-of-race and expect to finish well. Every step would be a struggle and you would probably need extra help along the way. By ensuring your are eating healthier and exercising, you are setting yourself up for a better outcome. Prenatal Yoga is a wonderful program to help with your strength and flexibility. 

Healthier eating can also strengthen your body and help prevent some health complications that can lead to induction or interventions. The Brewer Diet (http://www.drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/index.html) is a healthy diet designed to give you all the nutrients you need in your pregnancy diet.


What are some things you are doing to help get in shape? Share your techniques below!