Second Chance is a beautiful and gripping memoir, but it also has a broader purpose and message to share about the current state of maternity care in the United States.
Every mother who begins the difficult journey to resolve her feelings about her unexpected cesarean will find her own safe way to give birth in her subsequent pregnancy.
Derich does a phenomenal job of portraying tension. Moments with her husband, her OB, and the nurses had me clenching my stomach and holding my breath.
This book could have been just another birth story book (of which there are many), but the way in which it's told -- the interwoven unfolding of two birth stories, side by side, the style of narration, and the author's ability to describe and recount a scene with such detail, makes Second Chance a memorable and engaging book that I found hard to put down.
Author and speaker Thais Nye Derich discusses her journey through unexpected cesarean with her first baby and her quest for a natural birth after cesarean with her second.
Topics Discussed:
Background Thais Nye Derich
Diet and exercise during pregnancy
Birth class
Thais' first birth story
Hospital policies
Birth triggering previous emotional trauma
Psychological damage
“Recovery Closet”
Physical recovery and 'Phantom Pain'
2nd Birth- The battle of finding a VBAC supportive doctor
Home birth after cesarean
Derich’s memoir is also an important contribution to the current international debate about human rights in childbirth and the critical role of respectful maternity care. In today’s world it is no longer acceptable to move ahead with or simply recommend a procedure or a course of care. It is women themselves who get to decide what they are willing to consent to and what to refuse.
Without respect for autonomy and women’s ability to make their own informed decisions about how they want to give birth it will be difficult for caregivers to gain the trust of the women they serve.
Suzanne M. Lang talks with Thais Nye Derich about her path of self-examination and learning to discover that she, like many other women, was a victim of the medical establishment that denied her the human right of birthing her own child. Second Chance, A Mother's Quest for a Natural Birth after Cesarean is not just a book about childbirth, but about control over our own lives and simply, about being human.
Literary Mama’s ABIGAIL LALONDE featured Thais Nye Derich’s memoir, Second Chance: A Mother’s Quest for a Natural Birth after a Cesarean in her “Essential Reading: Mother’s Day” article, where she praised Derich for crushing “the stigma of home birth by juxtaposing her first birth experience, a hospital birth that culminated in an unplanned caesarean, with her second birth experience, a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) home birth…With brutal honesty Derich takes her reader on a journey of more than just her birth experiences.”
There is one moment during the pregnancy of my second child that I attribute to having saved my life. It wasn’t a life-saving cesarean. It wasn’t an amazing doctor who saved me. It wasn’t a drug or a modern life-saving piece of equipment.
I am sitting in a circle of supportive women when I have this realization.
“When I started planning to have a natural birth after delivering my first son via cesarean, I was up against a lot of backlash due to the increased perceived risk of a natural birth after a C-Section. Meditation and visualization kept me centered and strong in my conviction to birth my second child the way that I wanted. For me, giving birth naturally meant more than just avoiding a painful and unnecessary surgery. It meant being empowered to make informed decisions about my pregnancy. It meant honest communication between my maternity care team and myself. Most of all, it meant listening to my instincts, and learning trust in my own body.”
I ordered Thais book and devoured it in a day, shedding tears as I was caught up into the moving story of both her first son’s birth, a cesarean that took her by surprise and left her reeling, and the story of her second son’s birth, the culmination of poignant soul searching coupled with a full immersion
into the world of natural birthing.
I'm excited to share a thoughtful and glowing reviews of Second Chance! Here's the link to the review on Enjoy Birth Blog.
Mom Egg Review reviews Thais Derich's memoir Second Chance.
Linda Thompson interviews Thais Derich about her debut memoir Second Chance.
I believe in pausing. In fact, I structure my day so that spending time with my kids in the afternoon is a break from the other things I do. I’m on the Mama Advantage podcast talking about the power of pausing:
#motherhood #mamaCEO #mompreneur #MamaAdvantage
http://meganflatt.com/2017/06/05/mamaadvantageepisode006/
And you can access it on itunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mama-advantage-podcast/id1231611309?mt=2
"Thank you for all of your support. It’s a real testimonial to your Writing Circle because that really felt supportive and made me take bigger risks in my writing. I am very grateful. The children’s book has taken on so many different edits. I will let you know what is happening as it unfolds. Lots of high fives to you."
WHAT IF YOU COULD HIRE A LITERARY AGENT BY THE HOUR?
Read the full article on SheWrites.com >>
From the Natural Mumma blog: I’m delighted to welcome the inspirational author and activist Thais Nye Derich to the site. Thais’s new memoir Second Chance: A Mother’s Quest for a Natural Birth after a Cesarean offers an honest and encouraging look at vaginal birth after c-section. Thais’ work really resounds with me because it is all about listening to your instincts. Through her wonderful blog and her upcoming book, she informs and inspires women, helping them to feel in control during childbirth. Here she talks about the delivery of her first child, and how childbirth can be a journey of self-discovery.
KFPA INTERVIEW WITH HOST JOVELYN RICHARDS ON "COVER TO COVER"
Listen to the interview here: https://kpfa.org/tag/thais-derich/
A beautiful night for a book launch party!
If we're lucky there's a time in our lives when the injustices become as clear as water in a glass cup. We may have to suffer before we can see through the glass to the other side. When we heal from our suffering and can see the truth, the picture is as sharp as a digital photo on a hot day. Now we have the opportunity to make those injustices right and move society to a better place.
There are injustices in the birth room, I experienced some of those. I suffered, and I saw them as not only my own but as a societal problem. Now I have the opportunity to make things better.