Anyone heading VBACwards and wanting to hand-hold?

[Unbuffy]

There WAS a VBAC support thread on here, there WAS. And now I can't find it, so I thought I'd kick off another one.

I am 32+2 weeks pregnant. DD was ELCS for breech positioning (diagnosed at 38+some). I am very keen, no, determined, to do my best to have a natural birth with DC2 if at all possible. And now the nerves start to kick in...

So if anyone feels like joining in the panic nervousness, sharing stories or just hanging around and waiting together, jump on board and keep me company!

Saw mw yesterday and baby is currently breech so I have to hope it'll turn otherwise my plans are totally scuppered.

saucetastic maybe the timeframe they're suggesting (which does seem very short) is influenced by the fact that they're talking about using a MLU - therefore you have to factor in transfer time etc if they think you need a cs.

It's that that scares me the most. Hopefully, if I can go into labour spontaneously, I don't then want the pressure of thinking I've only got x long to get so far - I can't see that that kind of pressure is helpful in making progress.

domesticgoddess have you had ARM before? only asking as I had it last time and it was so blood painful I doubt I'd go for it again.

You're about 28 weeks now maxpower? Your bump has plenty of time to turn and turn and turn again! Fingers crossed all these babies find it most comfy the right way down and facing the right way!

The spinning babies website is great bubbakin. I used it my first time and a little bit of moxibustion also. It didn't work for me with ds, but will def try again to get optimal positioning. Yes... upside down pregnant lady on the couch. Good look.

I wouldn't have any transfer time for cs as the mlu and hospital are in the same corridor, but i'm sure assembling a team for surgery would take at least half an hour.

What i did like finding out however, was that being a vbacer there would always be a midwife present in the room with me. And if it's available, i could use the pool. No food and drink though for obvious reasons.

I'm considering getting my bump a watch.

oooh, wondering about the no food and drink thing now. It's not been mentioned to me, and my mw (very very pro natural birth) has been telling me how important is it not to get hypoglycaemic (sp?) so as to avoid throwing up on g&a, and what food i should be taking to hospital... Will have to just go along with that I think, it's the positive thing

As far as timings go, what about waiting at home for as long as possible? They can only time from the first exam iyswim!

Maxpower you've got lots of time, particularly since subsequent babies don't engage until a bit later I believe as there is more room in the womb (hey, that rhymes?). Go for the birthing ball, crawling around, spinning-babies type thang and good luck!

thanks saucetastic & unbuffy - in my head I know I've got plenty of time for baby to sort itself out but after what happened last time, I've got this niggling sense that I'll just be really unlucky with this one as well. Need to find a positive outlook from somewhere methinks!

Sorry guys - quick post.
Just wanted to say sensible eating and drinking in labour is VERY important, even for a VBACer.

Also whilst moxibustin doesn't always work, it's definitely worth a try. Probably best between 32-36 weeks.

Keep posting ladies!

Mads
Bump to Birth and Beyond

Max as a fellow VBACer following breech, and that not diagnosed for most of the time, I am TOTALLY with you - tis a time of panic and stress. The only reason I'm coping is because a) I have a different and waaaay better mw this time around and b) I'm balancing a combination of gritted teeth it-will-work-it-WILL and what-will-be-will-be and c)I'm spending my life bouncing on a ball and trying to do everything possible to help my body out in the vain hope that it will all come out in the wash. I'm probably relatively serene right now because as of Monday apparently the little soandso was head down, but there is still time for it to turn and part of me is convinced that it will and I will be much less calm again very soon!! So lots of i'm-with-you-all-the-way-s coming your way

Oh dear went to see consultant today.... I'm breech too! Cord wrapped twice around her neck also. So they're not keen on an ECV. Hmmm. I've been given till 36 weeks to get this baby turned, so I'm going to have to break open the moxa sticks and watch telly upside down for the next month!

Interesting that the midwife last week said absolutely no food or drinks, then speaking to doctor today, said they encourage eating and drinking to keep energy up for Vbac.

How's everyone else doing?

I was told I could eat and drink until 'active labour' ie 4cms. I've bought some glucose tablets for after that, but I am concerned about getting hungry. Also they haven't said anything about drinking... I drink like a fish, so if I can't drink that worries me a lot...

