To VBAC or not to VBAC, that is the question

[Trinaluce]

Hi all

Completely torn over what to do with birth of DC2. Had a traumatic EMCS for DD (which some people here have already very kindly talked over) - long story short, 70 hours labour, no epidural until the final 8 hours, only just got to 10cm, CRAP bitch of a midwife for the final stage and eventual CS. Family history points to VB being unlikely to be possible.

2 years+ down the line, I still feel completely robbed of the birth experience and hate the midwife who was the first person to hold MY Baby. It still makes me cry, and I still get flashbacks. I talked all this over with current midwife at booking and she asked what I WANT.

What I WANT is a natural birth - but I am also (painfully) aware that given the family medical history (CPD in various shapes and sizes) this may not be possible. Her answer was 'well then that's what we'll go for.'

I went to see my consultant a few weeks ago to talk over the options this time, and he talked me through my notes. Apparently DD was ROT (or LOT, the notes say both at one stage or another ) and that was why she got stuck, so he sees no reason - as I got to full dilation - why VBAC shouldn't at least be attempted.

Part of me is DESPERATE to give it a go and, let's face it, if I don't try I'll never get it! But part of me is conscious of the hurt that 'failing' (I hate the word, as I do have a healthy daughter and I am physically fine, but it's the best I can find) caused last time and I wonder if it would be safer for me on a mental level to just book a section and not put myself through it again. I've done enough labour to last me a lifetime, thanks - more than my friend who's had THREE children fochrissakes!

Consultant sent through the RCOG (I think) stuff on the pros and cons of both courses open to me, and I think if anything I'm MORE confused...

Sorry for the ramble folks - but any thoughts?

I can only say what i have decided from my experience.
I had my first naturally with a failed 3rd stage.
I had my 2nd by EMCS as he was brow presentation.

Both weren't straightforward or perfect births. I went to my Consultant appointment wanting a ELCS, but after a long chat (no pressure) I have decided to go for a VBAC.

I know what to expect from a VB due to having one with DD, so I don't have the fears you have attatched to that.

It is a hard decision and only one you can make, but whatever you decide now, you can chage your mind later if you think you want to try another avenue, either way you will give birth to your child and will not have failed.

Ita a difficult and personal descision.
As a doula I have supported women who have had VBAC after suspected CPD and there are oplenty of things you could do to make your chances of a vb better.
It could be you do have a pelvis shape that makes your babies more likely to be in difficult positions and harder to birth (but not likely to be impossible with the right preperation and techniques in labour)
If you do decide to vbac my tips would be-
1 Seriously consider hiring a doula (see doula.org.uk/
2 See a chiropractor who is familiar with the webster technique and/or a Maya abdominal massage practitioner (See arvigotherapy.com/practitioners?value_3=&city=&country[]=United+Kingdom)
3 Try listenening to hypnotherapy (www.natalhypnotherapy.co.uk/13.html)
4 Read and use the Spinning babies techniques (www.spinningbabies.com/
Especially-
www.spinningbabies.com/more-info/spectrum-of-ease
www.spinningbabies.com/baby-positions/cpd
www.spinningbabies.com/techniques/in-pregnancy
www.spinningbabies.com/techniques/in-pregnancy/will-my-labor-be-hard
www.spinningbabies.com/techniques/in-pregnancy/what-to-do-when-it-isnt-easy
www.spinningbabies.com/techniques/in-pregnancy/daily-activities
I use the rebozo siofting on antenatal visits with clients, you can easily get a friend or partner to do this for you daily and an inversion.
Lots of other techniques to use in labour on the site and you can also use-
<a class="break-all" href="http://www.blogher.com/frame.php?url=vancouverdoula.blogspot.com/2007/12/pfel-schtteln.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.blogher.com/frame.php?url=vancouverdoula.blogspot.com/2007/12/pfel-schtteln.html
acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz/Acupressure/problems.aspx
A difficult choice but if you do choose to vbac, there is hope!
See-

Selina x

I know how you feel. I didn't get to hold most of my 5 DC first and didn't see one till he was 3 days old. I had a crash section with further surgery for massive hemorrhage, emergency section after failed instrumental and full labour (I felt like a show as had a load of students watching and no pain relief while I begged for it as the doc just carried on regardless). On top of those, I had 2 VBACs, first was OK other than severe tear (2nd degree though so could have been worse) and shoulders got stuck but thankfully after 5 mins of terror and several positions, she came out. My other VBAC was great but it was the first of twins and the 2nd needed the crash section.

