To consider a VBAC?

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Had my first born by emergency c section after induction sent my body in to overdrive and essentially meant I was contracting non stop... wanted to push when only 4 cms dilated. That was in March 2018. Recovery I personally found very tough, physically and mentally.
Now pregnant again and still fairly early stages, due May 2020. I know quite a few people who have had an elective c section if they've had emergency first time round, and it's a very different experience, but has anyone had a vaginal birth after c section and it been a positive experience?! I really felt like I had failed having to a) be induced and b) have a c section.

You didn't fail by having to be induced and then having a c-section. I know a number of people that happened to. It is quite common.

It was the other way round for me. Extremely traumatic vaginal delivery for my first DD that left me injured and made sitting down uncomfortable for 6 months afterwards.

I had a better time with DD2, which was another vaginal delivery.

However, the absolute best of my three deliveries was the c-section I had for DD3, even though it was an emergency one. It was just so much less painful, calm and I recovered so much more quickly.

I guess you just have to be open minded if you want to try for VBAC. Just putting the other side of the coin out there too. Vaginal delivery isn't always the marvellous natural experience it is held up as.

Speak to your midwife.

There's a wonderful group on Facebook - "VBAC Support Group UK" - definitely recommend you join. Fellow mums and birth workers who can give advice/share experiences. Helped me to decide whether to go for repeat section or VBAC. I decided on VBAC and had a really positive experience

ps you absolutely didn't fail! You grew and birthed a baby! That's an amazing achievement!

@topseyt
Thank you so much for your reply and for sharing your experiences. I am sorry you had such a tough time. You are right that vaginal delivery also has its potential complications. Birthing is most definitely not easy, whichever way they come out!!

Very similar experience OP.

My line was no induction. If it got to the point of needing induction, then I'd have an ELCS.

I had and ELCS at 41 weeks. Very positive experience and got rid of a lot of the demons surrounding my first.

@abigaailwendover
Oh thank you will follow it!!!
And thanks for sharing your experience glad it was positive x

My first was an emergency c section after hours of pushing, and I went for a VBAC for the second. I managed it but it was an horrific experience and the recovery has been much worse. I don’t feel any sense of accomplishment from having had a ‘natural’ birth. If I had the choice again, I probably would have gone for an elective c section.

What I would say, is that growing and birthing a baby, however you do it, is an amazing achievement, and you should not feel ‘less than’ for having a medicalised birth.

Speak to your friends, partner and health professionals about the different options so you can make an informed choice. Ignore the vile bitches who have decided only their version of entry into motherhood (drug free, natural birth) is good enough.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and post a reply, really appreciate it.

Following as I am in a very similar situation!

Dd1 was born by emergency c section after a failed induction (well constant contractions for 36 hours and got to 1cm!) Found the recovery ok, although nothing to compare to!

Am now pregnant (due June) and had always thought I would have a C section again, but since finding out am in 2 minds now!

As everyone else has said, having an induction and C section is not a failure, you gave birth either way!

I had an emergency c section after large baby got stuck. Second baby was a born with ventouse. Neither was a great birth or great time in hospital but on release recovery was so much faster second time round. It was a gamble, and obstetrician had agreed they wouldn't try induction if I went overdue and that they would move more quickly to a c-section if things went wrong. However there were very clear reasons my first borth didnt go to plan. It really depends on your own medical history whether it's worth the risk. some aspects of an ELCD were very appealing , mostly knowing the date in advance so we couldn't childcare. We ended up with a very upset 2 year old as we disappeared in the middle of the night and then he didn't see me until late the following day.

so we could arrange childcare. Awful typing there.

A c-section is not a fail. You went into hospital and have a baby and that’s what you did.
I personally wouldn’t have a vaginal birth, I too had a emacs after going the whole hog, my body just wasn’t up for a natural birth. After nearly losing DD because of it, imo, it’s not worth putting my body through the first bit.
As far as I know, there are bigger risks with a vbac, something to do with rupturing the inside scar.
My SIL has an emacs and a planned c-s and the recovery was night and day, her planned one had a better recovery!

You haven't failed! You've grown and nurtured a whole human being and then birthed him! And yes, a c section is still birthing!

I had a horrific time with my first, 8h pushing stage where I was forgotten about by the hospital, ended in failed ventouse and finally successful forceps. I was begging for a c section but was told it was too late and baby was almost here. Hours passed. Finally they got her out.

This time around I'm considering an elective section. I don't see anything "less" about it.

I had a 44 hour first labour, ended up EMCS with me under general as they had to get him out.
2nd labour a doddle in comparison!I had a VBAC. 3 hours in active labour and recovery was super compared to C-section!
I second the fab Facebook group mentioned above, a LOT of knowledge and support on there 😊
My midwife said as I'd contracted for so long in my first labour, although I didnt have a natural labour, my body had practiced what to do, a lot. That's why it was so quick.

I did! My consultant would have preferred me not to. I had an emcs first time round due to failure to progress after 3 days of labour mostly likely due to the unfavourable position of DD1. I ripped my internal stitches soon afterwards and I ended up very ill with spesis and has PTSD style symptoms.

