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All the articles below are text copies of previously published articles or papers and appear here with the authors consent; or are links to articles available elsewhere.

CAESAREAN

General

Caesarean Section: A positive birth experience

Fiona Barlow

Fiona looks at the choices that can be made when your baby is born by caesarean section. She details questions that it may be useful to ask. Initially written to help antenatal teachers in the area of caesarean birth, It has proven invaluble in helping parents understand how they can be fully involved in the caesarean birth of their baby. First Published in the National Childbirth Trust's journal 'New Generation' December 1997.

Caesarean Choice

Teresa Wilson

Teresa's account of choosing a repeat caesarean for her second baby in order to have a better birth experience. First published in the NCT publication New Generation Digest in March 1994.

Setting up a caesarean or VBAC group

Gina Lowdon, Debbie Chippington Derrick and Fiona Barlow

Article giving basic information on setting up a caesaean or VBAC group in an NCT branch, which was published in an earlier form in the NCT postnatal support magazine "Postnatal Forever" in June 1996.

Caesarean section or vaginal birth - What difference does it make?

Gina Lowdon, Debbie Chippington Derrick

Article looks at why women today might choose a caesarean and what vaginal birth still has to offer. First published in the AIMS Journal, Vol 14, No 1, 2002.

The truth behind the NICE guidelines on caesarean section.

Debbie Chippington Derrick

Debbie was part of the Guideline Development Group. This article looks at the strengths and weaknesses behind this controversial document. First published in the AIMS Journal, Vol 16, No 3, 2004.

Emotional Issues

Actually

Gina Lowdon

Gina looks at how a conversation with a caearean mother can be positive and supportive. It was originally written to help NCT workers encountering caesarean mothers, but is relevant to anyone who comes in contact with a caesarean mother and is applicable to many other situations too. It can also be helpful to mothers who are feeling that others are not being supportive. First published in the National Childbirth Trust's journal New Generation Digest, December 1995.

Of No Consequence

Gina Lowdon

Gina considers the emotional aftermath of caesarean deliveries and some coping mechanisms mothers use. First published in the National Childbirth Trust's journal 'New Generation' September 1995.

Aftershocks

Debbie Chippington Derrick

Debbie Chippington Derrick who had a HWBA3C (home water birth after 3 caesareans) shares the emotions that hit her after the birth of her niece at the beginning of this year. First published in AIMS Journal, Vol 19, No 1, 2007.

VBAC

VBAC Facts and Issues

Gina Lowdon and Debbie Chippington Derrick

This short article gives a concise overview of VBAC. First published in NCT New Generation magazine in December 1996 to accompany two birth stories of VBAC following three sections.

VBAC - On whose terms?

Gina Lowdon, Debbie Chippington Derrick

Article looks how hospital policies can affect VBAC labours and suggests ways women can still maintain control. First published in the AIMS Journal, Vol 14, No 1, 2002.

Another Caesarean Section? Why??

Gina Lowdon

This article looks very briefly at some of the reasons why repeat caesareans are so common and suggests why this need not be the case. First published in the AIMS Journal, Vol 4, No 3, 1991.

Do Mothers Put Their Babies At Risk?

Gina Lowdon

Mothers who wish to avoid a caesarean, who want to have a VBAC, often encounter the accusation that their baby will be at risk because of their wishes. The safety of the baby and the mother’s desire for a natural birth are viewed as mutually exclusive

Vaginal Birth After Caesarean

Debbie Chippington-Derrick and Gina Lowdon

This article discusses issues around scar rupture during VBAC. First Published in the 'Association of Radical midwives' journal 'Midwifery Matters' pp18-21 Issue 73 Summer 1997

Caesarean Myths Exploded

Debbie Chippington Derrick and Gina Lowdon

Discusses why four commonly accepted myths about VBAC are not correct: vaginal birth with a suspected small pelvis (CPD); vaginal birth after two or more caesareans; homebirth after caesareans; vaginal birth with a classical or other non LSCS scar. First published in the NCT publication New Generation Digest in March 1997.

Elective section after two sections - Where's the evidence?

Lawrence J. Roberts

Article reviews all the research about VBAC after two or more caesareans. It concludes there is no evidence for routinely offering an elective section and that VBA2C is a safe option for most women. First published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, December 1991, Vol 98, pp 1199-1202

VBAC Backlash

David Dobbs

Writer and VBAC father decribes their decision as parents to have a VBAC and the situation in the USA in obtaining maternity care when some hospital are forbidding this choice.

Mary Cronk's thoughts on early detection of scar problems during VBAC

Mary Cronk

Article look how the monitoring VBAC women may be enhanced, in order to detect any problem with the scar early, in the unlikely case of a problem.

BREECH

Breech babies - caesarean or vaginal birth?

Jean Robinson

Jean's critique of the Term Breech Trial, an international trial comparing managed breech vaginal delivery with elective caesarean section for selected term breech babies. First published in the AIMS Journal, Winter 2000/2001, Vol 12 No 4.

Breech Babies - Caesarean operation versus normal birth

Gina Lowdon

Gina discusses the barriers to vaginal birth that women with a breech presenting baby often encounter. First published in in the AIMS Journal, Autumn 1998, Vol 10 No 3.

Keep your hands off the Breech

Mary Cronk MBE

Mary is a well known and respected independent midwife, who has many years experience of assisting women to give birth to their breech babies vaginally. In this article she explains how the safety of vaginal breech birth can be maximised. First published in in the AIMS Journal, Autumn 1998, Vol 10 No 3.

Normal Breech Birth

RCM

The RCM "Campaign for Normal Birth" makes it clear that breech presentation is normal, it is just not typical and that a normal birth of a breech baby should be an option for women.

Term Breech trial

Cynthia Clarkson

Explains the Term Breech Trial and the results. First published in the NCT publication New Digest, December 2000

GENERAL BIRTH

Optimal Fetal Positioning

Jean Sutton

Jean discusses possible ways of encouraging unborn babies to adopt the best position for a straightforward delivery, particularly avoiding posterior babies. Copies of her book available from 95 Beech Rd, Bedfont Middlesex TW14 8AJ First published in the NCT publication New Generation Digest, June 1997.

Induction of Labour

Virginia Howes

Virginia considers the practice of inducing women with normal healthy pregnancies. She examines the evidence for this and the guidelines on this issue and considers the pressures that are put on women to cooperate and the impact that it has on many women's births.

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