does anyone have any stats as to how many VBACs end up in CS?

[HeadFairy]

I realise it'll probably vary from region to region (or even hospital to hospital as I'm sure so much is down to the skill/training/experience of the midwives) but are there any national statistics?

[eastendmummy]

at my hospital it's 70% which to me is still not good enough if 30 out of every 100 women end up with another EMCS. My hospital is West Middlesex btw.

[HeadFairy]

How did you find that information eastendmummy? I would like to find out similar stats for the hospital I'm likely to end up at (East Surrey Hospital). Is there a central place we can find it?

[eastendmummy]

My midwife gave me a leaflet about VBAC and it was in there. I'm not sure if there is a central place, but your midwife should knno and you will probably be referred to a consultant midwife who will try to talk you into explain the benefits of a VBAC. I'm feeling a bit railroaded at the moment but I'm sticking to my guns and want an elective this time so hopefully they'll shut up about it soon!

[eastendmummy]

sorry I was trying to strike through talk you into but it didn't work.

[HeadFairy]

I do have a consultant's appt, but it's not for aages. I'm sitting here already thinking of questions to ask.. I will try my mw at my next appt.

Oddly enough, when I had ds the mw positively encouraged me to go for el cs (he was breech) rather than an attempt at labour, I always thought midwives pushed for at least an attempt at a vaginal birth.

In the end ds was footling, so no chance really of vb, but I thought I'd be talked in to at least trying, but no...

[LuluMaman]

70 % is probably fairly close to the odds of any woman delivering having a c.s,check the overall c.s rate for your hospital

70 % seems to be the oft quoted figure though,but a lot depends on why you had the first c.s and how your labour goes 2nd time and plenty of other variables

if you do go for VBAC, then active, upright and mobile should be your mantra

[HeadFairy]

I had a cs without going in to labour, so does what does that do to my chances of a successful vbac?

My mother also went 2 weeks (actually 17 days with me) overdue with both me and my sister, so I'm also wondering what this does to my chances?

[HeadFairy]

Thanks Lulu...

[LuluMaman]

i would say it gives you roughly the same odds as anyone else.. at the end of the day,you need to make an informed decison based on how you feel and your hopes/fears etc

for me,a VBAC was a no brainer, i had to go for it,the thought of an elective made me feel ill.but that was MY experience and my thoughts. it's harder when you don;t have a strong feeling either way

[HeadFairy]

I think that's got to be a big part of it hasn't it Lulu, there are statistics relating to your chances of success if you've had a previous baby/labour etc etc, but in the end I think so much of it has got to be down to mindset. I think if I do go for it I'll investigate hiring a doula because I think I'll find myself weakening the closer I get. My planned cs for ds was a walk in the park and the temptation is very great, but this will in all likelihood be my last baby, so I feel I should at least give it a go.

[LuluMaman]

i found the support of my friend during my labour and my mum extremely helpful as they had experienced birth too...my Dh was brilliant and really encouragin but having other women with me was beneficial..my VBAC inspired me to become a doula to help other women feel as positive and empowered during and after their births

[HeadFairy]

See I think my dh would be utterly useless. He thinks so too. Ditto my mother. If anything I'd have my sister there, but actually I'd rather a doula ie someone with more than 2 birth experiences that weren't nearly 40 years ago. I don't have a heck of a lot of confidence about a vbac, so if I'm going to go for it, I want someone who knows what they're doing with me. My sister can be rather strident and bossy and I know I'll end up punching her

[LuluMaman]

shame i live 200 miles away from you!!
you should start sorting a doula now, as they do get booked up .

[LuluMaman]

strident sisters not a good idea in labour!

[HeadFairy]

Damn, shall I move?

I will start researching doulas... My cons appt isn't until November, but if I change my mind and opt for a cs, I can cancel a doula can't I?

[LuluMaman]

your doula can be v helpful before during and after your c.s, doulas aren't just for VB.

[HeadFairy]

Really? I didn't know that, thanks

[MoonlightMcKenzie]

Having a doula booked for the birth meant for me a relaxed late stage pregnancy that cannot be underestimated for a good birth outcome iyswim.

DD was 1 last week and my DH turned to me and said 'the money we spent on the doula was worth much more than the money we spent on antenatal classes the first time'.

Actually I might email her to tell her that she can put the quote on her website.

[somethinganything]

I would love to know the stats for this. My doc told me 70% women can have a successful VBAC but I thought the percentage that actually made it was lower. Also I've heard that you are far more likely to have a successful VBAC if you've had at least one vb already. I tried to get some stats from NICE but they said that they didn't have such specific data.

Am thinking all this through at the moment and am so tempted to go for ELCS after hideous EMCS last time.

HeadFairy, good luck with your VBAC if you go for it and if you do find any more stats please post them in the childbirth section!

[l39]

I'm planning a VBAC and my consultant wrote in my notes that I had an over 90% chance of a vaginal delivery.Unfortunately I don't know where she got the statistic from, but I found it reassuring! My caesarean was due to a second twin being transverse. I've given birth vaginally 3 times (one of those being the older twin) without forceps or ventouse.

[Hangingbellyofbabylon]

this is from the nice guidelines:

"VBAC rates
Vaginal birth after CS (VBAC) has been advocated as a means of reducing the CS rate, in the
USA, a target VBAC rate of 40% and then more recently 37%612 has been set. The VBAC rate in
England and Wales was 33%.4 VBAC with parity and birth history. Rates were highest in women
who had one previous CS and at least one previous vaginal birth CS (51%). VBAC rates were
lower in women who have not had a previous vaginal birth (1 previous CS and no vaginal birth
VBAC 30%, 2 CS and no vaginal birth 4%) and in women who have had more than 1 CS
(women who had two previous CS and a vaginal birth 8%).
A systematic review of observational studies evaluating indicators of success for VBAC identified 29
cohort studies. VBAC rates were higher in women who had previous vaginal birth, previous CS for
breech. VABC rates were lower in women who had previous CS for cephalopelvic disproportion,
who had more than 1 previous CS or when oxytocin was used.613 [evidence level 2b]"

NICE Guidelines for Ceasarean

It is a long document but makes for very interesting reading and helped me to decide to go for a vbac myself (luckily successful). It's less than 3 weeks since giving birth and I feel pretty good and about 100 times better than after my emergency section.

[HeadFairy]

Thanks everyone, esp hangingbelly... I'll read that NICE doc on CS later when I've got longer. It does sounds that I'm likely to be on the lower end of successful if I go for VBAC as I've never had a vb, and never been in labour.

[smallone]

Hi Headfairy! When are you due? I'm due on the 11th oct and am attempting a VBAC, although cons getting a bit twitchy about the size of baby and am being sent for a scan to check. Don't know what my chances are coz had emcs with dd due to failure to progress, so have been in labour but not given birth vaginally. I'll let you know how I get on!

[HeadFairy]

Thanks smallone, I'd be really interested to hear how you get on... I'm not due until Christmas day, so I've got a while yet. I had planned cs as ds was breech at 39 weeks, so I didn't go in to labour, which makes me think my chances of success aren't so good. But I must banish an negative thoughts

[DaisymooSteiner]

Re cancelling a doula - most will have a clause if the contract that if you cancel after 36 weeks then you will need to pay the full fee.