Understanding Your Options: Choosing Your Type of Birth - Vaginal Birth, VBAC, and Caesarean Birth Artwork

Building Birth Confidence

Building Birth Confidence is the podcast for anyone who is pregnant after a difficult birth, pregnancy loss, or traumatic experience, and who is scared, exhausted, and trying to find a way through.#

I’m Katie, an NHS Mental Health Midwife and Perinatal Trauma Specialist. Every week I bring you honest, clinically informed conversations about the things that rarely get said out loud: the fear, the guilt, the disconnect, the grief that comes with pregnancy after trauma. And the tools, the understanding, and the realistic hope that can make a real difference.

This is not a positive thinking podcast. This is a podcast for people who need more than reassurance. You deserve support that actually meets where you are.

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Building Birth Confidence

Understanding Your Options: Choosing Your Type of Birth - Vaginal Birth, VBAC, and Caesarean Birth

November 02, 2024 • Katie Smith • Season 1 • Episode 3

0:00 | 14:54

In this episode of the Building Birth Confidence Podcast, we dive deep into the different birth options available to you, whether you’re considering a vaginal birth, a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean), or a planned Caesarean. Hosted by Katie, a mental health midwife, antenatal teacher, and hypnobirthing instructor specialising in pregnancy after traumatic birth, this episode is designed to provide evidence-based information and emotional support to help you make informed decisions that feel right for you.

We’ll explore the pros and cons of each birth option, share practical advice on how to navigate discussions with your maternity care team, and offer trauma-informed insights to help you feel more empowered, confident, and prepared for your upcoming birth.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

What VBAC is and who might be a good candidate
The benefits and risks associated with VBAC and Caesarean births
How to approach a vaginal birth after a traumatic experience
Tips for making informed, confident decisions about your birth plan
How to prepare for a change of plans and cope with the unexpected

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction: Welcome and Overview of Birth Options
[03:43] What is VBAC? The Pros, Cons, and Key Considerations
[05:58] Planned Caesarean Birth: What You Need to Know
[08:44] Vaginal Birth After a Traumatic Experience: How to Heal and Prepare
[11:00] Making Informed and Confident Birth Choices
[13:32] Outro: Take Care and Continue the Journey to Birth Confidence

Resources Mentioned:

RCOG Guidelines on VBAC Success Rates Birth after previous caesarean | RCOG
Birthrights - Birthrights - your human rights during pregnancy and maternity care
NICE Guidelines - Recommendations | Caesarean birth | Guidance | NICE
NICE Guidelines - Intrapartum Care - Overview | Intrapartum care | Guidance | NICE

Connect with Me:

Follow me on Instagram: @birthcarewithkatie
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Thanks for Listening! If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, or share it with someone who might benefit from this information. Together, we can make the birth experience more empowering for everyone. See you next time!