ICAN of Columbia County NY

Many studies show an increase in postpartum depression (PPD) and PTSD in women who have had a cesarean section.

Postpartum PTSD and/or depression can lead to poorer outcomes within the mother-child relationship as well as other serious and threatening effects for both mother and baby.

With the c-section rate of developed countries sitting between 28%-32%, the rate of PPD and postpartum PTSD reflects the cesarean rate.

Read more here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9025262/

Happy VBAC Awareness Day!

In 2022, the VBAC rate in the United States was 14.6%*, with the VBAC success rate falling between 60%-80%**.

Share your VBAC story or support in the comments, and share this post to support others who may be seeking a VBAC!
* # of people who had a vaginal birth after previous cesarean(s).
** # of people who labored after cesarean and went on to have a vaginal birth (VBAC).

Share these tips with a new mom or save them for yourself!

What would you add to this list?

When thinking about birth options after having a cesarean, Homebirth After Cesarean, or HBAC, is a valid choice.

This featured article is a conversation about the benefits and risks of having a homebirth after a cesarean, as well as what you may experience as a homebirth client navigating pregnancy and birth after a cesarean. It is a wonderful resource if you are seeking information about HBAC or VBAC.

In regards to the success rate of HBAC, one of our ICAN Chapter Leaders states in this article, "All of the studies found that those who planned HBAC had a higher chance of actually having a vaginal birth than we see for planned hospital VBAC. The UK study directly compared planned HBAC to planned VBAC in the hospital and found the rates of vaginal birth at nearly 88% HBAC vs 69% VBAC."

She is also quick to remind us "we need to recognize that there is no risk-free way to birth. None. Not vaginal. Not cesarean. Not VBAC. Not repeat cesarean. Not HBAC. There are risks to every. single. option."

To read more, here is a link to the article: https://tinyurl.com/5262778u

Did we miss any abbreviations relating to having a cesarean or birth after a cesarean?

When asked about racial disparities in birth, Rachel Somerstein says racism is the issue.

"There's nothing biological about women of color that makes them more likely to have a C-section."

"When we're talking about particularly caring for people who are low-risk in their pregnancies, [midwives are] a way to ensure a better outcome and also promote vaginal birth. … And Black women have less access to midwives than white women."

The article brings up the low number of midwives within the United States, resulting in a higher use of OB/GYNs.
"If you have no choice but to see an OB who, by dint of training, is more likely to do interventions that are more aggressive, perhaps, than a midwife who has a different kind of training and a different kind of professional ideology, then you might end up having a C-section that, with a different provider, could have been avoided."

Read the whole article here: https://tinyurl.com/m2ws39u4

For most, vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) carries lower risks than a repeat cesarean.

Every pregnancy is different and it is important to evaluate your situation carefully with a trusted healthcare provider.

Often when discussing a VBAC, uterine rupture is a specific risk mentioned. Uterine rupture occurs when there is a separation of the uterine wall. Having your uterus rupture can be life-threatening and serious, however, the risk of uterine rupture occurring is very rare, affecting less than 1% of those laboring after cesarean with a low transverse incision.

It is important for a birthing person to be well-educated and informed before making the choice to VBAC or to have a repeat cesarean.

Welcome to “Movement Monday” where we take on the very important topic of upright birth in a series we are calling “ICAN Birth Upright”.

Today’s ICAN Birth Upright position is Birth Ball Sitting. Many of us have birth balls in our houses, and many hospitals today have birth balls you can borrow during labor. They can be used to find some upright rest when you get tired, or as this person (don’t you love their hair??) is doing, using it to be near the monitors for some intermittent fetal monitoring. Birth balls are wonderfully versatile, you can use them to find hip circles, sways, or figure 8s. You can even use them to find some asymmetry if your baby is in the mid-pelvis (think -1, 0, +1 stations) by putting a block or two under one foot. This will help your baby to rotate more fluidly around the ischial spines, as it helps increase the diameter of the pelvis where the baby needs it most! We’ll revisit birth balls in the future, as they’re useful for so much more than sitting!

April is Cesarean Awareness Month!

Use the promo code "OPTIONS" for a $5 discount on ICAN membership through the month of April.

Go to ican-online.org/join to learn more about ICAN membership.

Welcome to Cesarean Awareness Month 2024!

April is Cesarean Awareness Month (CAM), a whole month dedicated to ICAN's mission of supporting, advocating, and educating within the space of maternal-child health.

Our CAM theme for 2024 is "Birth Matters".
With so many different options and outcomes for birth, everyone's birth is different. Though different choices and outcomes exist, each person's birth experience is important; their birth matters.

There will be educational posts, events to learn and find connection, and ways to continue to support ICAN's mission. Join us this month as we bring about awareness for Cesareans and VBACs and everything in between!

Link to buy our CAM 2024 T-shirt: https://tinyurl.com/CesareanAM2024

Our is all about the benefits of a birth doula!

A birth doula is a non-medical professional who provides physical and emotional support during labor and delivery. Many doulas offer education and support during pregnancy, too.

