AIBU to want a VBAC over c-section

[twotoestwofeet]

Just after a general consensus really. First baby was an emergency c-section, no labour at all. It went well for me as far as being sliced open and having your innards re-arranged can possibly go well! I was up and about the next day and had no real pain. Wound healed fully in a few weeks. Again no issues.
Pregnant with number 2 and I have said I would like a VBAC. Hospital are willing to support me but due to numerous pregnancy related medical issues they have advised it might end up being a CS anyway.
So do I try for a natural birth and run the risk I may end up in surgery anyway or do I just agree to a CS and have it all organised and calm.
I know I dealt with the CS well last time but mentally it was quite traumatic and I'm not sure how I feel about being awake and being sliced open again.
Can anyone tell me there experiences and why they chose what they chose second time round?
Thanks

I havent had an experience of CS but if it affected your mental health last time I would attempt to avoid it if you have that option. I have had mental health issues with young babies so know how tough it can be.

My first was an emergency section but baby was positioned badly and was big (10.5lbs) so no alternative. I did have a full labour though. Second baby I was determined to try and again went through full labour and had been pushing for an hour or so but this one's shoulders got stuck in my pelvis so had another emergency C section. (10.6lbs this time and he still had massive shoulders!)
Third time I was even more determined to try for natural delivery but medics were equally determined it should be elective c section. Ended up lying about my dates so baby was a week overdue when she was born by c section. 10lb 7 and would never have been born normally without one or both of us dying.

So no, you are not unreasonable (in my opinion!) to want a VBAC and if you were my sister I would say try for the natural birth but be prepared for the section. I found it harder mentally to get over the third section as I hadn't had a 'proper' labour and therefore felt I had failed as a mother - but thats a whole different topic

Plan for a natural birth but also prep yourself mentally in case it becomes another emergency cs. Most vbac births are straightforward and successful. Mine wasn't but it wasn't for reasons related to a previous cs.

For third I went for a vba2c but ended with planned 2 days prior due to medical issues. It was a lot calmer than the previous emergency cs.
Don't focus on the surgery. Focus on the baby. You can have a "gentle" cs - I did and it was fabulous. You can get hyponobirthing cds for planned cesareans too.

Recovery was v smooth each time for me - didn't notice any difference.

Planned csections are very calm and they really take their time at the beginning. You have the benefit of not being knackered from labour.

I had this choice too: I chose to try a vbac, but it wasn't an option by my due date (complications) so the situation forced me to have a csection. I found it so much better and easier to recover from than my first csection.

Personally, I'd try a vbac. Recovery may be a lot easier with 2 children too. Also worth considering that if you've had 2 csections, you can no longer have the option of vbac for subsequent births.

First was an emergency c section after 40 hour labour. Second was VBAC. But it wasn’t a ‘ natural’ birth in any sense. They didn’t know if they’d get him out. I already had an epidural and then went to theatre and had a spinal and then they pulled him out in 2 yanks with forceps. A rip and 2 tears. Infections after both births.
I felt pleased at the time that at least 2nd was vbac as first birth was awful but it has turned my vagina into a toilet ubend so not great! You never know what’s going to happen. You have so little control. It’s a go with the flow thing even if you decide on trying for vbac.

I tried to have a vbac and ended up with an emcs. However with my attempted vbac I was being induced at 36 weeks so the odds were stacked against me really.

I have no idea why some women would rather have a vaginal birth tbh. The horror stories about tears, incontinence and other things. No thanks. I'm aware some people have no problems.
I had a cs, quick, easy recovery compared to friends and SIL who had vaginal births.

I've had two emergency c sections. First one was after a three day labour for 'failure to progress'. I was exhausted and although I healed well, I went into the caring for and feeding a newborn data as a wreck due to not sleeping or two nights.

I tried for a vbac with DC2, but again ended up with a c section for failure to progress. DC was 9 lb 5 oz, and when he was cut out, they realised that what they thought was his bottomwas actually his head, do he was in entirely the wrong position to ve delivered naturally. That labour was shorter, as they wouldn't let too much time pass due to The risk of rupture. Failure to progress again. So even though I had a 4yo and a newborn and surgery to recover from, I feel I recovered better and quicker, as I wasn't so exhausted from the labour.

I understand you wanting a Vbac, but please prepare for a section too. After dc2 was delivered, the obstetrician told me, if I was ever to have a dc3, to gave an elective c section. But I am not having dc3.

No experience of natural delivery for medical reasons went straight to a plannned c section. Honestly it was very calm, very relaxed, hypno birthing and visualisation helped. It was an extremely positive birth experience. Try and remember a planned c section is very diffrent to an emergency one.

I had 2 vaginal births then an emcs then tried for a vbac with my 4th baby and my god it was horrendous. The balloon indication was really something else. I was over due so needed to be induced. It ended in an emcs. I wouldn't go for a vbac unless you go into labour yourself tbh. I always go over due and if I knew how bad it was going to be I would have went straight for the c section.

Well Pigeon, tearing isn't always awful. I tore all three times but not badly and it didn't actually hurt. My recovery was easier than my friends who had sections, so I suppose like everything else it depends what happens on the day.

One of my friends had an emcs and then a vbac with her second and the vbac went very smoothly indeed. She was particularly gutted about the emcs (more than most people, I think) and really into doing things naturally so it was very good for her that the vbac went well.

