can u have a VBAC in a birth centre??

[borntobemummy]

I just made my first antennatal appointment and they asked whether I wanted to go through the birth centre or midwife care, I chose birth centre as I really believe in them and that's what I wanted for DD until the dreaded C/S had to happen. I said I had a C/s last time, and the lady on the phone said i will have to go through midwife care:confused: :no: Is it at all possible to use a birth centre for a VBAC??

[Jenko]

I have heard that you can't have a VBAC in a birth centre. They only deal with very low risk pregnancies (hopefully for your sake i have been informed incorrectly and you they do take VBAC's).

A lady i know joined a home birth group to have a home birth, as that was her only option (she wanted a water birth) and most affordable for her VBAC. I think at a private hospital without private health cover it would have cost her about $5000. In the end she laboured at home for about 4-6 hours but ended up in hospital with a c-section. Bubs was fine and healthy and that's the main thing.

:fingerscrossed: I hope you find a birth centre that allows VBAC and you get your wish.

[Shanaynay]

I hope they let you into the birth centre! .... but in saying that, no I don't think birth centres do allow vbac'ers :no:

Does anyone know if they will let you though if you've had a vbc before though? Eg. as in c-sec, then a vbac... would they let you in for your third birth?

[OM]

I guess it depends on the birth centre as to what their policies are! Most birth centres though won't let you in if you have had a c-section;)

[SassyMummy]

I think that you CAN have a VBAC in a birth centre, depending on the policies of that particular centre. Don't know about everywhere, but at the Birth Centre in Bris, you CAN NOT VBAC (which is pathetic IMO).

The best options are to homebirth, or give birth in a VBAC-friendly public hospital (because they are midwife based, rather than OB-based, and therefore, GENERALLY, have more faith in natural birth, rather than more faith in the scalpel).

I don't want a home-birth, so I'm going public.

Perhaps, if you DID want to go private, you could have a private room in a public hospital...I'm not really sure what that entails though...

[jade21887]

I was going to go through a birth centre for VBAC, and they were fine with it, really depends on the hospital. This hospital didnt see a c section as making u high risk. So I just had to get a referal from their OB saying that I was a low risk patient.

[borntobemummy]

I guess I'll just have to wait until my appointment to confirm the details. I only had to have the C/S due to posterior presentation and slow progress, so I doubt these things put me in the high risk category.

I remember asking a million questions when they told me I had to have the C/S and this was one of them, and I distinctly remember them saying I will be considered low risk and therefore should be able to go to the birth centre next time.:confused:

As DH is saying, there is no use geting all worked up about it before I know for sure, so I guess I just need to wait it out some more.

I really wanted a water birth with DD and this one if possible, I also have the other annoying complication of testing positive for strep B, so they wil always consider me positive:rolleyes:

I'll keep you all updated when I know more, thanks for taking the time to reply:)

[Bessie]

I had my 2nd child in a UK midwifery unit, kind of like a birth centre. It was fab. Transfer facilities were available if we needed more intervention, the hospy dept was just upstairs.

Here in Perth I couldn't book into a birth centre despite it being a 2nd vbac, but we coped in the hospital. I say coped because it wasn't the best of environments for me (I hate hospitals) and we vbaced again. I remember crying in the car after the birth centre tour, it just felt so unfair. They also don't take twin pregnancies which IMHO is a bit harsh.

[Pixie]

Here in Sydney at the RWH you can have a VBAC :D

[theycallmemum]

I know at the hospital I had #2 and #3 (RHW at Randwick, Sydney) they wouldn't allow a VBAC in the birth centre. You had to be in the proper labour ward. I ended up having a c/s again.

[lilpearl]

Borntobemummy - Where are you situated?? I'm in Melbourne and have been going through all this BS, too. I had a fantastic VBAC in the water at the RPA in Sydney last year, so if you are in Sydney, yes you can have a VBAC in a birth centre (at the RPAH). They believe that having had 1 caesarean does not put one at any higher a risk, which is true and fabulous, and they encourage natural water birth....it was all positive.

Unfortunately, in Melbourne (where I am now living and 10 weeks pregnant with my 3rd baby, who will be my second VBAC), I've checked at EVERY birth centre and been turned down by EVERY birth centre, despite the fact hat I had a straight-forward water birth just last year!!! Now I'm deciding whether to have a home birth, or a hospital birth in a public hospital with midwifery care. The last thing we need as women trying to avoid others pushing caesareans on us is private obstetric care.

It's just ridiculous that Melbourne is so backwards when it comes to birth. Birth is a natural event that (should) belong to the mother. Simple as that. The reason for your caesarean is only part of it....birth centres in Melbourne simply consider a past casearean high risk (due to uterine scar)....so it has a lot less to do with WHY you had the caesarean. It's beyond ridiculous. If intelligent people within one of the best hospitals in Australia (the RPA, teaching hospital for Sydney University!) have no hang-ups about VBAC, there is no reason for any other hospital/birth centre to. I want my second water birth, and if I birth in the public hospital, where baths are encouraged during labour, but water birth isn't allowed, I'll be damn well sitting on the plug! I'll birth my baby in whatever way I please! Good luck in getting exactly what you want, it's your right, this is your birth and no one else's!