Birth Action Coalition Our Bodies, Our Babies, Our Births

I’m a mom who successfully delivered my second son via VBAC 2.5 years ago.

The C-section with my first son was a nightmare realized. I had tried to have him at home, but couldn’t dilate. I went in to the birth center, but still couldn’t dilate. Because my water had broken the previous day, I finally had to go the hospital. After 30 hours of agony, I succumbed to an epidural, which left me in convulsions and stopped my son’s heart. The official medical record reads "Fetal Intolerance to Labor."

I took the experience of my first birth through 3 years of training my body for the next time. But when I tried to find a midwife to care for me, the midwife/VBAC witch hunt had locked them down, and they had to refuse my care. I went to a Santa Barbara OB, who left me in tears. He was forced to admit that legally a surgery cannot be informed without consent, so I would have to refuse surgery, but that every medical professional I came across in the hospital would confront me with accusations of an unethical and dangerous decision threatening my son’s life. From my first experience I knew how delicate the environment is for most of us during our trevail,and that such confrontations would lead to stress, and thus to another failure to progress.

I felt trapped in a horror story. Being told I was going to be cut and violated, which is what being sliced open feels like to me. Being told that I was sentenced to further damage to my body, and that my son was to be subjected to a cold and uninviting entrance to life.

I was lucky enough to find The Whole Woman, Inc, then. It meant lengthy travel from Ojai to Simi Valley regularly, and once in labor. But it also meant turning a 34 hour non progressive labor, resulting in C-section, in to a 6 hour, successful, beautiful birth experience. I walked away feeling empowered, connected, healed.

Some months later they burst in with guns drawn to making an illegal arrest and close the center. And other professionals who have stood strong for VBACs have been targeted as well.

I have been desperate for something to do to stop this insanity the money makers are forcing upon us for their profit and I am thrilled to see a group formed.