Planned Home Birth Ends in C Section & Breastfeeding Trauma, Then a Healing HBAC

Pregnant with her first baby in Australia, Grace did her doula training and was planning a gentle home birth. She had an epic support team who she fully trusted, but then at 36 weeks of pregnancy Grace had to make the excruciating call to move to NZ for her partner’s work. 

Aside from the struggles with leaving behind her wonderful home birth midwife and having to find a new match, Grace was also met with a few other challenges during her labour, the key one being a swollen lip of cervix and having the near impossible instruction to stop pushing. Not long thereafter, Grace succumbed to a hospital transfer, followed by an epidural and then a c section.

The biggest struggle was yet to be faced though. It makes heartbreaking listening, hearing Grace describe the trauma she was met with as a new mum dealing with a low milk supply, a lack of bond with her baby, and isolation during Covid lockdowns in a town where she knew no one. Being advised that her baby required a formula top-up at 3 days of age, culminated in massive breastfeeding hurdles for the next five months.

Her next birth was an entirely different experience, as was her breastfeeding journey. Hear how Grace navigated her healing and prepared for an empowering home birth.

Also included in this episode:

* stretch & sweep

* 42+ week pregnancy

* deflexed head

* triple feeding (pumping)

* nipple shields

* doula care

* PPH

* birth debrief

Visit Grace's website to learn more about her work: https://www.modernvillage.co.nz/

Follow her work on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modern.village/

Find out about my (Carla's) Healing Birth Practitioner Training programme: https://www.healingbirth.co.nz/hb-practitioner-training

Did you know I now have a Healing Birth YouTube channel. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/@healingbirth