In honour of Caesarean Awareness Month this April, we are bringing you some incredible stories from women whose VBAC journeys resulted in repeat caesarean sections.

Today, we are thrilled to share Helen's incredible journey from a failed induction after suspected preeclampsia under fragmented care in the public hospital system where she was bounced around between a couple of hospitals and really suffered from a lack of continuity and of not being known at all to any care provider she met along the way.

Her first caesarean also meant a separation from her baby Theo, who was fed formula before she had a chance to latch him, and they continued to experience significant breast refusal from then on, meaning Helen's breastfeeding journey with Theo was not at all as she desired.

Helen knew she wanted a very different experience with the birth of her second child, Hannah, and had done her own research which led her to plan a HBAC under the care of a privately practicing midwife. She was supported to wait for spontaneous labour, and had a long but lovely labour at home before a few indications that something wasn't quite right led them to transfer into hospital.

Another long while later in hospital, Helen eventually decided to accept a repeat caesarean, and it was in the theatre that her baby's shoulder was discovered to have pushed through a rupture in her uterine scar from her first caesarean.

Helen describes the difference in these two experiences of caesareans in such a beautiful expression of just how crucial continuity of carer can be.

We hope that you will find this an inspiring and wonderfully educating episode, learning from Helen's wisdom and eloquent discussion around comparing her care models and treatment within the hospital during her two births.

Please join us on our journey to bringing you all kinds of VBAC stories from across the country from here on in by subscribing and following us on social media, @australianvbacstories on Instagram and Australian VBAC Stories on Facebook. 

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PANDA https://panda.org.au/

Gidget Foundation https://www.gidgetfoundation.org.au/

COPE Australia https://www.cope.org.au/

If you've experienced mistreatment or disrespectful care in your pregnancy, birth or postpartum and are seeking advocacy support, please contact one of the following organisations:

Maternity Choices Australia https://www.maternitychoices.org/

Maternity Consumer Network https://www.maternityconsumernetwork.org.au/

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