VBAC -do I really need to do a class on it?!

[Tiredoftiredness]

Saw the MW yesterday and she recommended that I do an antenatal class in VBAC - is it really necessary? Really don't have the time for more appointments/classes!

My caesarean was 5yrs ago now, and healed really well. I know I'll have to have extra monitoring but consultant seems happy for me to have a VBAC (hopefully water birth too).

I'll be going to the generic antenatal class as DS was born prior to my antenatal classes last time, so am a bit clueless on labour, but hoping this will give me enough of an idea about labour without needing extra classes?

Any advice/experience please?

[AbbeyRoadCrossing]

I found it useful in considering my options of ELCS or VBAC, the various risk factors etc. The consultant was also keen I'd been on it so I was making an informed choice - useful if you and your consultant disagree.

The one I was on wasn't a labour class but more about birth choices.

[Livelifefortoday]

I had a vbac with dc2 a few months ago. I did treat this birth as if it was my first as I had an elcs first time so did not have any real understanding of how a natural labour works.

Tbh you might find the course useful. For example, I was told I couldn't go in the pool at all due to being classed as high risk and because the baby's heart rate needed to be monitored for the whole labour. Because of this basically I was bed bound the whole time but had one to one care for the whole labour (with a brilliant midwife) and the whole experience was great, despite the restrictions.

If you need a drip to get your contractions going, you may only be allowed to have this once (as opposed to three times for low risk delivery) and if it fails, a section may be required.

I personally found a vbac to be a much nicer experience than a section and was grateful that I had the luxury of choice.

A friend recommend maggie howell's birthing hypnotherapy book and cd, that prepared me for the birth more than anything.

Good luck!

[Tiredoftiredness]

Thanks for the replies! Apparently my hospital has a waterproof monitor so I should be ok in the pool. I'm def wanting a vb this time, last time was an emcs due to foetal distress so no labour at all, and I struggled to bond partly I think because of the shock and partly because DS was immediately whisked away to NiCu . Hoping for a different experience this time!

Hoping that a generic antenatal class and the birthing yoga I'm doing should cover me - still can't see the need for another class as such-I understand there'll be additional monitoring but don't see any other differences really?

[AbbeyRoadCrossing]

I guess it will vary between hospital but the differences between VBAC and VB highlighted at mine were:

• They won't induce using drip (risk of rupture)
  
• % success rates based on various factors (there's a paper on the RCOG website that covers this you could read at home though)
  
• they'll advise the ward rather than home or birth centre
  
• Types of monitoring
  
• At what point they proceed to CS. Mine was a maximum of 12 hour labour, 1cm per hour or proceed to CS.
  
• Signs of rupture go look out for.
  

But if you've already covered this with your consultant then I guess you're good to go

[Tiredoftiredness]

Thanks abbey, That's really useful. Will research signs of rupture but the rest I'm fairly comfortable with so that's reassuring!

Thanks