I'm NOT a VBAC/breastfeeding/natural birth advocate

I know, I know, you're thinking, really, Jenn? Really? You think that?

Really though, I'm not.

I don't think every mama who has had a c/s should VBAC. I don't think every woman should breastfeed. I don't think every woman should have a natural birth. I don't, and I don't judge woman who don't do those things. What I do think is that every woman should be able to make the choice that is best for her and her family.

This is where it gets tricky though, because most woman can't make that choice. Why? Well, because they are not told the benefits and risks to both sides. When I planned my VBAC, I had to sign a paper and initial by each of the risks I was taking (my uterus could rupture, my baby could die, I could die, etc, etc, etc). Each risk was explained to me by an OB and then I had to initial by it. When I had my c/s, I also signed a form stating that I understood the risks of my surgery. The difference-- a nurse said "here are the risks. Basically, you could die, but keep in mind that that is a risk with every surgery and the chance of that happening is slim to none and c/s are very very safe. Just sign here." She waved the pen over the risks like they were nothing and I signed on the dotted line.

Now, why is it that with the c/s, the risks were trivial, but with the VBAC it was a huge risk and surely neither me or my baby would make it out alive? I have my thoughts on that, but I don't know for sure. Had I actually had INFORMED CONSENT, I may have decided to wait on the c/s and see if my baby would turn. Had my OB been honest with me, and told me babies can turn late in pregnancy, I might have told her to wait until I went into labor to section if he was still breech. I think I would have made different choices.

The fault can't completely lie in the hands of the OB or the nurse though, because I, like so many other first time moms, didn't educate myself. I trusted my OB. So many woman do, and it seems that all too often OBs aren't 100% honest. I have heard of many OBs and anesthesiologists who have told woman that epidurals are 100% safe and none of the medication goes through the placenta to the baby. That is in fact 100% FALSE. There are real risks with epidurals. Inductions are the same story.


If more woman understood that inductions have a 50% c/s rate (as opposed to the freakishly high 33% c/s rate for all births), I wonder if they would make the same choice. If they knew that babies, even at term (38+ weeks) can be "premature" and having breathing difficulties I wonder if they would wait to go into labor. If woman knew just SOME of the risks they are taking for being induced I wonder if they would agree to it. Surely, some would, but some probably wouldn't.

And epidurals. I wonder if woman knew that epis can slow labor, or that they can cause a baby to be lethargic at birth, or that they can cause tearing of the perineum, or that they can be put in incorrectly and numb up instead of down, or that they sometimes cause death, or that there is a real risk of being paralyzed, or that it can cause a lifetime of back pain or spinal headaches or any of the other associated risks if they would still get them at the first hint of a contraction. Again, some would, but some might wait (especially if she were able to move during labor and not lie on her back in a bed).

This is also not to say that there are no good reasons to induce or no good reasons to get an epidural. Of course there are, but I think that the woman needs to weigh the risks and benefits of both sides and make an INFORMED decision. Most women don't do that. Most woman do whatever the doctor says without asking why and what the risks are.

I have heard first hand, nurses and pediatricians say that formula is just as good as breastmilk or that women need to supplement with formula until their milk comes in or that they just don't make enough milk or any of the other straight up lies that run rampant around the nursery and pediatricians office.

The fact of the matter is that breastmilk is miles above formula and when women supplement with formula until their milk comes in they are causing their milk not to come in and causing a drop in supply. Nursing works on supply and demand so if there is nothing coming out then the body thinks there is nothing needed and makes less. It is detrimental to the breastfeeding relationship.

With all that said, I do understand that some women truly don't make enough milk, but that is a very very very rare occurrence. I think more often then not, the lack of supply is due to lack of information.

I took risks when I decided to push my baby out instead of having an ERCS. I knew that I was taking risks with a VBAC, but I also knew that there were risks with an ERCS. My husband and I talked about the risks and decided which risks we were more comfortable with. For us, VBAC was the better option, for others, ERCS might be the better choice. Neither is wrong, just different, but either way woman deserve to be informed!