How long are you 'allowed' to go on after your due dates? Still undecided about sweep on Thursday (when I'm 40 weeks). Starting to panick that nothing's happening - barely even a Braxton Hicks...

Also - what do you all think about the fetal scalp monitor? I think I'll refuse due to a) the strepb - worried that putting something into the scalp will make infection easier and b) the baby must be able to feel it..

saucetastic, that is bad luck - when you say you have til 36 weeks, will they do a c-section then?? Because of the cord?

FWIW, I will definitely be taking food with me. That is a good idea about glucose tablets though. I can't imagine they will stop us from drinking water??

moonstorm, no one has suggested to me that going over your due date when attempting a VBAC is any different to "normal". I am not planning on having a sweep on my due date. Last time I had a sweep 10 days after my due date, and I had already had a few mild contractions that had stopped. I went into labour that night. I don't believe in 40 weeks being the magic number that they should start interfering, tbh. Having said that, I will let her have a look during that week, and if she thinks 'conditions' are favourable to a sweep, then I would go ahead. Don't worry about nothing happening yet, I don't think it makes any difference.

Not keen on fetal scalp monitor - I think if they were getting to that stage, ie. that worried about the baby, then a c-section probably on the cards anyway.

Yes i'm liking the glucose tablets suggestion too!

Moonstorm, i have conflicting advice from my mw and dr again about going over. My mw says she won't negotiate on going over 12 days past edd. (i think the edd date is at least 4 days early - so not particularly happy about that). But my dr is saying 14 days past edd and take it from there... I don't understand why my mw is so strict on so many of my issues while the dr and consultant are more willing to negotiate. I wonder if it has to do with the hierarchy within the hospital? Or maybe she's trying to put me off labouring in the mwlu. Enough second guessing.

How are you feeling about a sweep tomorrow? It seems so soon!
I wouldn't go for a scalp monitor unless completely nec - especially if i had group b issues.

DomesticG0ddess, i'm under the impression that the consultant will book me in for a 38-39weeks csection at 36 weeks if bump hasn't turned. Thing is tho, at 36 weeks, even if it has turned it could easily turn several times after that! Should have seen the consultant's face when i suggested a vbac breech! With the cord, i just have to keep an eye out for lack of movement (the reason why i had a scan that spotted breech and cord). After reading too many horror stories about breech cord problems, i finally came across an extract from a paper about a lady whose bump became free from a double cord loop and proceeded to have a successful ECV then a successful VBAC. I may print it out and frame it!

Hi all, baby is here (hurray!) but arrived with complications, brought about in part by me delaying going in to the hospital precisely because I was worried they would 'start the clock' on me and I'd be pressured in to a c-section again (did have a VBAC but in no way straightforward labour/ delivery). I think my fears about 'them' stopping me having the labour I wanted to try for worked against me a bit. In reality, even though by the time we got near the hospital we were both in a state they still let me try for a 'normal' vaginal birth for a reasonable period, despite several complications already starting, and were actually massively respectful of my birth plan when things were not going at all to plan.

Hooray! And Congratulations EffieB and family!

It's interesting that you should talk about delaying about going in because of the timing, as that is something i was considering- but hugely reassuring that they were respectful of your birth plan when you got there.

I'm sorry it wasn't a straightforward labour for you. It must have been distressing to have planned everything so thoroughly and then find that BabyEffieB had other ideas! But you're both safe and thank you for taking time out of your babymoon to let us know how it went for you. It's so helpful and encouraging.

Big Congrats!

Wow, congratulations! What did you have?

Hi thanks for the replies (sorry about asking so many questions

Saw a different registrar who seemed more relaxed - don't need to have a sweep until next Friday (if I choose to) - and they are not going to do anything elso until 10-12 days over which gives me more breathing space).

Congratulations EffieB! Do you mind me asking what the complications were? I had been planning on delaying going in unless my waters broke and am not so sure now...

