Supporting birthing women to find the information, services and strategies they need to make informed and empowering 'next birth after Caesarean' choices.
Whether you are considering your 'next birth after Caesarean' options, would like to know more about recovering from a Caesarean, or have already decided to plan a VBAC, One Mother to Another has been created to support you.
30/08/2024
The NSW Birth Trauma enquiry elicited responses from thousands of women across Australia. Whilst it is promising to see NSW committing to continuity of care and other basics, like respecting women's choices, I do have some concern that a focus on 'informed consent' may manifest as coercion wrapped in compassion. Time will tell.
The article links to the final report, if you'd like a read.
"The final report, delivered in May, called for urgent efforts to address avoidable lack of continuity of care, lack of trauma-informed practices, inadequate antenatal education, inadequate informed consent practices, a lack of respect for women’s birthing choices and experiences, and a lack of inclusivity and culturally appropriate services."
Ryan Park pledges to fast-track a number of initiatives, including to improve access to continuity of care and ensure informed consent
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Whether you are considering your 'next birth after Caesarean' options, would like to know more about recovering from a Caesarean, or have already decided to plan a VBAC, One Mother to Another has been created to support you.
As a mother who has both birthed by Caesarean and VBACed, I well understand the complexities of unplanned birth outcomes and birth trauma, and what it is like to heal from these and plan for empowered birth.
I have written The VBAC Series to help other birthing women better connect with the information, services and support available to them as they embark upon the 'next birth after Caesarean' journey. My aim is to support you to make choices for yourself, both as a consumer and a mother.
As a Chief Learning Officer at a software start-up company, former secondary teacher, and consumer adviser of ten years, my experience in both Education and Health sectors offers me a unique, intersectional perspective.
I am an international speaker and present on a range of consumer-related topics, such as value-based healthcare (VBHC).
I presented on VBHC and the patient perspective at the:
Utrecht Medical Center 2016 Birth Care Symposium, Utrecht.
International Consortium of Health Outcome Measurement (ICHOM) 2016 conference, London.
ICHOM 2017 conference, Washington.
Medical Technology Assocation of Australia Conference, Sydney, 2018.
I am published in the Australian Midwifery News and VBHC Thinkers magazine (Netherlands). My educational video, The Importance of Patient Perspective in Outcome Measurement, premiered in Utrecht (2016) and forms part of the UNSW Masters of Health Data Science course.
I am an active consumer leader, and hold formal roles with WHA (special purpose director) and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (council member). I also run the VBAC Chat | South Australia consumer group, I chair WHA’s Consumer Special Interest Group, and I provide consulting services.
In all of my roles, I work to build partnerships through strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, presenting and educating in both on- and offline spheres. This results in consumer engagement projects, such as the 'Birthing Stories' project (2017), and workshops for consumers and professionals, such as my VBAC webinar for the Australian College of Midwives (which is offered to members for CPD credits).
I have developed and continue to develop numerous educational resources, including The VBAC Series program (for consumers and professionals), videos and literature, and I harness social media and other online platforms to keep these resources relevant and readily available.
For more information about the public speaking, consulting, eduction and support services offered by One Mother To Another, please connect with Tessa via PM or email: tessakowaliw@gmail.com.
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Disclaimer
Please note that I am a qualified teacher and a mother with personal experience of Caesarean birth and VBAC. I am not a doctor, midwife or trained health professional. If you require medical advice, please speak to your health professional.
