Do YOU have a Book Backstory you’d like to share with our readers? Read the details at the bottom of RIGHT HERE..
My apologies to the men reading this… 😉
At the age of 35, after 3 successful vaginal births, I was lying on a hospital bed in Bangor, Maine, enormously pregnant with what would be my largest baby, by far. Later, I was squatting on the floor. Then, I was bouncing on a big, red, rubber ball. Then, I was back in the bed. From bed, to squatting, to ball, back and forth, again and again. And…then I was begging for drugs.
The meds gave me an allergic reaction and my face started itching like crazy. I started clawing at my face between contractions (and my face peeled for several days afterward from the damage I did).
Sweet little (I mean HUGE) Max was not budging. I was in full-blown labor, with contractions coming back to back, and the pain was immense. After awhile, I knew something was wrong. He wasn’t moving down the birth canal. In my drugged state, I did what I never thought I would do. After one excruciating transaction, I sat up in bed, clapped my hands over my head, and loudly said, “I want a c-section!”
Things moved like lightning after that. Within 30 minutes, I was holding my 10 lb., 4 oz. butterball in my arms. Recovery was brutal. I had several inches of staples across my abdomen. I couldn’t pick up my baby by myself. I was drugged out on pain meds so I really can’t remember much about his first few days at home. He was born with a bruise and swelling all the way around his head. He’d been stuck in the birth canal and he was NOT going to come out the normal way. I did realize that, had he been born 100 years before, he and I may have died. Having a c-section was a lifesaver for both of us.
Fast forward four years. I was pregnant ONCE AGAIN. (Yeah, I know! Don’t worry…I stopped after #5!!) I went back to the same ob/gyn, had the pregnancy test, set up my next appointment, and got my prescription for prenatal vitamins. And, that’s when the nurse said, “We’ll know your precise due date after your sonogram so we’ll go ahead and schedule your c-section at that time…”
SAY WHAT?!
I attempted to argue with her but she made it very clear that the doctor did not perform VBACs (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean).
After I got home, I immediately got online, and started researching VBACs. And, what I discovered was:
1. VBACs are usually safer than repeat c-sections
2. C-sections are many times more expensive than VBACs
3. C-sections are scheduled to make it more convenient for doctors to, you know, make their tee times…
I found a doctor 45 minutes away who did perform VBACs, and in a much smaller hospital. I did, indeed, have a successful and beautiful VBAC, surrounded by my family, and the rest is history. Oh, and that kiddo weighed 9 lbs., 8 oz.
After my experience, I felt compelled to share my story with other women who were being forced into dangerous surgeries. And, I knew that sharing other women’s stories, as well as my own, would give those pregnant ladies the confidence they needed to fight for the health, safety, and rights of their babies and themselves.
My book went on to sell VERY well, and it still sells well today! C-sections continue to increase in numbers and doctors and hospitals continue to pocket immense amounts of money for performing them, putting the lives of women and their babies at risk. I will never stop beating the VBAC drum!
DON’T CUT ME AGAIN! True Stories About Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) is available from:
BookLocker.com (use this discount code to get 10% off: 10PERCENTOFF)
Books a Million
How do authors get their ideas for books? And, at what point in their lives did these creative individuals decide they wanted to be authors?? READ MORE BOOK BACKSTORIES AND AUTHOR BACKSTORIES RIGHT HERE!
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Got questions about Print On Demand and Self-publishing? Ask Angela Hoy.
About The Author
Angela Hoy is the publisher of WritersWeekly.com, the author of 19 books, and the co-owner of BookLocker.com (one of the original POD publishers that still gets books to market in less than a month), PubPreppers.com (print and ebook design for authors who truly want to self-publish), and Abuzz Press (the publishing co-op that charges no setup fees).
Angela has lived and traveled across the U.S. with her kids in an RV, settled in a river-side home in Bradenton, FL, and lived on a 52 ft Irwin sailboat. Angela now resides on a mountaintop in Northwest Georgia, where she plans to spend the rest of her days bird watching, gardening, hiking, and taking in all of the amazing sunrises.
WritersWeekly.com - the free marketing ezine for writers, which features new paying markets and freelance job listings every Wednesday.
BookLocker.com - According to attorney Mark Levine, author of The Fine Print, BookLocker is: "As close to perfection as you're going to find in the world of ebook and POD publishing. The ebook royalties are the highest I've ever seen, and the print royalties are better than average. BookLocker understands what new authors experience, and have put together a package that is the best in the business. You can't go wrong here. Plus, they're selective and won't publish any manuscript just because it's accompanied by a check. Also, the web site is well trafficked. If you can find a POD or epublisher with as much integrity and dedication to selling authors' books, but with lower POD publishing fees, please let me know."
Abuzz Press offers FAST and FREE book publication, but only accepts a small percentage of submissions, and only works with U.S. authors.
PubPreppers.com - "We Prep, You Publish!" Print and ebook design for authors who truly want to self-publish. Offers formatting and design services only, and then provides simple instructions for authors on where to sign up to have the print and ebook editions printed/listed/sold. Cut out the middle man. Keep 100% of what bookstores pay for your book!
Angela's POD Secrets Revealed Series can be found HERE.
Have a POD Book with another publisher? See if BookLocker can give you a better deal. (BookLocker offers "disgruntled author discounts" to those who want to move from other POD services.)
See BookLocker's publishing packages HERE.
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https://www.facebook.com/angela.hoy.750
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelahoy/
Angela is the creator of the Original 24-Hour Short Story Contest!
https://24hourshortstorycontest.com/
Read More Of Angela's Articles HERE
90+ DAYS OF PROMOTING YOUR BOOK ONLINE: Your Book's Daily Marketing Plan by Angela Hoy and Richard Hoy
Promoting your book online should be considered at least a part-time job. Highly successful authors spend more time promoting a book than they do writing it - a lot more.
We know what you're thinking. You're an author, not a marketer. Not to worry! We have more than a decade of successful online book selling experience under our belts and we're going to teach you how to promote your book effectively online...and almost all of our techniques are FREE!
Online book promotion is not only simple but, if you have a step-by-step, day-to-day marketing plan (this book!), it can also be a very artistic endeavor, which makes it fun for creative folks like you!
Yes, online book promoting can be EASY and FUN! Let us show you how, from Day 1 through Day 90...and beyond!
HOW TO REMEMBER, WRITE AND PUBLISH YOUR LIFE STORY
Angela Hoy's popular online class is now available in book format!
Remember Your Past
Write It and Publish It
in as little as 12 weeks!
Angela Hoy's book will get you started!
- Using Angela's MEMORY TRIGGERS, recall memories that have been dormant for years
- Record those memories in chronological order in your memory notebook
- Using the memory notebook as your outline, write your autobiography!
- Also works for biographies and memoirs!
Read more here:
https://booklocker.com/books/4764.html
Why say “Sorry” to the men?
I’m a dad. I know what what women have to go through. My wife went through it. I have the crushed hands to prove it.
Mike
What a story! I’m sure that your book has helped and will continue to help other mothers faced with this difficult decision. That being said, 10 pounds 4 and 9 pounds 8, wow, what big boys you have.
I had one 9 lbs as well, and two around 8.5 lbs. It was all that Haagen-Dazs!!! 😉
Angela