There are multiple studies that prove doula support to be beneficial, not just for comfort but also for reducing the risk of complications. For instances, studies have shown that having a birth doula reduces the risk of cesarean by 28-58% for full term births.*

Did you have a doula during your pregnancy and birth? How did they assist in supporting you?

*dona.org
Studies quoted: Hodnett et al. (2012); Kozhimannil et al. (2016)

This is another myth I hear time and time again: "It is unsafe to VBAC beyond 40 weeks."

Here's the truth: Going beyond 40 weeks gestation is not a contraindication to labor after cesarean.

While some studies have found lower VBAC odds after 40 weeks, I question the role of provider pressure and birthing parent stress on labor, spontaneous or otherwise.

What about the VBAC odds among those who feel supported during the last weeks of their pregnancy rather than facing the deadline of a repeat cesarean on the books?

As ACOG says, "Gestational age greater than 40 weeks along should not preclude [planned VBAC.]" *

Have you had a cesarean? Do you want to learn more about the VBAC evidence so you can confidently make informed choices?

Check out our online course,"The Truth About VBAC™ for Families:” https://vbacfacts.com/courses

(link in bio)

* I replaced "TOLAC" for "planned VBAC" in ACOG's quote.

February is CBAC Awareness Month. CBAC stands for Cesarean Birth After Cesarean.

CBAC is often used to label a birth where the hoped for outcome was a vaginal delivery after a cesarean, but for one reason or another baby was born via repeat cesarean.

Sometimes in labor and birth, circumstances don't always play out the way we expect or desire. Having to adjust to a change in events while in labor is not a failure but a strength.

You are invited!

ICAN NATIONAL Breech Support Meetings
First Thursday of the Month 6pm Pacific/9pm Eastern
February Meeting Topic: Sharing Our Stories

We will cover everything you may want to know about BREECH and VAGINAL BREECH. Turning breech babies, vaginal breech research, finding a provider, breech positions, and more! Come listen to a story, or share your own. This group will meet the first Thursday of the month at 6pm Pacific/9pm Eastern.

Link to join: https://meet.google.com/ybk-ebun-vjx

Our ICAN website is temporary unavailable. Thank you for your patience while we get things up and running again!

Here's our !

Birthers are sometimes told not to eat during labor, but this is outdated advice. Research shows, for low-risk birthers, that eating in labor can help sustain energy and shorten labor (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28178059/). Though, as with everything in childbirth there are risks, and eating during labor should be a conversation between you and your provider.

To learn more about the evidence and history regarding eating during childbirth, check out Evidence Based Birth: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-eating-drinking-labor/

It makes me sad how many women and parents report that their VBAC supportive provider requires delivery by 39 weeks because:

1. VBAC supportive providers don't do this.
2. US guidelines don’t recommend this.
3. Only 1/3 go into labor by 39 weeks.

So, have a conversation with your provider early in pregnancy and if this is their practice, find another provider.

And download The Best VBAC Planning Checklist to learn the facts and maximize your VBAC odds: https://vbacfacts.com/checklist (link in bio)

ICAN is pleased to offer monthly virtual meetings starting in January! Anyone is welcome to join these meetings. The topics, dates, and how to sign up is listed below. We hope you are able to join us as you're able!

Birth Worker Support
First Wednesday 10:30am PST/1:30pm EST
- Jan topic: open forum (getting to know one another)

VBAC Support
First Wednesday 6pm PST / 9pm EST
- Jan topic: Provider Red Flags

Breech Support
First Thursday 6pm PST/ 9pm EST
- Jan topic: Finding a Supportive Provider

Pregnancy with Multiples
Second Wednesday 6pm PST/ 9pm EST
- Jan topic: Types of Twins

Grief and Loss
Second Thursday 6pm PST/ 9pm EST
- Jan topic: Sharing Stories

ShareWell ICAN Community Joining Instructions
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JAZ-5Hxw00VTskxoNp2blQa9OqHAkubc2Bvxbmcy2BI/edit

Elective induction around a holiday is for convenience, but not yours.

With Thanksgiving & Christmas coming up, loads of unnecessary inductions and c-sections are about to happen.

Every year there is a HUGE decrease in births on (and around)...

🔆 Christmas
🔆 New Year’s Eve/Day
🔆 Easter (changes yearly - first Sunday after the full moon in April)
🔆 Memorial Day (changes yearly - last Monday in May in the US)
🔆 Independence Day (4th of July in the US)
🔆 Thanksgiving (changes yearly - last Thursday in November)

And it’s not just the United States - it's everywhere.

How could it be that all of these holidays have lower birth rates year after year?

It’s not a coincidence - it’s about convenience.

And not YOUR convenience. The convenience of providers.

No one wants to work on holidays, and hospital birth providers have a way to make sure (for the most part) that they don’t have to.

Inductions & c-sections are rarely scheduled ON holidays, but they ARE frequently scheduled in the days leading up to, or just after, a holiday.

If you are due around a holiday, and your provider suggests an induction or c-section, it’s a good idea to question why (remember that you always have the right to decline). If there is NOT a legitimate medical reason, they may be more concerned with being home in time for a holiday dinner than your well being.

For more info and references on this topic, check out my FREE holiday births handout on my website (birthuprising.com/resources).