VBAC

[WBWIFE]

Would love to hear some experiences regarding people who have had vbacs please?

What gestation were you when you achieved vbac?
Were you induced or had any sweeps etc?
How long was labour/pushing did you need instruments?
Did you attempt and end in c section anyway?

34 weeks and well and truly anxious for labour now after an horrendous 4 day induction with my first which resulted in 2.5 hours pushing, failed forceps and then emergency section.

You might want to look at the reason you needed a section last time. Then you can find out how likely you will manage a vbac. The overall stats are, I think, around 70% but for some reasons can be as low as 30%.

I had a VBAC 23 months after my EMCS. I have long latent phases, so started contracting at 3am on my due date (previous baby was 2 weeks late on the dot - got to fully but was a deep transverse arrest) and I’m fairly sure she was back to back as I contracted regularly with no real progress.

After 24 hours of that, I went into hospital and was a shitty parous os. Went back home at 5am, my midwife came out at 9am and I was 5cm , back up quick smart to hospital at 10:30, examined at 11 and was 8, fully dilated at 1pm, pushed her out with no tearing at 1:29pm.

When it properly got going it was a really quick labour, and she wasn’t hard to deliver.

Oh, and I was have weekly sweeps from 37 weeks. The one the day before my due date I was sure would also fail, as was my midwife, as my cervix was not favourable. Just goes to show.

@DownWhichOfLateshe was brow presentation and stuck

I had a successful Vbac in 2003.

My first child I laboured to 7cm (10 days overdue and induced) his heart rate kept dropping hence the section - the cord was round his neck.

Second child, went into labour naturally 5 days early at about 9am and he was born at 4pm, vontouse delivery. So glad I had a normal delivery as I had a 3 year old to care for.

Proud of myself that I've experienced both types of deliveries. They are now 20 and 16 yr old whopping 6 foot men.

Good luck

From what I can find online it’s not entirely clear what causes brow presentation. Some reports suggest it may be due to the mother’s pelvis shape, in which case it could happen again. Other reports say having one brow presentation doesn’t increase the likelihood of a second. I’m in no way medically trained (quite obviously!) but could you ask what the chances are of it happening again? Because it sounds like quite a tricky situation to perform a c section once in labour with a brow presentation.

Emergency c section at 42 weeks following failed induction during which ds moved and went from posterior and brow to a posterior facial presentation. Successful VBAC 6 years on at 40+3, long latent phase but once contractions became regular it was 12 hours from start to delivery. I spent a lot of time scrubbing the kitchen floor in the last few weeks as I'd been told being on all fours helped with correct positioning.

Emergency section at 36 weeks due to pre-eclampsia.

Successful VBAC 4.5 years later at 38+5, felt contractions start around 4am 5min apart until 9am when I felt head drop and waters break. Got to hospital at 10:30am, 9cm dilated, DD born at 11:20, gas and air.

Place marking. I will be back.

First was CS at 9cm with no further progress, sepsis and abnormal Ctg. baby had meningitis, it was the right call.
Induced for likely late onset diabetes, polyhydramnios and big baby at 39+weeks. One propess, laboured and has a SVD. I did have a 3rd degree tear and lost 2.1L blood, but I was happy and would do it again

Baby1 spontaneous labour which was 40 hours of regular contractions, labour was slow, a couple of hours of pushing a large back to back baby who then became distressed resulting in EMCS. I developed complicatons in the late stages too. Born 39+5

The odds of sucessful vbac were high due to spontaneous labour and being fully dilated.

Baby 2, spontaneous labour, born at 40 weeks. Labour much quicker, I'd been in pain about 10 hours (put the backache down to SPD) laboured in hospital in 3 hours from 5-6cm dilated to birth. Back to back again. The MW began struggling to monitor heartrate during pushing and pushed the red button. I ended up in theatre with spinal block. It was borderline EMCS, but I ended up with forceps and a 3rd degree tear. Apparently he was either difficult forceps or difficult EMCS as he was just in the wrong place for easy access.

The tear aggravated my SPD and I was in constant pain for 3 months after, and too sore to leave the house for a month. I felt stronger than after the EMCS though.

I don't regret the gamble I took on VBAC with what I knew at the time, and the labour was a calm process that was quite healing from the trauma of the first birth. If I ever had to give birth again, I'd probably go ELCS rather than risk a 3rd time especially if SPD was involved again. That doesn't mean I wouldn't recommend it to others with good odds. One friend had about 18m before, had a good VBAC following a very similar first birth to mine.

There is no right or wrong.

I did have too much emotional baggage about the first birth though.

I got to 7cms with DC1 but needed an emergency caesarean when the baby started to struggle.

With DC2 my Consultanf really wanted me to have a VBAC and I was reluctant. Managed to get to 7cms slowly and then things progressed quickly. The baby started to struggle so I ended up with ventouse.

I was in slow labour from around 38+3 then proper labour at 38+6 . Was in ‘proper labour ‘ for about 10 hours . I had an epidural and when I got to 10cm they left me for about an hour so that pushing would be less as I was only going to be allowed to push for an hour . Thankfully only took 20 mins . No instruments needed .
They think my section was because her head was wrong angle so there wasn’t any real indication I would struggle second time and was fine .