DD2 was a large baby and they were concerned about her shoulder getting stuck as well as scar rupture. I had to fight to be allowed access to the birth pool and they would only agree to me labouring in the pool.
Due to DD2 size I agreed to have a c section at 39 week but after trying everything under the sun she arrived at 38+1. I woke at 7ish in the morning knowing something felt different and she was born at 6.30 pm. I had retained placenta, probably as it was attached to scar tissue and have a manual removable and my episiotomy repair under a GA. I had to stay a second night as I was a bit wobbly as I had lost a large amount of blood but recovery was nothing compared to a c section.

Anecdotally, everyone I've know who has tried for a VBAC (4 women) has had to have another emergency c-section. In your position I would (and did) opt for an elective c-section..

I don’t have any VBAC experience but my elective section was dreamy. A really calm, controlled, safe experience. We were all just really calmly chatting and laughing together, it was amazing. I felt really involved. So please don’t see it as a failure if you go down that road. I certainly don’t.

I had a failed induction in 201748 hours over stimulation, epidurals , manual broken waters all to get to 1cm and end up in quiet frightening emergency c section . Turned out baby was a big pudding at 10lb lying back to back she was never going to budge.

I was extremely sore afterwards and my scar never fully healed it had a lot of keloid tissue.

I gave birth again the beginning of this year . I decided if I went before my due date I would see if my body would labour this time and get passed that dreaded 1cm but if I got to my due date I would elect for a c section as baby was measuring big . I gave birth by csection on my due date . It was a lovely experience baby was given to me straight away and was only taken away while I was stitched which I missed out on the first time .

I have healed fabulous my scar is no longer sore or keloid and I was back up within 24 hours walking without being a hunch back .

I know everyone is different just make the choice you feel happiest with but don’t be worried a planned csection is a different ball game if that is the choice you make .

My Mam has 2 natural births , csection and then a VBAC she said she would choose a VBAC any day. Everybody’s experience is so different don’t feel bad about the choice you make your body is what has grown your baby and all that matters is they come out safely .

The best of luck enjoy all your baby cuddles nothing nicer.

I had a VBAC. Quite an unpleasant painful experience and I have a prolapse to show for it. I tried for a second VBAC and had a uterine rupture, baby ok. My last child was born by EMCS a month early because my uterus ruptured again, pre-term. She’s OK too. But the risks are real, and like another PP I got no sense of achievement from the VBAC.

I had a planned section with DD1. It was horrible, I had complications, really bad adhesions, infection, breastfeeding was a nightmare and I was trying to handle the memory of them cutting when the epidural hadn't worked whilst simultaneously being told by the DP at the time (dumped him very quickly) and his bloody mother that I shouldn't be moaning, as all I had to do was lie on my back and the doctors did the work.

I had a VBAC with DD2. To be able to go and have a shower the next morning, make myself a cup of tea, get baby, DD and everything down 5 flights of stairs, down the hill, do the school run, come back and do it all again in the afternoon was incredible.

As is common with these threads, lots of people will post that they didn't have an ounce of pain afterwards and were climbing mountains by Tuesday afternoon after their section, but that wasn't my experience. So I was very happy with my VBAC.

I had a successful VBAC, although assisted with ventouse. I feel proud that my body was able to do what it was supposed to do (I have PCOS and had a miscarriage, so it felt like a big deal to me).

My body seems to struggle with the earlier stages of labour, my midwife said that as soon as I got to the point in labour where I ended up having the EMCS, my body just seemed to get on with labouring really well and my baby came quickly.

I remember sobbing all the way through labour. It was just so emotional, and I say this as someone who isn't particularly emotional. I can't even describe how I was feeling, it was literally every emotion all at once. I wouldn't have experienced this if I had a caesarean. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm glad I tried a VBAC.

May I ask a question. Do people who wound up having EMCS really feel like they failed in some way?

For various reasons, all valid and all my own. I chose an ELCS and I’m so proud of my choice. It was an incredible experience. It never occurred to me to feel lesser or like a failure at birth but it seems to be a common feeling among lots of other mothers.

I think people who had an EMCS should feel so, so proud that they endured a really hard birth and came away with a wonderful little baby. Not to sound maudlin, but in times past there’s enough to suggest that there may not have been a good outcome had there not been an intervention so you’ve survived a really hard birth, with the help of some incredible medical professionals, and you should be so proud of that, no?

Maybe I’m being too obtuse, I don’t know. It just didn’t occur to me to feel a failure.

I was induced with my first as I was overdue and had little amniotic fluid left. Baby got distressed before I’d had a single contraction and was born by EMCS. I felt so gutted afterwards as I really felt I’d failed, which of course is NOT the case. Babies 2 and 3 were born by VBAC and I had a great experience.

I would totally recommend doing the Positive Birthing Company online course regardless of what birth you decide.

Also you can have both options available to you - you could aim for a VBAC if you go into Labour naturally but CS if eg you go overdue and they want to induce.

No, I didn't feel like I had 'failed' but having a EMCS, but I i felt proud that I was able have a VBAC.

I had a Emergency C section with my oldest and had a vbac 3 years later.
Dd1 was 42 weeks so I was induced but I had an allergic reaction to the epi and vomited constantly for 6 hrs and then had a 40.5 degree fever they struggled to get down (I was packed in ice and Intravenous Antibiotics) so the section was for my health.

Personally I found the recovery much easier after the vbac than I did with the Section and refused a EPI 2nd time around (there also wasn’t time)

My care team set a time limit of how long I could be in active labour before we called it quits and went to a c-section after my waters were broken.
Waters broken at 8am after many slow walking laps of the ward and an almost corridor birth, DD2 was born at 12.30pm.