Inevitably, though, pregnant women need to be prepared for the possibility that birth plans might have to change.

I tried a vbac with my second and ended up with another emergency c-section. It was a completely different experience from the first though, very calm and lovely in fact. We made sure to tell the midwife about our previous experience straight away and as soon as the birth seemed to be going off-piste again, the decision was made to go into theatre.

I had an emergency c section with dc1.
It was awful and traumatic.
I had a planned c section with dc2.
It was completely different. It was stress free and calm in the room. I had music etc. It was very nice.

You can book a c section but if you naturally go into labour before you can give it a go if you feel like it.

blobby10 - I'm glad you and your daughter are OK and didn't die, but what you did with dates was ridiculous and dangerous and I can't quite believe you would ever take that risk. Having had 2 sections with big babies before, you thought going so overdue with another big baby and 2 sections scars was a sensible thing to do.

Right...

I went overdue waiting for a vbac and ended up with an emergency section after several hours of labour.

I was pissed off that I ended up with a section but got a healthy baby in the end!

I know a few people who have had successful vbacs.

I'm in a similar position. The Consultant has agreed that a VBAC is possible IF I do not need to have the baby earlier than due dates (owing to several other issues) and IF he doesn't get to the princely 11lb my first child did.

If there are any medical reasons for me to have the baby prior to due dates I'll have an ELCS but if I remain reasonably healthy then she is happy for me to try a VBAC.

I don't think you're being unreasonable.

Hi, my first was emergency c-section and took me ages to recover, my secound 18 months later was vbac and so much better, I felt normal after and recovered straight away, was out and about with him within a week, third was breach and had a planned c-section which I didn’t cope well with, for me definitely vbac if possible x

2 VBACs after emergency c-section with DD1 here. VBACs so, so much better - I would definitely go for it (of course it may not work out but I’m sure you realise that childbirth is a messy, unpredictable business). The worst thing I recall from VBAC1 was midwives worrying about uterus tearing so kept saying “Does it hurt?”. Possibly one of the dimmest questions ever. But VBAC if possible any day.

I had a VBAC. And I did tear, but it was still a much easier recovery than a CS. I know lots of people bounce back from CSs, but I didn't.

I wanted to have a natural birth second time round because I had found the CS very traumatic, physical and mental recovery was very difficult, and I found being in hospital really distressing (I know they're not fun places, but I think the time in hospital really contributed to PND).

I was already having PND counselling before my second pregnancy, and that continued until after my son was born, which really helped. I spent time going over my notes from the first birth, chose a different hospital (not an option for everyone I know) and antenatal yoga helped me relax.

Hospitals will always warn of the risk of a second section, and it is one you need to consider. I wrote an 'in the event of a section' part of my birth plan which helped me think about things that had been badly handled first time round that we might be able to influence if it came to it (most of it was about the postnatal care, which had been abysmal first time). Personally I found it helped to have thought through different scenarios, it meant I kind of felt prepared for things not going to plan.

I had EMCS followed by VBAC - both were right at the time. Personally I would say wait and see. You don't need to decide right away... if the pregnancy complications continue or worsen, the team will lead you to a CS.

I had undiagnosed breech the first time - EMCS
Wrongly diagnosed breech the second time - VBAC - was decided in the labour room.

Vaginal births are overrated - it bloody hurts and I was stitched up too tightly after a bad tear and episiotomy. I didn't heal for 6 months.

I just had my second c section. Elective, rather than emergency last time round. For me there was no debate. I wasn’t prepared to take the risk of going through labour and ending up with an emergency section anyway. Plus various complications meant it was the choice strongly advised.

The actual section was odd but very calm and smoothly done. The recovery sucks though, especially with a toddler at home, but it was definitely easier this time round and 3 weeks out I feel practically back to normal and have to remind myself to take it easy

I was going for vbac with my second, as my first c section was not a positive experience for me. I hired a doula for support and she was brilliant, got in touch with the supervisor of midwives at the hospital and got a vbac plan in place.

Unfortunately a routine scan (due to gestational diabetes) showed a problem so I was booked in for my second c section very quickly.

I have to say the second section was much more positive mentally, partly due to the doula and prep we had put in, partly because it was more planned than my first (24 hours notice instead of same day) but the surgery was harder on me so physical recovery took longer.

I had an EMCS with my first due to pre-eclampsia - it was a massive shock and went contrary to all my expectations. All sorts of things upset me in the days that followed - discovering that you're discouraged from having more than two children by CS, and seeing the label on the bed of the lady next to me in the recovery ward which read "delivery: normal", meaning that by default mine was abnormal.

I completely sympathise with anyone wanting to have a VBAC, and was determined to manage it with my second. It's more difficult as you tend to be hooked up to a monitor for most of the time, which restricts your movement in labour, but I did everything I could to stay upright as much as possible to speed things along.

I did manage to have a VBAC though it was close - I had given in and agreed to an epidural due to sheer exhaustion, and I'm sure that would have lead to surgery in the end but it was a Sunday evening, skeleton staff only and they couldn't find an anaesthetist .

I had always feared I wouldn't be able to talk to my DD about having a baby because I had never given birth naturally, but now I can talk about both, so it's turned a negative into a positive.

I had an EMCS with my first and wanted a VBAC with my second. However no.2 conspired against me and was oblique so ended up with a planned section. It was so much calmer than the first and I was up and about the same day, having had a shower with catheter out by the evening.