When planning a VBAC with gestational diabetes feels like swimming upstream If you’re planning a VBAC with gestational diabetes and feeling unheard, dismissed, or worn down by repeated pushback, you’re not imagining it, and you’re certainly not alone. Many of you are quietly nodding along as you read this. You’ve done your homework. Your gestational...
The benefits of caesarean scar massage For many women, a caesarean birth brings not only a new baby, but also a scar that needs both physical healing and emotional care. Gentle caesarean scar massage can support the recovery process from the inside out. The layers of a caesarean section When a caesarean birth is performed,...
When a VBAC leads to regret – is it the birth, or the system? I sometimes hear or read how disappointed or even regretful some women felt after their VBAC. It’s disheartening, because on the surface, it seems like they “got” what they were aiming for – a vaginal birth after caesarean. But when I...
Wait for white: why optimal cord clamping matters for your baby In the moments after birth, there’s often a flurry of activity: checking the baby, cleaning, measuring and of course, cutting the cord. But before that clamp clicks shut, there’s a critical opportunity to support your baby’s transition in a simple yet powerful way: by...
What does radical responsibility mean in childbirth? We often hear that “birth is unpredictable,” and while that’s true, what’s often left out of the conversation is how much power women actually do have in shaping their birth experience. This is where the concept of radical responsibility becomes so important. Radical responsibility in childbirth doesn’t mean...
VBAC or repeat caesarean: navigating the “what ifs” at the end of pregnancy As women approach the final weeks of pregnancy, even the most confident and well-researched birth plan can begin to feel uncertain. For those planning a Vaginal Birth After Caesarean (VBAC), it’s not uncommon to feel a strong pull in another direction –...
Navigating ‘Foetal Distress’ During Labour: Empowering Your VBAC Journey One of the most emotionally challenging moments during labour is when a care provider tells you, “Your baby is in distress.” It’s a phrase that can feel frightening and disempowering, and for many women planning a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean), it’s a scenario they dread,...
Your Guide to VBAC in Australia – Be Prepared and Confident For many Australian women, the decision to pursue a Vaginal Birth After Caesarean (VBAC) is both deeply personal and transformative. With the right support, accurate information, and a trusting birth environment, VBAC can be a healing experience after a previous caesarean. This guide brings...
The “big baby” threat: why induction for a suspected large baby is often unnecessary and unsupported by evidence If you would like to listen to our podcast instead of reading: CLICK HERE BIG BABY – It’s something I hear from women far too often: “My doctor said my baby is measuring big, so they want...
When is the right time to go to hospital during labour (including VBAC)? One of the most common questions women ask as they approach the end of pregnancy is: When should I go to hospital? It sounds like a simple question, but the answer isn’t. That’s because labour is not linear. There is no set...
When VBAC doesn’t go to plan – it’s not failure “Failed VBAC” — it’s a phrase that gets tossed around far too commonly in medical records, hospital corridors and social media groups, yet it carries a heavy emotional weight for the women it refers to. For many women who have planned a vaginal birth after...
When birth becomes business: what we’re not saying about high caesarean rates News broke this week about the retirement of Dr John Love, a well-known Perth obstetrician who has “delivered” over 10,000 babies during his long career. The tone of the reporting, particularly in this Channel 9 News segment, was overwhelmingly celebratory — portraying Dr...
Why “maternal alignment” matters more than foetal positioning When we hear the term Optimal Foetal Positioning (OFP), the focus is often on encouraging the baby into the ideal position for birth, usually anterior, head-down, and slightly to the left, which is written in birth text and has become gospel. While this makes sense in theory,...
April is Caesarean Awareness Month: Highlighting Australia’s Caesarean Section Trends April is Caesarean Awareness Month – a time to reflect on how this major abdominal surgery has evolved and what it means for birthing women today, especially here in Australia where caesarean rates are among the highest in the developed world. It’s a moment to...
