VBAC - honest advice please!

[desperatehousewife]

Had emergency c-section with DS 3 yrs ago. Hideous experience (pre-eclampsia, induced, discovered breech, stopped induction, tried turning, then emergency c-section, followed by nighmares, and long period of pnd).

Second baby due in March. All along have been adament that I want elective c-section: better the devil you know. I will feel in control of what is happening to me, don't want to take any chances again, need the experience to be as 'good' and 'positive' as possible, scared of rupturing scar if VBAC, have knackered tummy, don't want knackered bits as well.

Anyway, just suddenly thought - how would it be to have vbac? recovery time so much quicker and no major surgery. But the unknown is absolutely petrifying to me.

I have no 'need' to try natural birth - that side of it really doesn't bother me. And I would have all the pain relief on offer to me.

I want the most pain free, easy option (don't shout at me for that) where I can bond with my child and just enjoy it.

I'd be really interested to get honest feedback from anyone that has experienced vbac and give their comparisons over their different experience.

Thank you so much in advance
DHW

I have had two emergency c-sections, the second after a trial of labour. I do regret going for a VBAC, but I know that I wouldn't if I had managed to make it work. The one thing I would say is go for either c-section, or a natural start. Do not under any circumsatances say yes to syntocin induction. I did and the pain was appaulling! The other thing I would say is that having a doula if you have had a bad first birth experience and you are going for VBAC is really money well spent. Everyone I know who has gone that route has just felt so much better about it.

I had an emergency section with ds then a VBAC for dd - the recovery was quicker after the VBAC and I was able to be back at home within a few hours (which I really wanted because I had had a really bad time for the few days I was in after the section)..however, the birth itself was complicated, labour was slow, and painful (epidural didn't work) and I was asking for a section..but because I had asked for a VBAC in my birth notes they ignored me and kept going for the VBAC past the point when I wanted to keep trying.
If you are wanting a VBAC but you aren't that desperate to have the 'natural birth experience' I would make it clear in your birth plan that..under some conditions, you would be happy to have a section eg. if labour is not progressing, if baby's position isn't optimal etc.

Desperate Housewife. HOpe it's not cheeky of me but like you I have/had no desire to give birth to feel like a woman or to feel whole or whatever. I had a relativley standard Vaginal Birth, second degree tear and a ton of internal stitches. The thing is that it's the medical commuity who regard it as standard not me, in fact I'm still reeling form the whole thing. I found it utterly horrific and wished and wished that I'd been able to have an elective C section. I simply cannot believe that the recovery problems of a c section are worse than the constant flashbacks and very real sense of fear that I feel even now. Oooohh. Still makes me shudder six months on. Anyway, if you've nothing to prove I'd folow the midwife who's posted and go for the elective C section.