WWYD - ELCS or VBAC

[Hersetta]

I am now pregnant with my second child and I know that at my first consultants appointment they will no doubt talk about my birth options. I'm not sure whether to go for an ELCS or a VBAC as my last birth experience was so awful that I am caught between a rock and a hard place.

My birth went like this :

ELCS at 39 weeks for breech baby cancelled as I lay on the op table as she had turned !!

Contractions start naturally 2 days later at around 8pm and come every 6 mins. 5 days later nother has changed - I am still 2cms, still having contractions every 6 mins but for the last 2 days have been unable to keep anything but water down and an obviously madly sleep deprived.

Waters break and contractions speed up to every 2 mins.

18 hrs later I am still at 3 cms and there are signs of baby in distress so they decide to give me a EMCS. Baby beautiful girl and completely healthy.

A week after giving birth my CS scar ruptures and deposits large amounts of blood and puss all over my bathroom floor. Cue ambulance to hospital, 5 days of IV antibiotics before they send me to surgery again to be restitched. I finally come home after been away from the baby on day 7. She had to be kept away as they thought I had MRSA (I didn't).

3 years later my CS scar is still completely numb and still tingles and goes red every couple of months.

So, as I didn't have a good experience of either a natural birth or a CS, I am pretty scared of going through either again. WWYD in my situation?

Thanks.

It's not about what others would do, it's about what you want to do. I know what I would do in your situation, but you aren't me - iyswim.

Read up (don't take anecdotes or other people's opinions into consideration) on the pro's and con's on ELCS and VBAC. Then make your decision based on the facts in front of you, not fear of the unknown.

Good luck with your choice, you'll find support on here whatever your choice

Poor you - sounds like a right nightmare. Can offer you no advice on VB as have never had one but I have had 2 ELCS which were fab. They cut your old scar away too so maybe that might help with numbness? Iwas numb for about 6/7 months after myfirst - non umbnes after second.

Thanks Chynah. I haven't really though about it too much to be honest but writing it all down it does sound pretty horrid. I think I have a chat and see what the docs reccommend. I have no confidence in my body's ability to dilate properly and certainly don't want to go through another 6 days of contrations. However, equally, I don''t want all the complications that occurred with the CS. If only there was another way !

I think your CS complication was quite rare (although horific) and the chances of that happenig again are hopfully very slim. Most people who have a ELCS (as opposed to EMCS) seem to be fairly happy with the process/recovery. As a note of caution do your own research as a lot of Obs are liable to push you to VBAC - don't agree unless you are sure. Much easier to change your mind from ELCS to VBAC at the last minute than the other way round :) Good luck

I'm weighing up the same decision at the moment, though for different reasons.

In your case, I think I would go for an ELCS. My reasons would be:

1. That they will be making a new incision and scar (and cutting old scar tissue away) so the new scar will be on new tissue not the old weakened tissue, and

1. I would, in your case, probably not want to put my existing scar under the pressure of contractions in a VBAC. I'd also have concerns that they wouldn't let me labour v long anyway due to concerns over your scar, which in one way is good as you would be less likely to rupture, but in another way I think if I'm likely to end up in a section again I would rather it was a planned elective this time rather than another emergency after labour.

Hope that helps. Really sorry about what happened to you, too.

I had a VBAC but reading what you've said here I'd probably decide on a CS in your case. My reasons would be:

1. You only dilated to 3cm- this could have been for any number of reasons but I'd be wary of trying without knowing my cervix had previously dilated almost fully.
2. Tidying up of the old scar.

Sorry that you had a bad experience- I hope you have a much easier time this time.

What does your consultant say?

The not dilating wouldn't bother me. I read somewhere that if you reached full dilatation the first time round (before emcs) you were less likely to succeed the second time. Anyway, that's what happened to me: two second stage emcs!

The scar rupture might concern me, and the fact that you had an infection. You might find that your doctor has a strong preference as to what you should do.

FWIW, both labour and a cs could be utterly different second time around. Lots of women have terribly hard first labours but manage fine with their next baby. And an elcs is a calm and controlled procedure, done during the daytime with senior medical staff in the hospital in case they are needed. Your first experience sounds horrendous: I bet the second will be a great improvement.

Thanks for the guidance all. I am swaying towards a ELCS just because of the risk of scar rupture but will chat it through with the consultant and see what he thinks.