I would say go for the VBAC if it isn't twins. After my VBAC, the recovery is great compared, the elation about 'doing it' was amazing for me as I always wanted to experience giving birth and felt the odd one out for not doing so. Sounds silly I know. Also, I knew I wanted a large family of 4+ and multiple sections is risky.

Finally, after losing 2 babies post 20 weeks, I learned that it doesn't matter a jot the method of delivery as long as the baby is here and OK. For that reason I agreed to an elective for my DC5. It was wonderful compared to the 2 emergency ones. But the recovery was tough. If I could have had a VBAC I would have. But once you have had 2 sections they will be reluctant for anyone other than low risk to attempt it. I already was on blood thinners and had a cervical stitch in place. My OB also said that after 2 emergency sections, your risk was high for another one.

Selina Doula, chiro, hypnotherapy, acupuncture - all well and good but require MONEY - which we don't have. This hacked me off last time I asked about this - it does kind of come across that the only way to get a good experience is to pay for it, which is not on. Nothing against you personally mind!

Trinaluce I do understand, but some of these arent extortionate and quite a lot you can do yourself.
I had a difficult posterior labour and am seeing a chiropractor. It is £30 a visit and expecting to see him 3/4 times over the 9 months.
The Natal hypbnotherapy cd is under £20.
Acupressure and the Spinning babies techniques you can do yourself.
Doula UK have a hardship fund for people on low incomes or you could hire a trainee who can charge a maximum of £200.
Many doulas will work for reduced rates or payment in kind if you provide any services. I myself do hardship fund cases and am also happy to take installments etc
I am a single Mum working part time so I have to watch the pwennies too!
S x

Oh, so 'only' £340 then? Oh, well that's ok then!

Sorry if it feels like I'm having a go, I'm just a little fed up of being told the solution to XYZ problem is to lay out £ZYX, and not just with childbirth. I mean, fair enough if the problem is a burst tyre on your car, but when it's something that everyone I know has managed to do naturally, free, on the NHS I get a TEENSY bit pissed off!

Trinaluce, in reply to your last post, I don't wish to come across as harsh but in certain circumstances you do have to spend money. Some people are lucky and have good experiences without spending cash, and other people have bad experiences and ask what they can do to make things better next time. As a general rule the best suggestions people come up with involve some kind of personal input on behalf of the OP. The hypnotherapy and Spinning Babies website are excellent suggestions and something I used in preparation for my VBAC, and they do not cost money as the SB website is free to use and there are plenty of Hypnotherapy books being passed around on MN if you look for them and ask nicely. Chiro and acupuncture DO cost money, but a course of treatment of either one sufficient to cover your pregnancy would almost certainly not come to more than £200. I paid £210 for all the reflexology, acupressure and reiki treatments I had, and believe the course helped me enormously.

You have asked for advice and Selina has given her thoughts. I came on this thread to suggest a doula experience with VBACs too, as they can help you to clearly see what to do in a situation you would find frightening and confusing without someone to guide you through it. I had an independent MW, and she was worth every penny, as my VBAC was fantastic, in great part thanks to her calm influence and knowledge. Yes, it cost money. But it was so important to me that I made sacrifices before I got pregnant and throughout pregnancy in order to pay. In total my VBAC cost me nearly £4000, and I did not begrudge spending it as you couldn't shake my euphoria for days afterwards, and an even bigger bonus was that me and baby didn't nearly die (as in my first pregnancy.)

If you want a good VBAC, you will have to put effort, or money, or both into the pot. It's not fair, but neither is life. I do hope you get the experience you want, but keep yourself positive rather than point out the things that will hold you back as a negative attitude will not get you that experience.

I think you must be very lucky if everyone you know has managed to have natural birth on the NHS!
The system is quite stressed and I do agree that lots of this care could and should be provided by the NHS (like 1 to 1 care from a known midwife) but unfortunately, in the majority of cases its not at the momment.
There is an element of luck, some people do just have easier births, but others do have to work harder!
Yes £340 is a lot, but over the 9 months thats £40 a month...
S x

I have only managed one natural birth on the NHS and that wasn't finished naturally sadly. I don't know if either could have been changed by spending money as I never spent any. However this time round I wanted a bit of control expecially deciding to opt for a VBAC and was really wanting to hire a Doula, but DH isn't keen and I won't do it without his agreement.
I will be exploring other avenues myself such as the Chiropractor but that is because I'm not rich but do have some money at the moment.
Whether it changes the outcome or gives me that perfect natural birth I desire remains to be seen.
Make sure you are aware of policies at your hospital regarding VBAC as some mine included do have time restrictions on different stages and will recommend intervention once the timer has emptied which isn't necessarily needed at that point in time it is just policy led advice. If you want one have a birth plan that includes what you want, that will help you achieve the ideal birth.
I hope you get the birth you desire. It can't be that bad as I keep going back for more.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

especially, sorry typing and playing cards with DD at the same time, multi-tasking isn't my strong point.

