Gemma: Three births, placenta previa, VBA2C, planned caesarean

Gemma’s journey to motherhood began unexpectedly when she and her partner Jodan had only been together for about a year. “We’d actually just moved in together the month before. So it was very, very unexpected,” Gemma recalls. Despite the shock, they were fortunate to connect with a compassionate GP who asked the perfect questions: “Is this a planned pregnancy?” and then, “Is this a wanted pregnancy?”

This thoughtful approach gave them space to process their feelings without judgment. “We both knew we wanted this baby but we didn’t let that on to each other,” Gemma explains, describing how they were each careful not to influence the other’s decision. After taking time to consider their options, they made their choice over dinner: “Let’s have a baby.”

Having witnessed her brother’s birth in a birth centre years earlier, Gemma was drawn to a similar experience for her own first birth. “I just remember it being this like incredibly exciting, magical day,” she says of her brother’s birth. She prepared through yoga, Pilates, and hypnobirthing, excited about her planned birth centre experience.

However, at her 36-week scan, everything changed when her low-lying placenta hadn’t moved as expected. “The sonographer put the wand on my belly and took one look at it and just went, ‘Nope, this baby’s coming out the sunroof,'” Gemma shares. “In one sentence, my whole birth plan just went out the window.”

Though initially devastated, Gemma found peace in knowing this was a necessary medical intervention. Her caesarean birth at 38 weeks went smoothly, and she enjoyed a positive recovery: “I was young and fit and healthy. And I think that really helped. And I was really determined to get back to normal as quickly as possible.”

When India was about 18 months old, Gemma and Jodan decided to try for another baby and conceived quickly. Having had a positive caesarean experience, Gemma opted for another planned caesarean without exploring VBAC options. “I think I was a bit scared of going into labour and then ending up with an emergency caesarean,” she explains.

Unfortunately, her second caesarean was traumatic. The spinal block didn’t work properly, and Gemma could feel the incision. “I was screaming and saying, ‘I can feel it, I can feel it.’ And they were saying, ‘No, you can’t, it’s just pressure,'” she recounts. Eventually, they administered general anaesthesia, meaning Gemma woke up in recovery without her baby.

“I didn’t know if I’d had a boy or a girl. And I didn’t know if the baby was okay. And it was really, really scary,” she says. This traumatic experience affected her bonding with her daughter Alira and her mental health. “I think I had postnatal depression… I didn’t realise at the time, but I think that birth trauma was a big part of that.”

When Alira was about three, Gemma and Jodan decided to try for a third baby. After her traumatic second birth, Gemma was determined to have a different experience. “I was really scared of having another traumatic caesarean. And I was really determined to have a different experience.”

Gemma found an obstetrician who supported her VBAC goals and prepared extensively: “I did a lot of research. I listened to a lot of podcasts. I read a lot of books. I did a hypnobirthing course… I saw a women’s health physio. I did a lot of pelvic floor exercises.”

At 39 weeks and 5 days, Gemma woke at 4:30 am with contractions. After labouring at home for a while, she went to the hospital where she was 4 centimetres dilated. “I was really excited. I was like, ‘This is happening. I’m going to have a VBAC. This is amazing.'”

Gemma laboured for about 12 hours using a TENS machine, shower, birth ball, and various positions. “I used a lot of breathing techniques. And I used a lot of visualisation. And I used a lot of affirmations,” she shares. After pushing for about an hour, Ruben was born.

“It was the most amazing experience of my life. It was just incredible,” Gemma says. “I was just so proud of myself. And I was just so grateful that I’d had that experience… it was just so healing after the trauma of my second birth.”

The difference in recovery between her VBAC and caesarean births was dramatic. “I was up and walking around straight away. And I was able to pick up my baby straight away. And I was able to pick up my other children straight away,” Gemma explains.

Her older children have adjusted beautifully to their new sibling: “They’re just so in love with him. And they’re just so excited to have a baby brother. And they’re just so helpful. And they’re just so loving.”

When asked what advice she would give to someone considering a VBAC after a traumatic birth, Gemma emphasises: “Do your research. Find a supportive care provider. Prepare yourself mentally and physically. And believe in yourself… it’s so important to know that your body is capable of giving birth… it’s so important to know that you can heal from that trauma.”

Gemma’s story is a powerful testament to the healing potential of a positive birth experience and the importance of informed choice, proper support, and belief in one’s own body. Her journey from unexpected pregnancy to healing VBAC offers hope and inspiration for anyone who has experienced birth trauma.