Homebirth Cesarean
Homebirth Cesarean is when a planned out-of-hospital birth turns into an in-hospital cesarean birth.
The term “Homebirth Cesarean” was coined by Courtney Jarecki in her 2015 book of the same name.
“When women go from preparing and dreaming about a homebirth or birth center experience and relinquish those plans for a cesarean, the emotional fallout can be heavy.” (Jarecki)
Homebirth Cesarean and Healing from a Homebirth Cesarean (workbook), by Courtney Key Jarecki, 2015.
Why is homebirth cesarean uniquely difficult?
🤍 Many homebirthing mothers have a strong attachment to physiological birth, which is closely linked to core values and their identity as a woman and a mother.
🤍 The contrast from home to hospital can be deeply shocking and destabilizing.
🤍Key support members are sometimes unable to accompany a mother in the hospital, disrupting many months of continued care, trust, and safety.
🤍 Hospital staff and doctors sometimes have biases against women who planned homebirths, resulting in mistreatment or discrimination.
🤍 Partners are often frazzled, shocked, or traumatized themselves, especially if the transfer is urgent or occurs after many hours of laboring at home or after multiple sleepless nights.
A cesarean birth might represent the antithesis of a mother’s belief system, undermining her intuition, self worth, identity, and faith.
This experience is worsened by any birth-related trauma occuring as a result of her experience with labor, transfer, surgery, recovery, or bonding/feeding.
“Having spent years listening to and documenting the experiences of homebirth cesarean mothers, I recognize how rare it is to find work that is both emotionally attuned and responsibly held. Allison offers support that honors the complexity of these experiences and the mothers who live them.
— Courtney Key Jarecki, author of Homebirth Cesarean and Healing from Homebirth Cesarean
Resources for Homebirth Cesarean Mothers
Healing Mind, Body, and Spirit after C-Section
Feel better about your birth in the privacy of your home and at your own pace. In this self-paced course, you will process your birth, learn what hurts and why, and adopt actionable tools for repair. Includes 7 chapters and 2.5 hours of video content. Most participants complete the course in 3-7 weeks.
🔥NEW SELF-PACED ONLINE COURSE + PRIVATE LEARNING COMMUNITY
Cesarean Birth Story Healing
In a Birth Story Healing Session we will process your HBC birth story together, identifying and understanding areas that are causing you emotional pain. I will offer tenderness, care, and intentionality, insights, and practices to help you repair with yourself, your baby, your spouse, and the world. All sessions offered online via Zoom.
PRIVATE ZOOM SESSION FOR MOTHERS
VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) Preparation
If you’re considering a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) or HBAC (Homebirth After Cesarean), I invite you to schedule a private VBAC coaching session with me via Zoom. If you’ve decided to pursue a VBAC, this session will empower you with information and resources for a positive outcome. If you are undecided, this is an opportunity to have an authentic, evidence-based conversation about the risks and benefits of VBAC for you.
PRIVATE ZOOM SESSION FOR MOTHERS
Sacred Cesarean Planning
Your cesarean pregnancy and birth can feel sacred, empowering, connected, and even primal. Work with me to plan your cesarean on your terms.
PRIVATE ZOOM SESSION FOR MOTHERS
Cesarean Mothers Circle
An online support program for mothers who had emotionally difficult or traumatic cesarean births. Designed especially for mothers in the first year postpartum, this group meets 6 times over the course of 4 months. Each month, we focus on a different area of cesarean-related emotional healing. Topics include birth story processing, matrescence through the lens of a difficult birth, womb healing, boundaries in motherhood, and more. Most cohorts consist of at least 50% HBC mothers [enrollment is now closed for the Fall 2025 cohort ].
ONLINE GROUP PROGRAM FOR MOTHERS
No-Cost Resources
Homebirth Cesarean Facebook Group
A peer support group moderated by me and Courtney Key Jarecki, exclusively for HBC mothers.
The Cesarean Doula, its associated services, content, and programs, are intended for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider for any questions you may have regarding your health or medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have learned in this course.
If you are concerned about harming yourself or someone else, please contact the appropriate emergency services in your state or country (911 in the US).
In the United States, the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is a free, confidential service that provides support for pregnant and postpartum people. The hotline is available 24/7 by calling or texting 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262).
If you are experiencing extreme emotions, I encourage you to seek the support of a professional licensed therapist, ideally one who specializes in birth trauma or perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
Postpartum Support International offers this directory of perinatal mental health providers by country. Country-specific directories are available for Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. If you live in another country not listed here, you can use the internet to find licensed postpartum psychiatric support.