Honest answers -second birth after section

[run2]

If you had a section for your first birth (not emergency, though natural birth had been planned) would you choose another section or vbac for the next and why? Really looking for constructive answers thanks.

[EstRusMum]

Section. Being in labour for 15 hours and not progressing at all, and having section with high temperature, shivering on the table, feeling like I'm about to die have left a pretty big emotional scar. I don't want to be in so much pain for nothing again.
For the first 5 years after my DS was born I was sure that I will never have babies again. I just didn't want to go through that again.
Now I'm pregnant with my second and I knew straight away that I will request ELCS. It's 9 days till my section and I am calm, confident and prepared.
Actually calm enough to even go for VBAC if she decides to come early, quickly and without any assistance (induction/forceps/ventouse/epidural). So I won't start panicking if my body will decide to function the way it supposed to, but if it won't I'll have section.

[NoLongerJustAShopGirl]

VBAC here- I had CS for first and chose VBAC for second - OMG what a difference in recovery time and general feeling of "get up and go" and bonding etc. CS spent 3 nights in hospital, couldn't lift stuff, felt so tired etc... VBAC - home after 6 hours, back to normal.

(Birth all went smoothly)

[Number3cometome]

run2

Planned C-section for DC2 after emergency section with DC1.

Was completely amazing, went in to the hospital in the morning, had baby in my arms by 11:15am, no pain.

Coped well after, went home on day 2 and was out walking round the park on day 3 - yes I had twinges and had to be careful, but paracetamol kept me going.

I will be having a planned c-section with this baby too.

My first labour was horrendous and I cannot bear the stress of worrying what happened the first time will happen again.

Only issue is my c-section will more than likely be under a general.

[LovelyWeatherForDucks]

Pregnant with DC2 here after planned (for breech) section for DS1 2 years ago. Haven't yet met with consultant but keen to try to a vbac. C section last time went badly, I was very unlucky and rare complications nearly killed me. So don't want a repeat of that! Equally having not laboured before and being nervous of scar rupture etc I will be wanting a low threshold for c section (and cross fingers I'm not so unlucky with complications 2nd time round). I also want to avoid postnatal ward as much as possible!

[Newmom2b]

I had a previous section for breech. Am going for a vbac this time. Recovery time with a 3 year old swung it for me. Also I feel like the consultant has put me in charge and if there are any complications at all or if not progressing I can ask for a csec at any time.

[babynelly2010]

I did not have section but 2 vaginal births. My bits are in shreds, now have some prolapsing and crazy contractions during second birth ripped my stomach in two which can now only be corrected with surgery. Sometimes I secretly wish that I had sections so at least my personal bits would of stayed sort of together.

[BikeRunSki]

I went for VBAC. After 7 hours labour and at 10 cm dilated I had a uterine rupture and haemorrhage, swiftly followed by a general anaesetic and crash cs.

With this hindsight I'd go for an elective cs.

[blueshoes]

I has emcs for first and was wavering between VBAC and elcs for second. The day the consultant agreed to an elcs at 36 weeks, I felt such peace and confidence that I knew elcs was the right decision. It went like clockwork and I recovered quickly and easily, with the scar healing nicely too.

With a elcs, everything is planned down to the day and the support you can put in place. The recovery time may be longer (but not by much) than for a straightforward natural delivery but it is a more certain outcome and very calm and uneventful. Had the sunroof already so might as well use it. My bits are unaffected which makes me pleased.

[Racheyg]

I'm reading with interest. I had a emcs in July 2013 and 18 weeks pregnant with number 2. I have an appt with the consultant in feb to discuss. I recovered really well with the section so that's not a concern. I'm worried about the birth whether I have problems dilating again and I don't want the problems with tearing ect. Xx

[NoLongerJustAShopGirl]

Can I just put a word of caution - you will generally only hear the horror stories about VBAC- not a lot of people post - oh it was all fine..

It was for me - 6 hours and out of the hospital, no tearing, no "bits in a mess" - just fine...

[NoMoreDelays]

I've had 3 VBACs. Straight home after delivery, no post-natal ward. Bliss.

[Racheyg]

Please don't think I think a c section as a easy option. I was so ready for a vaginal birth but I was in labour for 2 days and wasn't dilating despite all the help. So emcs was it for my 1st.

I guess I shouldn't really read these stories as like you said I don't hear all great stories on vbac and my oh thinks I'm convincing myself into something that might not be needed (another c section)

[tuckingfits]

I had an EMCS with my first baby after 18 hours of labour. VBAC second birth. I used HypnoBirthing & had an amazingly different experience.

There are vbac groups on facebook (I haven't looked but trained as a HB practitioner after my second birth & have heard about them through those circles). I would also recommend looking for a Positive Birth Movement group near you, or just join their main fb page. Loads of very useful info.

I did have a horrible first birth, the exhaustion & shock etc were awful & I was diagnosed as having PTSD caused by my labour experience, that was when I met the supervisor of midwives during my second pregnancy, so I am not blithely saying to hell with the risks, go for it. I do believe that a vbac would be more beneficial than another section, but that is only my opinion. There are some amazing ways to make c section more natural & family orientated. Check out the microbirth - microbioma movie, or research "family centred caesarean".

[Racheyg]

Tucking, glad to hear your second was far more positive.

I'm open to any methods, but my midwife told me I can't have a water birth ect due to my previous complication which I am disappointed.

