Continuity of Care – the Gold Standard in Maternity Care (including VBAC2 VBA2C VBAC)
Empowered mama, Emily Slattery, describes the birth of her son George as “boringly normal”, but in fact, it was far from ordinary! Emily is a GP herself; and in this article, she explains how (and why) she hired endorsed private practice midwife Clare Davison, as her main caregiver for her VBAC2 (vaginal birth after having two previous caesarean sections).
Emily’s midwife had access rights to a hospital, so the mama birthed in a hospital with the care that she knew was best for her circumstances.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-14/after-caesareans-woman-took-own-midwife-to-hospital/11506124
Now, if a GP is choosing a midwifery continuity of care model for her own birth, especially that being a VBAC after two caesarean sections, that’s saying something, isn’t it?
We at Hypnobirthing Australia and Hypnobubs are always advocating that the continuity of care option that should be available to ALL mamas, ALL over Australia and parts of the world (it is in some areas/hospitals, but the model is, unfortunately, few and far between).
Women and families need to speak up and tell our healthcare system and caregivers that we want CHOICE and we want to have access to the gold standard in maternity care.
The benefits for Midwife Led Continuity of Care are considerable.
A woman who receives care from a known midwife is more likely to:
have a normal birth;
have a more positive experience of labour and birth;
be satisfied with her maternity care;
successfully breastfeed her baby; and
cost the health system less.
A baby whose mother received care from a known midwife is more likely to:
be born at term; and
be born healthy.
We want access to continuity of care. We want to know our midwife, the person who is there to care and support us during one of the most important, private and intimate times in our lives. We want to feel completely supported (physically & emotionally) throughout the journey. We want to have the choice to birth the way we feel best supported and safest.
It’s a no brainer, really!
But “common sense” isn’t always “common practice”.
Let’s change that.
Keep speaking up and let the hospitals, health departments, politicians and other ‘powers that be’ know. WE want the best. We want choice.
After all, we are doing the most important job on earth. Without women birthing, there is no next generation. So we want the best and we want to come out of our birth ‘whole’… not broken by the system.
Melissa Spilsted x
Hungry for the evidence? Here are some links!
Further Info About Midwifery Continuity of Care
https://www.midwives.org.au/midwifery-continuity-care
Further Info About VBAC VBAC2 VBA2C
Evidence and safety surrounding VBACs – check out this great article by Dr Rachel Reed
PhD. https://midwifethinking.com/2016/06/15/vbac-making-a-mountain-out-of-a-molehill/
And this is another great article outlining the evidence, by Dr Rebecca Dekker PhD. https://evidencebasedbirth.com/ebb-113-the-evidence-on-vbac/
Check out VBAC Facts which is a website dedicated to sharing the evidence and research to help families