One minute I was having a meeting with Georgie’s teacher and the next I was having contractions and walking up a hill.
That evening, on Valentine’s Day, we welcomed our beautiful baby boy, Danny.
Here’s everything that happened in between. My birth story and second VBAC told through my phone photos and pictures taken by my wonderful doula on the day.
As part of Birth Forward’s Caesarean Awareness Month campaign I felt the need to write my thoughts on the matter of c-sections. As someone who has achieved a natural birth after an emergency c-section I feel it is my duty to write about my experience.
First of all, dare to mention the word VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) and you’re bound to be met with an array of reactions. Most of these reactions are questions that come in a shocked tone. ‘How?’ ‘Can you even DO that?’ And then there’s the completely uneducated minority that dare to question the safety of such an experience as if you just woke up one morning and decided to give birth to your baby as naturally as possible without any guidance or professional advice.
I still remember the moment my doctor told me I could have a VBAC if I wanted to. He caught me off guard. I had never considered the possibility let alone dare to dream of such a thing. Yet here I am, months later, typing this story and having achieved a beautiful natural birth.
I was unsure about sharing my birthing experience on the blog. I’ve always felt it was too personal. It’s been almost five years since I started Georgie’s Mummy and among all these words and pictures not once have I mentioned my birth story. While I won’t go into details -perhaps another time- I have decided to share one big part of my story. This is mainly due to the fact that I am on my way to having the kind of birth I never thought I could have. A natural birth.