Ok, when I say 'naturally' I don't necessarily mean 'intervention free' - I mean vaginally. I know precisely two people who had a section: my mother (hence family history) and a friend who went into labour at 35 weeks with placenta previa - crash section was only fair in that circumstance and will not mean that she wouldn't be able to have a VBAC in the future. EVERY other mother I know had a vaginal birth, usually with some comment like 'it was a really long birth, it took me 12 hours'

As you may be able to tell, 2 years down the line I am still angry about how it all went (and if my MIL tells the 'your SIL was in the kitchen cooking dinner for us all the day after her DC2 was born' story one more time I may have to come on here for advice on justifiable homicide). 'Being positive' got me NOWHERE last time - if anything it was a contributory factor to the depression after last time. I was SO SURE that I wouldn't go the same route as my mother and stayed so positive that I could do it 'properly' that the 'failure' hit me really hard. If I'd gone in (as I am this time) knowing that actually the odds were against me I might have coped with it all a little better.

BITB £4000?! As in, £4K? That's almost my entire annual income. How do you justify it when there's no guarantee it'll even work?

I'm having elcs on fri after emcs for ds. He was big and no one spotted he was back to back and L-OP. Even with the max hormone dose I couldn't get past 8 cm (well I got to 9cm then went backwards!)

I decided I couldn't face a repeat performance and the mental anguish afterwards so have opted for elcs. I have felt bad about not trying vbac and choosing surgery which may not be necessary BUT at my pre-op appointment they found dc2 was back to back. I felt totally vindicated for choosing my elcs and if it means me and dc2 can get on with life after a bit of medical intervention and avoid skirting round PND etc then I'd choose it every time.

Hi, I don't know what CPD is but wanted to offer you my experience of a VBAC to see if it would help you with your decision.

My first labour was nowhere near as traumatic as yours. Ds1 was back to back and after 23hours went in to foetal distress. I had an EMCS under GA. Luckily my Mum was the first person to hold the baby.

My decision for a VBAC was mainly driven by the fact that I want more than 3 children and the frown upon having more than 3 CS.

I had a look on spinning babies and educated myself about why I had needed the EMCS. Once I knew the full facts I did all I could to make sure that DS2 would not be back to back.

I had a completely normal birth with DS2. I was surprised at how strong the contractions were straight away so knew that the VBAC looked hopeful as labour was so different immediately.

I also could not have afforded a doula etc, and the only person I knew who employed a doula when trying for a home birth after CS ended up in hospital with another section so not a guarantee to the birth of your dreams anyway.

A colleague of mine who had a CS with her first asked whether I would recommend a VBAC. What I said to her I will say to you now. If you want a 'normal' birth than try for one. However the birth experience for an ELCS is completely different to an emergency. You would be awake the whole time having had a spinal block or epidural. The baby would be delivered straight on your chest as it would if you had had a VB. You can Breast feed straight away if you choose to do so. You are by no means failing if you choose an ELCS and it may make the experience more pleasant compare to if you needed another EMCS. My colleague had an elective and was happy with this choice.

Having said that though. I am very happy with my choice for a VBAC. I also was at 10cm dilated when I had my EMCS hence the MW considered that I had laboured fully and so my body would be fine to VBAC. If a natural birth is what you want than arm yourself with tons of info about why you had an EMCS and do what you can to avoid the same happening again. As I say I have no knowledge of what CPD is but I am sure there is loads of info on natural birthing with it on the net? Google can be a good thing sometimes.

I am sorry for the long waffly post. I have no idea if any of that is useful to you. Really you can be the only one to decide. If you are happier to give a VBAC a go knowing the risk of possibly needing another CS anyway then go for it. If you would be happier with an ELCS and removing the worry than go for that. Good luck whatever you choose.

