January 21, 2021

You Matter, Your Story Matters | Thais Nye Derich

48 minutes

Today we talk with Thais Derich, award-winning author of Second Chance: A Mother's Quest For a Natural Birth After a Cesarean. Thais is a Master of Fine Arts and Merit Scholar at the California College of the Arts. Her work is published in a number of magazines and journals, and she is a frequent public speaker, and uses her experience with a successful VBAC to educate others on how to recognize their own birthing options. (www.ThaisDerich.com)

Thais talks about her journey to starting a family with her husband, and the birth of her first child that ended in her being pressured into an unnecessary Cesarian Section which left her feeling powerless and traumatized. We clarify that C-Sections are a life-saving procedure and that birth is birth no matter how it happens, but that consent is the key to a non-traumatic birth.

We then talk about how Thais became determined to have her second birth be a VBAC. We discuss her difficulty in finding a practitioner who would take her on, and how misinformation about VBAC can color the willingness of practitioners to take on VBAC patients. We talk about Thais' decision to have a home birth and finding a Midwife who was experienced with VBAC to safely guide the process.

Thais talks about the birth of her second son and the healing work she did during her labor to recover from the trauma of the first, and the triumphant feeling of her accomplishment. We talk about the research that goes into planning for a VBAC and the importance of finding a provider that is enthusiastic about the mother's choices and willing to carry them out without overruling her.

We compare the risks of an at-home VBAC and an in-hospital C-section, and how statistics show that VBACs are overwhelmingly successful. We talk about Thais' use of hypnotherapy to work through the trauma of her first birth, and the support she received from her local birth community during her second pregnancy.

Finally, Thais gives her advice to people who are being denied a VBAC and tells them to "keep shopping" until they can find a provider that is willing to help them have the birth experience that they want. We talk about how COVID has made for greater encouragement toward home birth.

To learn more, visit www.ThaisDerich.com

For Any Questions, Email Us at [email protected]

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