Vicki Hobbs from Back-to-Basics Birthing and the Strength to Progress Conference are proud to be hosting Dr Hazel Keedle with her VBAC Workshop for Birth Workers. Dr Hazel Keedle is a Lecturer of Midwifery and completed her PhD in 2021 at Western Sydney University, Australia. Hazel has more than 25 years of experience as a...
Hi Vicki, I just wanted to share with you our amazing VBAC experience we had at SJOG Subiaco. We were open about having a VBAC birth at a private hospital and knew some things we may not achieve, but others we could be confident in asking for. I had prepared our birth plan based on what...
The Natural Alignment Plateau phrase was first used by Marjie Hathaway, who is an independent childbirth educator and author of several books, as well as a practitioner trainer for the Bradley Childbirth Method. She highlighted that it is not uncommon for women to get to a point in their labour where their cervix stops dilating....
I’ve been waiting for this incredible vaginal breech birth after caesarean story as I was so privileged to be a part of this birth as a doula, which meant being a part of the preparation, the fears, the tears, the excitement and the unknown as even though I have supported many VBAC births, I had...
The curse of the due date and the eviction notice for your baby is clearly etched in every woman’s mind after she has confirmation of her pregnancy. She marks that date on the calendar with excitement and shares this with all her family and friends. This is when her baby will come. Then as the...
Introduction by Vicki…. I have waited a year to get this birth story from a woman I admire so much, and when I read this it brought tears to my eyes yet warmed my heart. Yes, it’s a long birth story but it is one that needed to be written that helped a woman heal...
Women do not need to be told “all that matters is a healthy baby” because she is the one growing and nurturing her baby. You can be sure that she is thinking and feeling that her first priority is a healthy baby – nobody needs to tell her this and she will forever be grateful...
It’s interesting to see the responses from women to women who share what they are planning for their birth or their experience of having a “good birth” on social media. Natural birth – what are you trying to prove? You won’t get a medal. These are just some of the responses women are subjected to....
Orgasms release copious amounts of oxytocin therefore I am a big advocate for female orgasms during labour when things start to slow down or stall. If it is a choice between synthetic oxytocin and real oxytocin, what would you rather have? Just put a sign on your door saying, “Please keep out – orgasm in...
Every woman should write a birth plan, but for a VBAC mother it is even more important! This is because many women who are having a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean) are now more educated and have identified that there may have been alternatives or different options they could have chosen instead of the interventions...
Bit of a ranty blog this one about understanding that your cervix should not be on a timer – what we need is for women to go back to basics birthing. That Friedman’s Curve from the 1950’s has a lot to answer for and is outdated and inappropriate to be used in this day and...
The cervix (from the Latin cervix uteri, meaning “neck of the womb”) is the lower, narrow part of the uterus where it joins with the top end of the vagina. The cervix is cylindrical in shape and during most of your pregnancy your cervix is long and thick and is generally between 2cm and 4cm...
Sometimes it can be really hard for your partner or birth support person who is a friend or family member to see you in pain during labour. Having the right people there can really make a difference with the outcome of your birth. Let’s be clear here – the most important person in that birthing...
There are so many things to consider when you are planning your vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) and these are just the ones I wanted to put together quickly to get you started, but you have to do your own mind-mapping to work out where you need more information, where you feel strong and confident...
Your Pelvis One of the important physical aspects of the body during pregnancy is the pelvis. Your pelvis is not one fixed bone; it is made up of 4 separate bones: sacrum; coccyx two iliac bones, one on the left and one on the right, which are joined to the sacrum at the back at...
For the most part, I feel so positive about the new VBAC guidelines just released by ACOG this month (ACOG Practice Bulletin #184) and wanted to share a few highlights that potential VBAC women can really push for with their own care providers here in Australia. We seem to be so far behind in Australia,...
Just wanted to share my successful VBAC story. I ended up being induced because my waters started leaking on Tuesday morning, but I wasn’t getting any surges so spoke to my midwife and she had said to stay at home as long as possible because they would keep me in once I got to hospital. So I went...