Hi again Melissa,
I just don't know how comfortable I feel about home births, I am a good 45 minutes from the hospital in the case of an emergency and couldn't afford the $4-5grand they seem to cost.
I have another appt in 6 wks so I will ask about the hospitals policy for managing a VBAC labour.
Yes, I have been looking into finding a midwife trained doula to advocate for me, not sure how much they cost. I have 10 wks to go so hopefully I will sort it out in the mean time.
Also how would I go about finding out about a hospitals stats re: suggessful VBAC etc?
Hi there,

I wasn't referring to home birth in my second post. For once!

Do ask for a copy of the hospital's policy for managing VBAC. Then you know what you need to consider in your birth plan.

Midwives and doulas are different - midwives are qualified and registered and can give advice and clinical care, second opinions, support etc, whereas doulas can only provide support and general info. They're not qualified or registered. Doulas cost anyehere from $500 - $2000; midwives fees vary depending where you are. I'm in Sydney - it's around $4000 - $5000; some charge less for hospital births.

You can ask the hospital about their stats. Be suspicious if they don't tell you. Are you in NSW? I have the NSW stats with me. Australia-wide, VBAC rates are only about 15%. Some hospitals are as low as 2%