Making decisions about birth after caesarean

Interview 02: Understand what your complications were before, why you had to go to caesarean. And I think ultimately that will define as to whether you can try natural for your second birth.

Interview 16: Because I choose to have him that way, and I feel that I felt-, it's quite a big, I felt like it was quite a big part of me choosing to do-,  to have this caesarean anyway and I'm more with it, fully aware of what was going on with this time. And I feel like that was sort of an achievement in itself.

Interview 14: Just not to make the decision straight away to do all the research, talk to people or look at something like this on your website, really have a look around and find out what other people's experiences and what's happened to them, and then make your decision. And you've got a nine months pregnancy so you don't have to decide straight away. I do think you've got a nice bit of leeway, but you should do it as the end is nearer and say that you are prepared.

What message would you send to health professionals who give advice to women in this situation?  

Interview 08, played by an actor: I think to listen very carefully to be good listeners, but also to give very straightforward advice because I think as a pregnant person, I think you're looking for advice. I mean, it's something that you do perhaps once or twice in your life and therefore something which is, you know, quite a big decision to make. And they've seen many pregnancies and many deliveries, and I think they have to be prepared to give honest advice from their experience.

Interview 11: If you are going to try for a natural birth, you might need a bit more information about that, because as a second time Mum you sort of thought-, you know as I say you don't see the midwife as often and you have one, and you could ask to go to the normal isolated classes, but usually you have one if you're lucky, you know, to meet other second time mums. But, you know, you might want a bit more information about labour and pain relief and things if you didn't experience it the first time.

And if you were to give a message to other women that were making the decision about how to deliver the second time, what message would you send to other women?

Get as much information as possible and definitely have a plan, but then you always have to be with this business, you know, you have to be really open minded to it. You know, and you really do. You can't like have your heart set on ‘I really want to experience a natural birth’. And to be honest, I'd say it's not the be all and end all, I don't really feel like I'm a better person, you know. And I don't feel, you know, that she's a better baby or anything because I had a natural birth.