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