[womancaredoula]

Here is a list of hospitals in MT that ban VBAC according to the national survey completed by ICAN in January. Please help us find women in these areas who may benefit from the legal help being offered by our probono lawyer. Thanks.

St Peter's Hospital Helena Montana Banned
St Jame's Healthcare Butte Montana Banned
Barret Hospital & Healthcare Dillon Montana Banned
Community Hospital Anaconda Montana Banned
Sidney Health Center Sidney Montana Banned
Marias Medical Center Shelby Montana Banned
Bozeman Deaconess Hospital Bozeman Montana Banned
Northern Montana Helathcare Havre Montana Banned
Central Montana Medical Lewistown Montana Banned
Clark Fork Valley Hospital Plains Montana Banned
North Valley Hospital Whitefish Montana Banned
St Luke Community Hospital Ronan Montana Banned

-Barbara Stratton

 

[Amberenergy]

I'm not sure about the other communities, but just fyi for Bozeman you can get a VBAC with the midwives at the birth center in town. There is hope. I also think they will do them in Livingston, I'm not positive. MT can be pretty behind in lots of parts of the state, but some pockets are progressive.

 

[womancaredoula]

Yes I haven't heard that MT is the worst place in the country in terms of VBAC access. There ARE areas of the country that have horrible access issues where women would have to get in the car (or airplane or boat in the case of AK) and travel for hours to get to VBAC accepting hospitals. The goal of our work or of anyone challenging these bans (I've personally reversed two in my own state of Maryland) is to stop the progression of the problem and find a way to reverse it.

So, who is game for doing outreach in the MT areas where the VBAC ban means that women are having to travel far in labor to get their VBACs? You can contact the area's LLL chapters, post on mom's boards, run ads in the local paper, whatever.

-Barbara Stratton

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amberenergy I'm not sure about the other communities, but just fyi for Bozeman you can get a VBAC with the midwives at the birth center in town. There is hope. I also think they will do them in Livingston, I'm not positive. MT can be pretty behind in lots of parts of the state, but some pockets are progressive.

 

[Buzzer Beater]

Not everyone can get a VBAC with the midwives here. If I get pregnant, I can't, for technical reasons, not medical.

If one were to work with a lawyer on this issue, what would it entail? I imagine some women might not want to put it all out there on the line and then... not manage to push that baby out vaginally when everyone is watching her case.

 

[womancaredoula]

I'm not sure what you mean by technical reasons?

It certainly takes a certain type of person to want to be on the forefront of solving any social injustice but the opportunity to benefit all women who are facing this issue is also huge.

I'd be glad to talk to any interested woman about what is involved - just have her email the email address listed. Whether she successfully VBACs or not is not the issue - the issue is the access to pursuing a VBAC. Please also know that several of us working on this are also ICAN leaders and so she would benefit from the standard "how to increase your chances of getting a VBAC" type info we always give out. My own ICAN chapter just had four VBACs in the past month (a 100% rate).

-Barbara Stratton

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buzzer Beater Not everyone can get a VBAC with the midwives here. If I get pregnant, I can't, for technical reasons, not medical. If one were to work with a lawyer on this issue, what would it entail? I imagine some women might not want to put it all out there on the line and then... not manage to push that baby out vaginally when everyone is watching her case.

 

[Buzzer Beater]

I had a c/s 18 years ago, and my records have been destroyed. So, unfortunately, the midwives here can't see me for a VBAC without documentation of the kind of sutures I had. And no VBAC at the hospital...

I think I would be interested in doing whatever it took to increase awareness of this problem.

 

[womancaredoula]

Do you mean single laywer suturing vs. double layer suturing? If so then please research the issue via the ICAN website and forums/yahoo list as not everyone is in agreement that single layer suturing is more risky for uterine rupture.

Or did you mean whether your uterine cut was horizontal ("transverse") or up and down ("classical")? Are these homebirth midwives who need this proof? Please p.m. if you want to talk about it more.

Meanwhile, yes please do help us spread the word - email any MT mailing lists you are on, contact MT doulas (use DONA, ALACE and ICEA websites). Raise funds and run an ad in newpapers in the areas where bans exist. We've been on this hunt since last July and it is so frustrating after hearing woman after woman complain that they can't get a local VBAC only to not find affected women in any of the five states the lawyer can serve.

-Barbara

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buzzer Beater I had a c/s 18 years ago, and my records have been destroyed. So, unfortunately, the midwives here can't see me for a VBAC without documentation of the kind of sutures I had. And no VBAC at the hospital... I think I would be interested in doing whatever it took to increase awareness of this problem.

 

[CindyCindy]

This is all so fascinating. Sara, I am curious as to the outcome of where you are going to birth should you become pregnant and how you are able to help women fight for their VBAC's. Please keep posting and let us know!

 

[elanorh]

Thanks for doing this!

My SIL is in Missoula and with the Birth Center there closed now - I'm afraid that the VBAC availability there is going to go away as well.

She had a c/s with her first and wants a VBAC, but is not the sort of person to fight for it (if it's available, she'll do it, but if people are acting like it's not acceptable, she'll do whatever they tell her). She was excited that they told her after her c/s (different state) that she'll be able to VBAC easily; but if the medical professionals tell her it's not available, she'll just do a c/s.

I've a good friend who had a c/s in Great Falls several years ago, and ended up choosing another c/s with her second; the one doctor there at the time who would still do VBACs had to leave town for a couple weeks and she'd have had to drive to (then) Helena in the winter if she went into labor.

It makes me sad, because she really believes that her body can't deliver babies. And given her descriptions of her birth with her first, I suspect that it was really a case of "this labor is taking too long for US [HCPs]."

 

[forestrymom]

I'm not sure the list is up to date. I had a VBAC at St. James, with complications, in 2007.

 

[Skweeks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by womancaredoula Here is a list of hospitals in MT that ban VBAC according to the national survey completed by ICAN in January. Please help us find women in these areas who may benefit from the legal help being offered by our probono lawyer. Thanks. St Peter's Hospital Helena Montana Banned St Jame's Healthcare Butte Montana Banned Barret Hospital & Healthcare Dillon Montana Banned Community Hospital Anaconda Montana Banned Sidney Health Center Sidney Montana Banned Marias Medical Center Shelby Montana Banned Bozeman Deaconess Hospital Bozeman Montana Banned Northern Montana Helathcare Havre Montana Banned Central Montana Medical Lewistown Montana Banned Clark Fork Valley Hospital Plains Montana Banned North Valley Hospital Whitefish Montana Banned St Luke Community Hospital Ronan Montana Banned -Barbara Stratton

What hospitals and areas do allow VBAC's?

 

[forestrymom]

I saw our OB today, and its true.

He said the only hospitals that allow vbac in Montana are in Missoula, Bozeman, and Billings. He said he doesn't agree, but he is not the one that makes the rules--although he did vote to keep VBAC. He suggested I see an OB, who supports VBAC, in Missoula, or refuse at the front door of St. James when I get there, and as much as I adore this OB, I think I'm going to look into a homebirth at my in-laws. I'm just so sad, because he is really the reason that I got the vbac.