I don't need to justify it - some people spend their money on handbags, some on holidays, I spent mine on an IM, an osteo and a reflexologist. In an ideal world I would have had my baby float out to me on little NHS clouds, but in the real world I wanted to do everything I could to avoid the situation I ended up in first time round. During my EMCS I was cut in places I shouldn't have been and while the doctors tried to figure out where I was bleeding from and what they needed to stitch up, my spinal block wore off. So you can see I had a very real incentive to want a VBAC.

Without wishing to know too much about your home life, I am going to make an assumption that your baby has a father, and was not an immaculate conception. Have you talked the available options through with him?

It might also help to talk to someone professional about what are coming across as very negative feelings. People are trying to be helpful here in response to your request for advice, and you are snapping at them and citing depression. This is something that really needs sorting out before you get to the end of your pregnancy. A very strong positive state of mind is essential for a successful VBAC, and if you are saying that you feel being positive is not good for you now you might be better going for an ELCS.

Having said that, I can now say that of all the people I know I have had the worst experience in my CS and the best in my VBAC. I am very happy with the decisions I made.

I too have a very real incentive to WANT a VBAC after 70 hours of labour - but as my grannie always said 'I want doesn't get' >sigh<

I've talked through the available options with DH but he's got to the stage where he won't really discusss it as I get stressed and teary about it, so there's not a whole load of support. If I push him - REALLY push him - into a 'what would you do', I get 'well at the end of the day it's your body and you have to make that decision.' Yes, darling, I'm aware of that, I was asking for an opinion. 50-50, WWYD, VBAC or ELCS? >sigh again<

I'm not 'snapping' at anyone, and I think (as I have already stated) positive state of mind has nothing to do with achieving a vaginal delivery. I was as positive as I could possibly be for the first 69.5 hours of my labour, and it still got me nowhere. I have talked over my feelings with GPs, HVs, current midwife and a counsellor. All of them without exception couldn't understand why I saw my first experience so negatively as 'I had a healthy baby so what's the problem?'

Going back to the money issue again though - I don't spend mine on holidays or handbags either, I spend it on little things like 'food' and 'childcare'. If there's anything left at the end of the month I might treat DD to some clothes....

I hope I haven't come across as snapping at anyone - but this is a well-worn subject for me and I am very very weary of trying to explain myself to people who just don't have a clue (like the friend who very helpfully told me of her 45 minute labour with DC3 and how it took her a whole three weeks to get back in to her size 8 jeans)

OP, your dilema is the reason why I probably won't have another baby. 5 weeks after ds1 birth, very similar to your experience, including the family history bit and wanting to change it (but extending to granny) the disapointment makes me cry everyday. Selina's links also make me cry and I've developed a special kind of hate towards Ina May Gaskin... she said it was possible! normal! empowereing! the hight of my sexuality! (note am not bitter about it)... I even dreamed two days ago that I was preg and it became a nightmare at the thought of another cs. But hey, sorry, not helping. you know it's your desition, but if it was me I would not forgive myself if I didn't try.
Wish you a 4.5 hour labour and a baby that pops in the shower!

I laso have alot of locked up feelings and upsets and terrors attatched to the birth of my son which are still very raw (he is only 29 weeks old), and I know I should really seek advice and help from someone before I attempt a VBAC or even an ELCS to be honest any birth of any kind. At the moment if I was to go into labour now (which is way too early and hopefully will not happen) I would be going into it with these fears and terrors which will seperate me from the actual birth itself.
I know positive thinking isn't going to achieve the perfect birth if there are going to be problems then there will be problems, I think what people are suggesting is how you deal mentally with those problems if they are too happen. I can honestly say at this precise moment I myself won't handle any problems well as it will only prove my worst fear that I am infact the problem if that makes sense.
Physically you can mend mentally it sometimes takes a little more work.

I am not in anyway telling you what you should do, I am not a hypocrit I haven't seen anyone about my previous birth, I burst into tears when I have spoken to DH about it. There is nothing I can do about that birth now sadly, but I do feel that the affect that birth has had on me mentally will make a VBAC more difficult.

I don't know what I'm saying really, just didn't want you to feel alone.

