Okay... I don't normally get up on my high horse about this, but this has gotten me quite riled up. I went away and thought about it, and then came back posted, deleted my post.... and now I'm back. We'll just see if I hit send or not

When I had Matilda, my pregnancy was fantastic, no one mentioned anything about c/s or induction. When I hit 14 days post EDD I went in to be induced. The registrar at the hospital said she couldn't do it & sent me home. The midwife had to explain to me the reasons... An OB phoned the next day to say that I needed to come back for monitoring straight away, no explanations. Again, when I got there the midwife explained to me what was going on. Then an OB walked in, read the trace, told me he was doing an internal exam... did it and then said "your options are c/s tomorrow or daily monitoring for 2 days and then hopefully you can be induced". He asked my decision... I told him I had to think about it & he walked out in a huff. The midwife again explained what was going on, Matilda was no where near the cervix, they couldn't induce me but the concern was about placental function at 42 weeks. Daily monitoring would hold off the c/s and induction for a few days but if she didn't engage we would have to have a c/s. I was happy with the explanation and chose to wait a few days and try for a vaginal birth. Throughout my experience with induction, labour and c/s the OB kept telling me what was going to happen next, no explanations, no choices. And minimal contact. Once I was in theatre and my body was in shock and the OB kept telling me to keep quiet as I was screaming that I could feel it... I lost faith entirely in OB's. They are trained surgeons. That is the basis of their education, so of course they feel more confident with that choice. They are only human.

I don't put MORE trust in midwives than OB's but I do have faith that they are caring for me and my baby and not just themselves. I put even more choice in someone that I have asked to be by my bedside & who is somewhat educated on birthing.

With Jovie I was told when I hit 41 weeks that I would have to be induced. Why would you induce a VBAC?? Only to increase the rate of uterine rupture?? It didn't make sense, I voiced that. I was told I was putting my babies life in danger by waiting, I asked why? I was told " you just are". What would you do "oh whew,.... if you say so" WT???? I read, I was educated and I asked questions. I have friends who are well informed & educated in birthing, I phoned them from the hospital. I had a scan and everything was fine to continue but apparently I had a huge baby, so I was told to have a c/s straight away as the baby was too big to birth vaginally. Luckily I heard women's stories and actually know that they get their measurements from bone length in the leg & not from width of shoulders. I don't think I could have gone through the trauma of c/s again.... for me it was an awful experience so I didn't want to do it again... Jovie was no where near the size they estimated, just tall.

Please be educated and make your choices accordingly. OB are well trained in what they do, and what they like to do. Midwives are well trained in a different aspect of birthing and doula's again are trained differently. Choose your birth attendant by whom you trust to be by your bedside & read & be informed. If you choose a c/s, great its your choice and you have made it. If you choose a VB, great its your choice and you have made it.