Not choosing the right caregiver for your birth is like playing Russian roulette!

When we give up our power and hand it over to the Professionals we loose control of what can happen to our birth and us as a birth mother. It's really like playing Russian roulette and who knows what could happen.

Choosing the right caregiver should be on the top of the list when preparing for your birth... but for many it's not. We have fallen into the trust of the system and doing what we are told to do because they are the professionals... We find out we are pregnant and go to see our GP who asks if you have Private Health or not. If you do have Private Health then they refe

r you onto a particular Obstetrician. They don't even ask you if you already have one in mind or if you would like to go private or public or what kind of birth you even want. Even if you want to go public if you know about the birth centre or the midwifery group practice.

When choosing the right caregiver weather it be public or private it's important that we find out detailed information about all the options. For example if you are wanting to achieve the most natural birth possible with minimal scans and intervention or drugs and you are referred to an OB who has a high intervention and caesarean rate then chances are you will end up the same as the majority of his/her past mum.

I encourage you to call around to each caregiver and ask them these kinds of questions. If you are having a baby after you have had a previous Caesarean birth and you want to attempt a virginal birth (VBAC) then you need to ensure that you are going to find a caregiver who will support you right to the end and not try and sway you at the last minute.

Talk to friends about their experiences with the caregivers they choose and really sit down and write out your birth preferences and what you would like for your pregnancy and birth..

Everyone is different and every caregiver is different you may go and meet one caregiver and not get a good feeling or vibe from them compared to another. You want to be choosing someone who listens to you and is willing to help you and support you in every way possible. You have to feel comfortable with who you allow into your birth space because if you don't feel comfortable or supported it could impact how you birth.

I am not saying that you don't want to listen to their advice if complications do arise but its important to ask them questions and ask for evidence based information. You want to know the benefits, the risks, is there an alternative you can try first and what if you do nothing? Just because you have gone over your Estimated Due Date does not mean that you baby is in danger. Normal gestation is anywhere between 37/38-42 weeks.. That’s a whole 2 weeks past your EDD.

It's time we take back our birth! I know of Private hospitals that have a 68% Caesarean Birth Rate! This is outrageous and the national average in Australia is around 32% even that is still too high... We need to start asking why so many women are having Caesareans... Surely not all of them would have been for medical reasons.

Don't play Russian roulette with your birth.... You only get one chance to birth your baby so make it the best possible birth you can!