Why Every Pregnant Mum Needs to Join a VBAC Facebook Group

| Lillian

Untitled designCongratulations! You’re expecting! Maybe it’s your first, maybe it’s your last, but there’s so much you can learn from joining a VBAC Support Group on Facebook.

Firstly, What does VBAC stand for? VBAC stands for “Vaginal Birth After C-Section,” and it is a term used for women with previous cesarean deliveries but want to birth vaginally with subsequent children. For some VBAC women, they’ve only had one previous c-section delivery and two or three other vaginal births. Other VBAC women may have had multiple cesarean deliveries and are looking to have their first, or another vaginal birth. These women sometimes identify as a variation of VBA2C (for 2 previous cesareans) or HBA3C (Home Birth After 3 C-Sections), and there are many more variations.

Secondly, Why Am I Supporting Joining a VBAC Group Especially if You’re a First Time Mum? I have never had a c-section, and I am not expecting another baby yet; however, I am in several VBAC groups on Facebook. Thankfully, VBAC support groups are open to birth workers and anyone who supports vaginal birth. The significance of VBAC mums are that they have EXPERIENCED c-sections, they have EXPERIENCED vaginal births, and they have EXPERIENCED the kind of treatment received by doctors and midwives, often pushing them to do a lot of research, take proper antenatal birthing classes such as Bradley classes, and stick to their guns.

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Why the Bradley Method®? This is my story.

| Lillian

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I’m a natural childbirth educator. I never thought that I would become an advocate for women in their most vulnerable and their strongest moments–pregnancy and childbirth! So as I meet and talk to more and more mothers, I feel so lucky that I had my natural childbirth experience with my first child. I didn’t have to go through a traumatising forceps delivery, or an emergency c-section, to look more into birth and end up discovering what and how to achieve a natural and drug-free childbirth. I didn’t have to jump through hoops like VBAC candidates do to attempt a natural childbirth. My shot at a natural birth was more straight-forward and easier than those who had their first child via a traumatising experience. Continue reading →

Winner of 2015 Breastfeeding Photo Shoot Giveaway’s Photos!

| Lillian

Southampton-based photographer, Lillian Sediles (lilliansediles.com), took these gorgeous photos of a family’s breastfeeding journey.

Breastfeeding is difficult, though natural. It’s the best way to feed a baby. Kim makes it look so easy, though as a breastfeeding mum, I know it has its difficult times! In the early stages, I remember feeling like a cow or a milk-machine; that my sole purpose in life was to create milk to feed my baby. In the later stages, I wonder if I’ll ever be able to stop breastfeeding! Though in every stage, I always find moments of warmth, love, thankfulness, and closeness as I nurse my baby. I hope these photos are a reminder of how special breastfeeding is and also an encouragement to mums out there to keep at it!

Congratulations to all breastfeeding mums out there, these photos are in honour of you and in celebration of National Breastfeeding Week!

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Breastfeeding Photo Shoot GIVEAWAY 2015!

| Lillian

breastfeeding giveawayI’m happy to announce that I am giving away a Free Breastfeeding Photo Shoot in honour of National Breastfeeding Awareness Week in the UK! The 1-hour photo shoot (a £100 value) by Lillian Sediles (a Southampton Area Natural Light Photographer @lilliansediles.com) will include a minimum of 20 High-Quality, Fully-Edited photos downloadable from a password-protected album online. This photo shoot expires 1st January 2016.

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Why Most Women “Can’t” Breastfeed

| Lillian

Este artículo en Español –> https://yournaturalbirth.co.uk/2015/10/26/por-que-la-mayoria-de-las-mujeres-no-pueden-amamantar/Photo Credit: Lillian Sediles Photography | lilliansediles.comBreastfeeding versus Formula Feeding is a hot debate. Mothers feel judged, whether they choose to breastfeed or not, and we are in the midst of Mommy Wars. Mothers who breastfeed feel like society shames them for feeding in public. Mothers who formula feed feel like they are lambasted by lactivists for ‘being lazy’ or even ‘poisoning‘ their child. I’d like to shed some light on why so many mothers cannot breastfeed. Continue reading →

7 Things Hospitals Do During Labour That You Are Told to Avoid While Pregnant (with Pictures)

| Lillian

There are some strange things happening in our society with regards to birth. Women feel less and less able to birth naturally, yet industrialised countries like the US and the UK are seeing maternal and infant mortality rates on the rise. What is going on? I’d like to present 7 Things that hospitals do for labouring women that are NOT RECOMMENDED for pregnant women! It doesn’t make sense that these things are overlooked and treated so lightly. If they are harmful to a pregnant mother, they are also harmful to her in her labouring state, and therefore should be AVOIDED. Continue reading →

9 Things that can lead to Failure to Progress (FTP)

| Lillian

woman-in-labourWhat is Failure to Progress? According to doctors and midwives, Failure to Progress is also known as Prolonged Labour, when labour lasts for approximately 20 hours or more after regular contractions begin, and approximately 14 hours or more if you’ve given birth previously. Prolonged latent phase happens during first stage labour where mother can get exhausted and emotionally drained, and prolonged labour during second stage can be a “cause for concern.”

According to WebMD, Prolonged labour may happen if:

  • The baby is very big and cannot move through the birth canal. (Cephalopelvic disproportion)
  • The baby is in an abnormal position. Normally, the baby is head-down facing your back. (Posterior presentation: back-to-back)
  • The birth canal is too small for the baby to move through. (Android pelvis, narrow pelvis)
  • Your contractions are very weak. (Inefficient contractions)

NOW HERE’S the HARD PART. Scratch everything that I just stated up there and everything that you hear from doctors and midwives. Remember, they’re a part of a system, either hospital, birth centre, or NHS and they need to be able to put mothers on a schedule, a timeline, and checklist, so they can do their job. Continue reading →

Do You Have to be a Duchess to Get the Birth You Want?

| Lillian

Royal-BabyOn 2nd May 2015, the nation celebrated the birth of the Princess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana! What was on everyone’s minds at the presentation of the baby just 10 hours after birth? How did Kate look so good?

Daily Mail’s “Call the Midwife” article stated,

Kate had a meticulous birth plan. She had opted to be seen first by the midwives, and as a source said: ‘What the duchess wants, the duchess gets.’

I’d venture to say, WHAT THE MOTHER WANTS, THE MOTHER GETS! What’s the actual difference between Kate and mothers all around the world? Nothing! Does she have superhuman powers? Of course not! There was no special way she got that baby out of her body that other mothers don’t have. What she did have, though, is the midwives’, doctors’, and Wills’ RESPECT to do what she wished regarding her birth. Every mother deserves this kind of respect, to be treated like a duchess at the time of labour and birth.

If a Duchess can have the birth she wants, can you? Yes! Here’s how: Continue reading →

Does Induction Really REDUCE C-Section Risk?

| Lillian

induction-training1Several weeks ago, I came across a claim that Induction reduces the risk of C-section! I sincerely thought, this must be a joke; however, it was referencing an actual journal publication. You can find the actual publication here.

Since I’ve always heard people say, “I had to be induced, and then it ended in c-section,” I thought I would do a series of polls to see if there was any indication that induction REDUCED the number of c-sections.

First, I did a poll directed to those mothers who ended up with emergency c-sections to see how many of them received drugs to induce. You can find the results here. “If your birth ended in an emergency c-section, were you given any drugs to start labour or speed up labour prior to the need for a c-section?” Results: 68% Yes to 32% No.  Continue reading →