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My first baby was born via cesarean, and my second was born at home. Here were my birth priorities:

1. healthy mom, healthy baby 

2. vaginal birth

3. home birth

Now that that is out of the way.. :) While recovering from a c-section, I am most definitely NOT healthy. Not mentally, and definitely not physically. It is not healthy for the baby, either. There is an increase in respiratory distress, both at birth and in the future. The neonatal mortality rate is HIGHER in cesarean born babies. Not to mention the risk for future pregnancies. unexplained miscarriage/stillbirth, and increased risk of placenta complications. These risks go up with every surgery. 

I name those c-section risks only to describe how important it is to me to avoid one. I KNOW I can have a VBAC in a Portland hospital, I know there are supportive Midwives and OBs. But the fact is, my home birth midwife has a significantly higher VBAC success rate than any hospital. I deserve to be given the best chance.  the RISK that I am NOT WILLING to assume, is the risk of unnecessary surgery. 

It is ridiculous to prevent VBAC moms from birthing out of the hospital. The risk of rupture w/o induction/augmentation is SO incredibly low. And when rupture does occur, the neonatal mortality rate is ALSO low, even when it occurs out of the hospital. There often IS time to make it to the hospital. Sometimes not. I fully understand that. I am very, informed of what can go wrong in a VBAC, including how often it actually happens. I choose to birth at home. I am an informed consumer, and I DEMAND my right to choose where and with whom I birth. 

I moved to Oregon 2 years ago *specifically* because of the birth choices. My husband telecommutes, and we can live anywhere. We chose Portland so that we could have the best possible birth for our 2nd child. Do not take away those choices. 

-VBAC mom, who just might have twins or a breech baby some day

posted 2 years, 9 months ago
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