Sydney and Central Coast VBAC Support Group

We offer a non-judgmental, friendly atmosphere for women who:

  • have experienced a caesarean
  • have experienced a caesarean and are pregnant
  • have experienced a caesarean and are looking at options for their next birth
  • are pregnant, considering a caesarean but wanting to know all options first

Our monthly meetings consist of birth after caesarean topics for discussion. All participants are welcome to contribute their questions, experiences and comments. This is followed by an informal morning tea. The group is run by Anna Russell & Emma Peric, both Sydney doula’s with well over a decade of experience supporting women in caesarean births, birth after caesareans and birth after multiple caesareans.

Our aim is to provide the resources and peer support to help women process their very individual experiences and to provide research-based evidence to help women understand their choices for future births. We will not promote any particular birthing practices and will not pass judgement on past, present or future decisions a woman may make.

VBAC Support Group Contact Details:

  • Sydney meetings held in Glenhaven 2nd Wednesday of the month – contact Anna 0403 999 499
  • Central Coast meetings held in Matcham last Wednesday of the month – contact Emma 0412 601 537

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VBAC Support Group: Planned topics for discussion

August: Inspiring VBAC Birth Stories

Several women share their unique VBAC birth stories.  We will find out what kept them focused, what challenged them and the lessons they learnt.

September: The first 2 weeks

Our group will grow this month as we have several September babies making their entrances so we thought we would share tips, tricks and expectations related to two questions universally shared by mothers; 1) how will my older child cope with a new baby? and 2) how will I cope with two children?  We will also look at recovery following both vaginal birth and caesarean and expectations of yourself in these first few weeks which traditionally fly by in a blur.
(if you are already the mother of two or more children we would love for you to share your experiences too).

October: Chiropractic for pregnancy and birth

Our guest speakers will be discussing what happens to your spine and pelvis during pregnancy and birth and how to care for these vital structures.  They will be sharing with us their knowledge on why some babies don’t descend and why some babies favour less than favourable positions which are two big areas of interest within the group.  They will also cover a little about postnatal and newborn chiropractic care.

November: VBAC Myths and Facts

“Second babies are always bigger than the first”, “Once a caesarean, always a caesarean”, “Im having twins so I have to have a caesarean”, “Breech babies cant be born vaginally”, “My pelvis is too small”, “Your uterus will rupture”, “Inductions (and epidurals) don’t increase the risk of caesarean”.  All of these statements came from somewhere and at some point in time; all were thought to be true.  Despite research and technology, many of these statements are still commonly held beliefs so this month we will explore these statements and many more, look at where they originated from, the facts we know today, who they may still apply for and how to ask for the evidence to support these claims.

December / January: Choosing your support team

This month we look at how to choose a caregiver who will support you in your VBAC plans and what you might like to consider when choosing a non-medical support team (doula, friend, partner, mother….).  We will also look at common VBAC hospital policies and what your options are.
(The Sydney group for December will be held but the Coast one wont as its Christmas week.  The Sydney group for January wont be held as many will be on holidays but the Coast one will be as it will be the last week in January)

February: Positive Repeat Caesareans

Unfortunately birth is unpredictable and if it is deemed appropriate by mother and caregiver to perform a repeat caesarean then having knowledge about your options can be the difference between a frightening, traumatic experience and a mother-baby centered birth experience.  This month we will look at how an operation can become a birth.

March: VBAC Birth Plans

Written for the right reasons, written well and communicated effectively, birth plans can be an extremely useful tool in helping a mother communicate to her birth team (caregiver, partner, doula, friend….) what she would like from her birth experience.  This month we will look at the purpose of birth plans, how to write and communicate one effectively and things a VBAC mum may like to think about when considering hers.

April: Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the most researched of the natural therapies and many swear by the benefits for preconception, pregnancy and labour.  This month we will have a guest speaker with specific topics to be advised at a later date.

May: 7 top tips for successful VBAC

Seven simple things every VBAC mother should know to increase the odds of a successful VBAC.

June: Hormones in labour

Many caesareans occur due to “failure to progress” so this month we look at your body’s naturally occurring hormones and how they help and hinder your labour.  We discover why labour slows down or stops for some women and why other women feel intense pain whilst for others labour seems to be barely more than a discomfort.