I wish I could be a doula for all of you.
Its so important to be well supported when giving birth. It is a physical process, but also emotional and spiritual, tied in to your relationship and past history and your family.
PTSD is not always due to the interventions that occur, but the way that you feel during the birth. Even a birth that 'looks' textbook and easy can result in trauma if you feel railroaded/out of control/alone.
I have supported women that blamed themselves for their traumatic births, that they were to blame and dysfunctional aswomen and people.
If you can be well supported for a next birth, feel heard, loved, that you are making the choices, it can transform the way you feel about yourself as a mother and as a person.
That doesn't neccesserily mean getting the perfect birth, as you've aiod, that can't be guaranteed but feeling like you have done everything in your power and what happens in the labour is your choice,, can make all the difference.
There are a fe birth stories on my website of VBAC's and births after traumatic births which you could read if you are interested.
www.magicalbirth.co.uk/6.html
One thing to consider, and I don't know if any of you are in this situation, is if you have had previous experience of sexual abuse or rape. THis can effect your feelings about your body and birth and make it difficult to feel safe enough to give birth.
Happy for any of you to PM me if you want more info/links if this is your situation.
S x

Dear Trina Congratulations on your pregnancy. I too had an emergency c-section. We were living abroard and the hospital policy was to strap the mother's arms to the table during the procedure. All rather medieval. I ended up having a VBAC because the hospital pushed for one, I did my research and I went for it. The hospital were unbelievably good - they really, really look after you if you have a VBAC and they absolutely will not suggest it unless they think you have a good chance of giving birth naturally. I understand that if you want to keep expenditure to the bare minimum. Perhaps have faith in your consultant and ask for reassurance in terms of the types of support you will get on Labour day. Having spoken to some friends who have had VBACs too, I have to say that you seem to get the most experienced midwives assigned to you when you go in. They are a little overzealous with the fetal monitoring etc but I personally found it reassuring.

Wishing you the best.

Oops, meant to write that if you want to keep expenditure to a bare minimum, try and get an hour to yourself each week and go for a cup of tea and some cake xxx

OK. First of all let's take a look at the difference between positive state of mind and positive action. Positive ACTION can make a huge difference. Positive state of mind is just a nice thing to have - but can lead to an inclination to carry out positive action so shouldn't be discouraged.

Several things have been suggested to you that are either nil-cost or very low cost. You have not actually responded to any of these suggestions, only commenting to your most helpful respondent so far (Selina) that all her suggestions cost money. Your labour sounds a lot like my first labour - very long with a mal-positioned baby. I have no idea what stage of pregnancy you are at but it is never too early or too late to start doing optimal foetal positioning. If you baby was badly positioned last time you should start looking into ways you can really influence the way this baby is lying. Follow one of the links to Spinning Babies and really REALLY study it. It is free! So make the most of it. Basic science means that gravity can be used to cause the baby to lie in the best position available to it - the heaviest bits, given the chance, sink downwards. If you have a job where you sit leaning back in a chair, or you sleep on your back, or you have a tendency to slouch on the sofa, the baby will roll so that it's back and head are lowest down, ie posterior. Learn how to sit up, or to recline in such a way that the baby will end up in a better position. Learn to use an exercise ball - if you don't have one of these, get one off Freecycle. I have one I don't need any more!

Next, ask nicely if anyone has a copy of the Hypnotherapy book and CD. I was on the PESH thread and was given one for free, on the understanding I passed it on to another PESH when I had finished with it. Study it. Absorb it. You will have to put effort into it, because you are not going to be handed your VBAC on a plate.

Find out if the hospital you use has a VBAC consultant MW. Ask to have a meeting with her. These MWs can go through a lot of the options available to you at the hospital. They are experienced in VBACs, will have seen many attempts and many successes. They will have seen CSs happen after a VBAC attempt did not work out. They will be able to tell you how a second CS might go. Not all of these VBAC MWs will have the same ideas as you, so it is important to make sure you are registered to give birth at a hospital where the midwifery suits your aims if you have the choice.

Tell you partner that he is going to be one of the two parents of this child and to man up and discuss it like an intelligent adult human being with you. You NEED his support and thoughts and ideas. And a bit of his cash too. If you are going to have a VBAC you need him to be your number one supporter, since you do not have the money for a professional supporter in the shape of a doula. So he HAS to be on the same wavelength as you, giving you assistance, knowing what you want, knowing that he has to be fully involved in it. Tell him it is not good enough that he has made you pregnant and now left you to make the decisions on your own. Then sit down and read read READ about birth and labour techniques that he should be aware of - rebozo sifting, pincer-squeezing the pelvis to make more space, he can be taught acupressure points. There is an endless list of ways in which he can assist you. If you discuss and decide on a ELCS he must be understanding of how this will affect both of you too, and must be there for you in theatre. He must realise an ELCS will mean him looking after your first child.

