"Supportive ante-natal care"

I am pregnant with my third child. Previous two births have ended in emergency section (2nd time attempted VBAC). The opinion of most care providers from the outset has been “I assume this is a 3rd section” with no real knowledge of previous births or my own personal views on the subject.

I very much have always wanted a vaginal delivery and it is a very emotive subject for me. Whilst I know in my head that a planned section is the sensible choice this time round, I wanted to have this clear in my head and have the opportunity to chat through my previous birth and why we ended up in EMCS again.

We had a consultation with Dr Devlin today. He took on board my concerns, genuinely wanted to understand my previous birth and didn’t default to “this has to be a section” territory. He requested my previous notes and we worked through them then and there (during a busy clinic) and it helped to clarify the reasons why an EMCS was the right course of action at that time. I better understand why there is also a higher risk of some of those same factors arising this time around.

I felt validated and not made to feel silly for questioning whether a vaginal delivery was possible this time round and left much more comfortable and confident that a planned section is the best route forward for me and my family.

Thank you Dr Devlin for being empathetic and patient-focussed, yet setting out the facts and risks in a very clear way. It is so appreciated and exactly the support that I needed at this time.