EffieB, well done & big congratulations! You've got me worried about time to go to hospital. Consultant said to leave as soon as things start, community midwife said to leave when contractions are 10mins apart & had about 3 of them like that! Our hospital on a clear run is just over an hour away. So thinking, might go when it all starts but go for walks, sit in car etc for as long as I can and then go in!
Enjoy your new bundle xx

moonstorm, I think they time it from when you are in established labour, ie. at least 3 cms dilated, as opposed to when you go into the hospital?

i spoke to my mw today, and that wasn't particularly conclusive about when I go in - she said to call up when my contractions were about 15-20 mins apart and were "taking my breath away". I said, surely they're not going to be taking my breath away at 15-20 mins apart? (don't recall this with DS), so she just changed it to regular contractions 15 mins apart.

bubbakin with hindsight I would have done what you're thinking of I think- once I felt fairly certain I was in labour (probably 2 to 3 hrs before I actually contacted them) I might have tried to get nearer to the hospital (car park anyone?!?), so I still could do a bit more under my own steam before I turned up. By the time I rang my waters (with meconium) went about 20 secs after I made the call, contractions went from every 5-6 mins to 2, labour started in earnest, ended up in an ambulance, at hospital discovered presentation was poor and baby distressed, meaning it all had to happen v. quickly (meaning by that point no pain relief for me either as not wanting to depress baby's signs further) and very little time for them to do anything on a lower scale of intervention about the poor presentation.

It could have all happened even in a non-VBAC obviously, but I was definately putting off making the call because of my fears about being pushed in to a c-section, which though I didn't have I think my labour could have been more straightforward (and less frightening) if I'd gone in earlier.

Just bumping thread to say I got my VBAC well worth it, even when I felt I couldn't do it.

For eating, I didn't actually want to once in labour. The monitoring was ok - I could still be on all fours, and when I did go on to my back, I was at an almost upright angle.

Even with a tear, my recovery has been quicker and I can still play with ds properly.

Hope you all get your VBACs, for me it was worth it.

yay Moonstorm! Congratulations, hope we all get the same result!

So nearly 36 weeks here, getting nervous but all seems to be in the right place (bar a bit of back-to-back now and again!) soooo... Looking forward to not being pregnant any more - feels like i've been up the duff for ever!

Congrats moonstorm!

Really heartening to hear it went well for you with a speedy recovery also!

I know what you mean Unbuffy! And i've got another 2 weeks after you - gah!

Congratulations Moonstorm!!!

Just joining thread, I am 36+3 weeks.

I didn't dilate much with DS1 as he was a brow presentation (forehead first) and not putting enough pressure on my cervix. Had syntocin drip but ended up with EMCS after 27 hours of labour due to fetal distress. I had got to 6cm by that point which dr and mw assure me will stand me in good stead for VBAC. So fingers crossed!

Good luck to everyone!!!

Congratulations Moonstorm!!!

Just joining thread, I am 36+3 weeks.

I didn't dilate much with DS1 as he was a brow presentation (forehead first) and not putting enough pressure on my cervix. Had syntocin drip but ended up with EMCS after 27 hours of labour due to fetal distress. I had got to 6cm by that point which dr and mw assure me will stand me in good stead for VBAC. So fingers crossed!

Good luck to everyone!!!

By the way does anyone have info about head engaging in subsequent pregnancies? As mentioned I'm 36+3 weeks. MW told me on Monday that DS2's head has engaged. As I understand it the head won't descend all the way into the pelvis until labour in second pregnancies. Does head being engaged mean the birth is in any way imminent?
When I asked my MW she was pretty vague, I think she didn't want to get my hopes up as DS1 was 13 days late!
I saw the OB on Monday too, and during the appointment DS1 asked "is the baby coming out now?" and the dr said "you'll have to wait a few more days". She hadn't indicated to me that birth was close. Am I reading far too much into this because I'm desperate to have my baby or is birth around the corner????

congratulations effieb and moonstorm gald to hear you're safe and well. Hope your babies are too.

31 weeks today, next mw appt on Monday, hoping baby's turned round the right way.

Hello rodformyownback. I'm fraid I don't know about engaging etc... as i didn't get that far with my first pregnancy. If you have no luck here, try starting a thread on the main board as you'll get more traffic.

Good luck maxpower! Apparently 32 weeks is the optimum time for turning with acupuncture according to the herbalist i saw yesterday, (am 34 weeks w/ a breech) but most authorities seem to like 36 weeks.