I am now armed with lots of info ready for my appt with the consultant to discuss how I would like to give birth.

[tuckingfits]

Rachey, obviously I don't know your situation but be aware that there may be a chance that your consultant or a supervisor of midwives might be willing to allow you to labour in water. I was told initially that I couldn't because of the risk of uterine rupture (which is very low, sorry to the pp who experienced it - horrifying), however I asked if they had access to a waterproof monitor (can't remember the name, sorry) & they said if I was happy to be continuously monitored in the pool with that, then they were happy with a water labour. I didn't get to birth in there but by that stage I didn't really care much! It isn't a case of "allowed" or "not allowed". It's your body, your decisions to be made based on your reading & research of risks involved. In my case, my consultant & I both made concessions & came up with a birth plan we were both happy with, it didn't go to plan but I wasn't traumatised as I had been the first time & I found the recovery much more manageable even with a toddler, a dog who we didn't have first time round, and a second degree tear.

[elliejjtiny]

I tried to vbac after my elcs but ended up with a crash C-section after a uterine rupture. The registrar who did my last C-section said any future births would have to be elcs . I can't face another C-section so no more planned babies for me.

[Number3cometome]

tucking of course there is always the choice, the baby has to come out somehow but for some of us the VBAC option would be a seriously dangerous risk - as you say always best to speak to consultant.

I had seizures in labour (eclampsia), I have a spinal fusion done anterior and posterior (through front and back) so am not a candidate for
Spinal block or epidural,
This mean a Csection under a general anaesthetic is the only option and this is really most safely done planned and not as an emergency (my last emergency general anaesthetic c section was done with a full stomach and I got
a serious chest infection from food and fluid in the pipe)
Also to add to the mix I have had 2 c-sections and I have high blood pressure already. Of course I am gutted I will never give birth naturally but that is something I have come
to terms with to ensure a safe pregnancy.

[ChunkyPickle]

I think it depends.

I had a c-section with my first, because despite inducement, he just didn't want to descend, so I never got past 2 cm dilated in 3 days of induced contractions.

DS2 I was all for VBAC, the midwives seemed enthusiastic and positive, I went into labour naturally.... and after 6 days of contractions (admittedly, only every 15 minutes, and not too bad for the first 3-4 days), I barely got to 2cm dilated, he didn't decend, and I was wheeled in again for a c-section.

I'm not having a third, but if an accident happens, I'll go for c-section - clearly there's something about my anatomy that doesn't let babies descend, and had I had a chat with someone who didn't care about quotas perhaps I'd have realised that, and not had days of pain, and finally turning up at the hospital in tears saying I couldn't cope and they had to admit me and figure out what was going on.

My sister on the other hand, everything went fine, dilated and everything, but at the last minute the baby had some issues so she had the section. She's deciding now, but will probably go for VBAC and it'll probably be fine.

[ChunkyPickle]

Oh, and I was out of hospital under 24 hours after my c-section, and (probably because of a poor sewing job - I have an overhang that I didn't get with my first section which was a slower, tighter heal) was pain-free and driving in a fortnight, walking the same day, and walking to the shops in a week!

[jaggythistle]

I had a fairly ok vbac after an EMCS first time around. First labour was horrendous and long. Apparently I did get to at least 7 cm though, but baby was wedged in all wrong, back to back and possibly with a hand up too!

Second labour was great, I used hypnotherapy and when I arrived at hospital I was almost fully dilated. I was a bit

It was a forceps delivery in the end because they wanted baby out quickly after monitoring. I felt much better though, especially mentally IYSWIM. I was a bit of a wreck after 2 day labour and EMCS, but was home in about 12 hours after the vbac.

I'm expecting DC3 next year and hopefully it'll go ok again...I wouldn't choose a CS for me, but friends who have had a planned section said it was fairly relaxed. I guessit helps if you haven't been awake for days in labour. :)

[badRoly]

Dc1 was an elcs for breech presentation. I went on to have 3 vbacs as there was no good reason for me not to try with dc2.

It went well with dc2 (I tore quite badly but it was a quick labour/birth) so I was happy to have vbacs with dc3 and then dc4.

[NoLongerJustAShopGirl]

oh - and those saying that there is always a choice - I didn't "choose" VBAC - CS was planned - DD came early. I'm glad she did. Anaesthetist was busy with tricky twins CS, so no "choice" unless an emergency.

So please also remember that you can plan the heck out of a birth, but even with the most rigorous planning, nature does not always let it happen that way.

[NoLongerJustAShopGirl]

well, when I say I didn't choose - I did have to at the time - they could delay contractions and wait for the doc, or I could just go ahead with VBAC - I "chose" to go ahead with VBAC.

[insanityscratching]

My second birth was an ELCS because ds was breech, I'd had a successful vaginal delivery with my first following a trial of labour because of a small pelvis. For my third I wanted a VBAC although consultant would have wanted an ELCS as he was still concerned about small pelvis.

I was 9 days overdue and consultant was getting twitchy and dd was back to back and bigger than ds1. I went into labour soon after midnight when my waters went and dd was delivered with no intervention after three pushes at 5.30am weighing a full pound heavier than ds1.

Births four and five were also successful vaginal deliveries. I would always choose a vaginal delivery over cs purely I think because I hated the time it took to recover. I want to walk out of hospital within a day of delivery and get on with my life as normal. I want to walk my dc, to school drive to the shops and just take up where I left off. I absolutely hated the restrictions my recovery put on mw.