I’ve got the go ahead for a vbac. Advice on how to make it successful?

[Tanyelx]

I got the go ahead yesterday from my consultant for a vbac. Still high risk but they said there isn’t any reason I shouldn’t be allowed one!
I’m not allowed in the pool because of my weight which I’m gutted about but I just want a successful vbac!
Obviously if me or baby is in harm and doctors recommend a c section I’ll go for one but I want to do everything I can to make this happen!
Any advice?
I don’t want an epidural as I had a failed epidural with my daughter and had to get put to sleep. Trying to get the epidural in 7 times has messed my back up so much!
I can’t have gas and air as it made me puke with my daughter.
I’m open to ideas of pain relief.
Just looking for any advice at all to be honest!
Thanks!

[Justanotherzombie]

Hypnobirthing. I think it's really the only active thing a mother can do to sometimes change the experience and outcome of childbirth.

[LyricalGangster]

Try doing some antenatal yoga classes. They will give you breathing techniques, positions for labour, etc.

[MrsReacher85]

I had a Vbac the second time round, but I’m not sure I have any advice! I’m not really sure that you can control it, in my case, I only had gas and air as my Labour was much quicker and I was ready to push by the time I got to the hospital.

I think all you do is try not to worry about it too much, or stress yourself out a lot. I know that’s much easier said than done though!

[peacheachpearplum]

I kept walking! No lying down until the last minute. Fast labour, all my previous labours had been much longer, two of them well over 24 hrs and one ending in EMCS. Midwife encouraged me to eat as my blood sugar levels tend to fall quickly. I've never got on with the relaxing effect of lying in warm water in labour, always relaxed me so much my labour stopped so not very helpful. I just had a bit of gas and air at the last few minutes.

Hope it goes well.

[BMacklin]

I found i was sick with gas and air but that once I was sick once it it went away and the pain relief took over. Might be worth giving it another shot nect time.

[GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal]

I didn't go to hospital till my contractions were 3 minutes apart. With a high risk labour they are very keen to get you lying down and keeping still so they can monitor you - but of course this slows down labour and makes it harder to do naturally.

That's certainly what happened with my first - I was doing fine, bouncing on a ball and using the gas and air. Then the consultant came along, looked at my notes, said "she shouldn't be here", and had me moved from the midwife unit, given an epidural and hooked up to monitors. 24 hours later, DD still hasn't arrived, and I had to have an EMCS.

So with DS, I resisted all attempts to get me to go sooner, and stayed at home where I could keep moving. At the hospital, I held out as long as I could to remain mobile and upright, managing the pain with just G&A and the ball, but eventually was persuaded to lie down and have an epidural... Thankfully by this point my labour was a lot further progressed, and DS was born naturally after 5 hours in labour and 20 minutes of pushing.

Obviously that won't be everyone's experience, and both of mine lead to healthy babies, which is the main thing, but I did feel very much with both of my birthday that the medical team would have preferred it if they could have removed the experience from my control entirely!

[LadyPug]

Watching x

[MissusMuffinTop]

I think it's difficult to give advice - what will happen will happen.... But in terms of peoples' experiences - I had an EMC with my 1st, under consultant throughout 2nd pregnancy but like you allowed VBAC - went into labour and as GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal says they hook you up to a monitor and lie you on your back which slows things down. Unfortunately this time around the contractions were entirely in my arsehole - absolutely nowhere else - so i got fairly worked up each contraction and ended up with a pethidine injection which was brilliant - I was conscious and aware of when I had the contractions but wasn't stressed about them in-between. I kept asking for hotdogs.... gave birth naturally and it all worked out. Good luck!

[Mummyme87]

I had a CS at 9cm with my first for infection and abnormal CTG. i has a 10lb 5oz baby who was in NNU for 2weeks with meningitis. I was desperate for a VBAC 2nd time. I was induced at 39+ weeks for polyhydramnios and likely late onset diabetes. I did have an epidural as I was so tired and couldn’t tolerate the pain any longer, my decision, I was never encouraged to have one, we never discussed pain relief as per my birth preferences. I mobilised, could never sit down due to pain all being on my bum and pelvis, had synto at my request at 0cm tonget my contractions going a bit then after 2hr pushed out a 10lb baby with a 3B tear and lost 2.1L blood and was transfused 4 units. Don’t regret it at all, I was out of hospital the next day and out to the shops and doing the school run (slowly) the day after