EP45 - Fiona's FBAC (fragmented care, MFM, OBGYN, 'high risk' pregnancy, omphalocele baby, breech, elective caesarean, NICU, trauma, doula support, wild pregnancy, freebirth, FBAC, long labour)

In this episode, Fiona shares the story of her first birth, a pregnancy that quickly shifted from low-risk to highly medicalised following the discovery of her son’s omphalocele. What began as a planned physiological birth became a scheduled caesarean at 39 weeks, followed by a NICU stay, complications following mistakes from medical staff, delayed surgery, and a challenging introduction to motherhood. Fiona speaks candidly about navigating intensive surveillance, advocating within a tertiary hospital system, and the impact of early separation from her baby. She reflects on postpartum anxiety, the work it took to establish breastfeeding after a complex start, and the gradual rebuilding of trust in her own instincts as a mother. As she began considering another baby, Fiona found herself questioning not only specific interventions, but the structure of maternity care itself. In her second pregnancy, she chose a very different path. She declined routine scans and clinical antenatal care, enjoying a wild pregnancy, ultimately stepping well outside conventional systems of care. This is a story about autonomy and reclaiming power, the story of a woman making deeply considered decisions for herself and her family. Fiona’s journey speaks to the central theme that runs through all of our conversations here: that informed choice is critical. We invite you to listen with curiosity as Fiona shares what led her to make the decisions she did, and how those experiences shaped her understanding of birth, risk, and trust in her own body. Fiona would love to express immense gratitude for her doula, Sam @samanthagunndoula during her first pregnancy and postpartum and the incredible support she received from Kellee @earthaunty during her wild pregnancy and free birth. **Please join us on our journey to bringing you all kinds of VBAC stories from across the country from here on in by subscribing and following us on social media, @australianvbacstories on Instagram and Australian VBAC Stories on Facebook.**  **If you enjoyed this episode, we’d love to rate or review, and tell your friends!** **If you are feeling that you might benefit from mental health support after listening to our podcast, please reach out to one of the organisations below:** **PANDA** https://panda.org.au/ **Gidget Foundation** https://www.gidgetfoundation.org.au/ **COPE Australia** https://www.cope.org.au/ **If you've experienced mistreatment or disrespectful care in your pregnancy, birth or postpartum and are seeking advocacy support, please contact one of the following organisations:** **Maternity Choices Australia** https://www.maternitychoices.org/ **Maternity Consumer Network** https://www.maternityconsumernetwork.org.au/ **Thank you for tuning in to our podcast.**