HBAC survey results

[Jennifer13]

I completed a HBAC survey for someone who presented at the Midwife's conf in Tasmania last month and she sent me her presentation.

She interviewed/surveyed 53 women who planned HBACs. The stats speak for themselves.

- 83% successfully birthed at home with no complications
- 17% transferred to hospital, but of these another 4% had VBACs

So of women planning a HBAC (and not all used an IM, some had just doula or freebirth plans), only 13% had a repeat c/s. Compare that to the successful VBAC rate at my local hospitals - 16% successful VBAC rate at the public hospital and 6% successful VBAC rate at the private hospital. (Unfortunately, not all states publish their maternal stats, so if you live in Qld for eg, you won't even be able to find out what your hospital's record is).

I should also add my private ob told me his VBAC success rate was around 75%. Now, I'm not sure whether he was talking about the last 20 years of his practice, including his time outside of the private hospital, but if that were true currently, he would pretty much be responsible for almost all of the successful VBACs at that hospital. Unlikely. So dig a little deeper if you want the full amount of information!

Very glad I planned a HBAC.

[jackrose]

Great stats to read and I am with you on being glad I planned a HBAC.

Stats were one of the main reasons I went with a HBAC and chose my hb midwife. She had a very high HBAC success rate, much much higher than the success rate of a VBAC in a hospital.

You must feel proud to be part of a positive, real representation of birth Jennifer13

On a side note, I can't fathom how it can be that records of birth stats can be hidden. How can we make informed choices without knowing the maternal statistics?

[Jennifer13]

I know JR. Different states have different policies on publication, although they all collect the data. Maybe time to email a few health ministers.

Anecdotally, some of the hospitals would have very good reason not to have their stats published.

Pity we can't get stats on individual drs and practitioners too!