Read up on the alternative therapies out there - osteo, reflexology, acupuncture, chiro, etc. Without thinking of money see if there are any that you think would be useful to you. Get a quote. Then think about it - hard. I had a course of 6 hours of treatment with a lady who came to my home. She carried out reflexology, reiki, aromatherapy and acupressure. She taught my husband where the various pressure points were to speed up or slow down labour, and the pain relief pressure points. I had my baby on my due date, but she was prepared to call in for a 10 minute kick-start treatment every day I went overdue. She cost £210 - the average pregnancy is 280 days long, so that is 75p per day of your pregnancy. Is there anything that you spend 75p a day on that wouldn't be better spent on your pregnancy? Biscuits, a magazine, etc? Or put some stuff on eBay. Or just resign yourself to the fact that having children sometimes costs money you just don't have and get over the unfairness of it.

Get yourself a doula. Selina has very carefully outlined how someone on a low income can get one. An independent supporter really does make all the difference.

Write a birth plan and think about how you would like a CS to go if it came to it. Write down a list of things that would make it a better experience than last time for you - it is unlikely that an EMCS for a VBACer would be after such a long labour. Second labours are quicker, and if you have done everything above you will be set up for a quicker journey from start to baby whichever way it goes. You will not be so tired, the CS will not be so frantic. You will be able to ask for skin-to-skin, to cut the cord, to tell the sex and all that. It is possible to be handed your baby straight away and for you to get the first cuddle, but you need to put all this down on your plan. You need to have a plan which is not proscriptive but that includes and welcomes all approaches to getting a good birth and be aware that there is still a chance that you may have a CS but that the chance is just the same as it would be for a first time mother. With a VBAC you cannot let the 'what might happen' thought put you off, you have to take the idea of what might happen and make it so that it works for you however it happens.

There. I am out of ideas for now, I feel I have told you as much as I can that you can have as good a birth as possible. There may be more stuff out there that I don't know about though. But you have to go and grab it for yourself. I DO have a clue. I have had what you want, and I am telling you how to go about it. The odds are NOT against you - should you choose to VBAC, you have a 70-90% chance of having your baby vaginally.

right - I know you said you don't have money .... but do you have about £12 spare? there is a set of two CD's sold by natal hypnotherapy, aimed SPECIFICALLY at people aiming for vbac

here its the effective birth preperation Cd's

I bought it after a long / protracted / horrid labour / EMCS with DD

the first CD is completely aimed at helping you GET OVER the first experience, stop blaming yourself, move on - you listen to it as many times as you need, think it was about 4 times for me, then from about 34 weeks you can listen to the 2nd one. it prepares you mentally

I should point out that I DID end up having a 2nd section, and it was more major as DS wasn't coping, however the whole labour was calmer, more relaxed and more focused - I however have stupid shaped hips meaning my babies get stuck!

Even with the second section I would recommend these CD's to anyone in that situation - I had such a positive experience second time around and have no regrets from either births now....

if I had the faintest idea where my CD's were I would post them to you!

I had a VBAC 17 months ago, like you I had a very traumatic first labour with my DS (3.5) two days trying to give birth, failed forceps and ventouse and then emergency section. I wasn't able to hold my DS for two days and I failed to breastfeed. It was all so horrid, to this day I still don't feel I have managed to get over the whole experience. However, about 19 or so months later I was pregnant again.

I decided to go back to the same hospital, requested a different ward, different midwife and asked for a consultant that was very pro VBAC. I requested copies of all my hospital notes and read why it was my first pregnancy ended with such a traumatic labour. I then requested a meeting with the Head Midwife and we put together a birth plan putting in place things I could do to avoid another section, being monitored by the midwife as opposed to being on a machine, no drugs that sort of thing.

I wanted a home birth but was advised against it. I then went for a waterbirth. Anyway, I went into labour, I ended up having to have an episiotomy and my DD was born in theatre, didn't get that waterbirth! The recovery this time was fantastic, I am so glad I went for a VBAC.

I am sorry I haven't got any real advice to give you but just wanted to share my experience as it might help a little. I would say if you can, go for it. The feeling of being able to look after my baby straight away, to hold her, study her and bond with her was such an amazing moment for me, something I totally missed out on with my son.