VBAC advice please

[phantomhairpuller]

^^ just that basically!
I had EMCS with DS 2yrs ago and am pregnant now with DC2. Not due until April but I met with consultant for 1st time yesterday and discussed briefly the possibility of VBAC.
She outlined the risks involved and highlighted that if there's anything at all that raises slight concerns durin labour, they'll whip me straight into theatre for another section.
I only intend on having 2 DCs and would really like to deliver one myself!!
Anyone got any experiences to share with me to put my mind at ease?

I was exactly the same ad you when I was expecting DC2,after emcs with DS 2.5 years earlier. I went to pg yoga, read up a lot on vbac and my consultant agreed to limited monitoring so I could be as mobile as possible. All went well until I had a uterine rupture, hammoraged and DD's heart stopped. V v quick crash section under GA., much more traumatic and much longer recovery if I had been open to a cs earlier. Please take your consultant's advice and have one asap if advised. What happened to me is unusual though. Good luck!

PS - FWIW I only intend to have 2 DC too and don't feel incomplete in any way for not delivering either of them naturally. Just thankful that I have 2 healthy dc and for the NHS.

Sorry, when I said about longer recovery, it should have been "than if I had been open to a cs earlier".

Hi - Same here in that I had an EMCS for DC1.

Tried for a VBAC, got to 10cm very quickly. Then her heart rate dropped and ended up with a crash section.

The one thing I would say is keep talking to people in the later stages of your pregnancy. I was really confident about my VBAC at 20 weeks, but started to lose my confidence by the time I was due. I worried myself silly about the risks. Looking back, I should have insisted on seeing a senior midwife to talk things through.

I found doing a hypno birthing CD for VBAC very useful too.

Good luck.

BikeRunSki, you were really unlucky!
As a counterpoint to that, I had a vbac at a private birth centre with two midwives on hand, handheld monitoring, labouring in water, though I didn't find it that useful, so ended up labouring on land.
I did not go near an nhs ward as during the consultations I had, they were coming across as very inflexible in their approach I.e they were going to make me be on continous monitoring etc and as I felt lots of interventions were one of the reasons that I ended up having a c-section in the first place, I was very keen to avoid that happening again.

Oh and also used the vbac hypno cd!

I had an emcs for ds1 and have had three VBAC deliveries since, the first only 15 months after my section. I had no trouble at all.

For me it was more about being able to cuddle/reassure ds1 after the birth than anything else and I'm glad that I was able to. Some of the other posters on here seem to have had a dreadful time, poor things, but it's not all doom and gloom stories!

I had a vbac on Sunday, and it was a much better experience and recovery so far compared to the emcs I had with ds1. I used gas and air which is the most amazing thing. I would recommend the vbac.

Thanks for the advice ladies. Lots of thinking to do

Watching with interest. I'm really keen to have a VBAC with this baby after a planned CS due to DS being breech last time. Would really like an active birth so limited monitoring and to be able to birth without time limits. My main worry is that HCPs will look at my BMI which is high and base all the decisions on that. I am heavy but I am also quite fit and very active with a physical job. Very keen to hear other's experiences as advice.

Hello, Thought I'd jump on this thread rather than starting a new one. I had a planned section 2 years ago for DC1, due to breach. Did not labour at all. Last week had a midwife app and was told I was 2 cm and 'favourable', saw consultant today who did another sweep and said I was 3cm and 'very favourable' but wants me to have waters broken on Thursday morning as my first was 4.3kg and she is anxious about me waiting another week and baby putting on another 1lb!
I'm just wondering what peoples experiences are Re having their waters broken as form of induction? I wanted to really avoid another section but am starting to feel like if I don't have one this week I'll end up with one next week anyway so I may as well get it over with. Have I become too defeatest?!
Any experience/advice welcome.

Hi Jammy, you don't say how many weeks you are? You're already dilating and 'very favourable' so give your body time to do it's job, why are they're in such a rush to induce?! Don't let them scare you about baby's size, you can do it! It's far more healthy for you and your baby to go into spontaneous labour and your waters will break naturally. I had ARM and I would not do it again. The contractions went from manageable to on top of each other with no gap in between, and interventions escalated from there. You're doing really well, it's gonna happen any day now, good luck with your vbac!

I had an EMCS with dc1, did not go into labour.
With DD a random consultant blinded me with figures for risk of scar rupturing and scared me into booking a section.
I then saw my consultant and told him I didn't want a section so he said "don't have one then."
Section booked for the 6th. Baby was born on the 7th, vaginally but the midwife pulled the cord, it snapped, blood everywhere. Had to go to theatre and have the placenta removed and stay in for 2 nights. Not happy about that. Apparently a retained placenta is common after a section but I had never read that.
DS3 was born vaginally, too fast, scar nearly ruptured, baby and I nearly died. Prior to that we lost his heartbeat too.
DH had snip as too risky for me to have any more.

From all that you can see that it was the second pregnancy after a section that nearly caused a problem though dc2 was also problematic.

Hello,
NYD I'm 41 weeks tomorrow. I also had PPH with DC1 and this is yet another risk factor that they will be looking for. I contacted the hospital today and they were very open about different options, but I appreciate they are mecical professionals and will err on the side of 'risk obsessed!'.
Sorry to hear you had such a difficult time JustFab.
Very difficult decision as you may never really know if you made the right one either way, too much to think about!
Thanks for input!

I had a VBAC but would have changed to a c section if advised. I was very lucky. It was a wonderfully positive experience and although on continuous monitoring I was mobile and on a birthing ball. The recovery was so much quicker and easier than my C section and I was doing the school run the next day.

I had a successful VBAC for DS2 after having an ELCS for DS1 (breech). I was examined at 40+4 and was already 4cm. Had him spontaneously at 40+6 after 2 hours of contractions- just made it to hospital!

I had no issue with another CS but I was concerned about looking after my toddler afterwards. After much debate about what to do I'm glad it worked out the way it did. The VBAC natal hypno cd was brilliant. Recovery was much quicker than the CS but my pelvic floor is not great now, six months on. It could be from the pregnancy but more likely the vaginal delivery I guess.

I think the gamble is this. VBAC is great if it is successful but far worse than an elcs if it goes wrong.

I opted for elcs and am glad I did but I am risk averse. If you have never had a vaginal birth you are at slightly higher risk for the VBAC not being successful although it is still possible.

Good luck