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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

if did you not dilate fully first time round what happened the second time?

26 replies

Iamjustthemilkmachine · 07/09/2011 22:30

I was induced at 40+15 and only got to 4 cm, baby was lot and very big and ended up with an emcs on day 17. I am in no way ready to try for dc2 but find myself obsessing about this, especially as there is family history of cs.
So, if you had trouble dilating with no.1 and ended up with an emcs, did you manage a vbac afterwards?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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sc4rl3t · 08/09/2011 12:29

I had a forceps not a cs, after 2 days of stop-start dilation but whatever 'method' you have won't affect how your next labour progresses. My second was 10 days early and fully dilated when midwife arrived with no time for pain relief (was at home with rubbish tens machine...)
There is loads of support for VBAC - and remember you don't have to rush into #2 - I left it 4 yrs.

Original poster

Iamjustthemilkmachine · 08/09/2011 16:39

oh yes I'm in no hurry, I just can't stop thinking about the 'healing' a vbac would bring, or how would I deal with another cs. Thanks!

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Original poster

Iamjustthemilkmachine · 09/09/2011 21:43

sc4rl3t sorry my message got messed up on my phone (not a proper internet phone) so the first half is missing!
I was saying congratulations on your second birth, after what sounds like an exhausting first; or was is really hard without pain relief? the tens machine did nothing for me either.

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MrsHoolie · 09/09/2011 22:27

Hi. I went into spontaneous labour with both of mine and only got to 4cm both times. Both were c sections due to failure to progress.
I am pleased I went for a Vbac,and I was hopeful that I could manage it as my first baby had been in a bad position. My 2nd baby was in a good position but again I just didn't dilate.
The 2nd section was fantastic as I hadn't been full of drugs and was not in labour for as long as I had the first time. The recovery was good too.
Many women will come on here having had successful vbac's,and the stats are good so it's worth going for.....unless you definitely want an ELCS.

Original poster

Iamjustthemilkmachine · 09/09/2011 22:36

MrsHoolie, glad you found the second section fantastic, were you given any reasons why you didn't dilate past 4 cm? (and why 4 cm is so comon a place to get 'stuck')???
I hated and stil hate my cs, I know my baby is well and here thanks to it, but I have great dificulty accepting it, I don't know how I would react to another one .

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MrsHoolie · 10/09/2011 23:29

I don't know why I didn't dilate. My first baby was 9lb 5oz and second was 10lb 6oz but people have big babies all the time with no problems apparently!
With my 2nd I just couldn't make a decision about a vbac or not and on my due date I asked to book in for an ELCS!I went into labour though so 'gave it a go' but I knew it was going nowhere.
The section was very relaxed,and was very much like an elective. The pulled the screen down when DS was born and let us see the sex for ourselves. It made me realise how amazing and a calm an ELCS must be.
I'm glad I gave it a go and I felt much less of a failure than the first time. You never ever expect to have a c section with your first.
Many inductions end in a c section(not that I was induced).
They don't usually induce vbac's though. One option is to book in for a c section two weeks after your due date but give labour a go if you go into labour beforehand?

EmmalinaC · 10/09/2011 23:50

milkmachine I didn't dilate first time - not even close. Had emcs after 36 hours labour. No reason. Second time had cs booked because I was terrfified about the same thing happening again but then I went into spontaneous labour a few days before and dilated so damn quick there was no time to measure! Labour lasted less than an hour and a half! Consultants had said all along that 'failure to progress' with DC1 is no indicator for what might happen next time. Certainly true for me. Try not to worry about it.

Original poster

Iamjustthemilkmachine · 11/09/2011 21:42

That's certainly encouraging EmmalinaC, even if it was terrifyingly quick!
I know, but I enjoy fretting
MrsHoolie i didn't know they'd let you go two weeks overdue, given that so many cs are at 39 weeks, I'd definetly think I'd do that.

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lollystix · 11/09/2011 22:05

4cm with ds1 after 48 hours plus induction (syntocin) after 46 hours. Emcs in end - he was back to back.

0-10cm in 7 hours with ds2 and 0-10cm with ds3- positive vbacs - babies were in good positions. Good luck with no. 2 when it happens.

saoirse86 · 12/09/2011 17:31

I'm glad I've read this. My sister only got to 2cm after 48 hours or so and ended up having an emcs because of serious decelerations. She feels the same as you it seems about ending up with an emcs. She's also not planning another yet but it's good to know it doesn't necessarily mean the same will happen next time.

tiggersreturn · 12/09/2011 23:01

No. 1Induced at 38+6 for medical reasons. Stuck at 8cm - EMCS
Nos 2 &3 (dts) spontaneous labour starting with waters going stayed at 4 cm for about 5-6 hrs and suddenly went to 10 around the time they said I'd have a csec and I was saying yes please. Unassisted delivery with a 2nd degree tear. Great recovery. Premature dts are hard work though.

Original poster

Iamjustthemilkmachine · 15/09/2011 22:29

Tigger wow i bet prem twins are hard work, but it must have been amazing to vbac them!

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tiggersreturn · 16/09/2011 16:48

Thanks it was. Just to add, ds1 was OP which I don't think helped whereas dt1 was facing the right way. Saying which other people seem to manage OP babies w/out failure to progress emcs so each birth is different.

jaggythistle · 17/09/2011 11:57

Thanks for this thread.

I am 7 and a bit weeks with no 2 after a EMCS last time round for similar reasons. I think I got to about 7cm last time around, but I am going to have to get a look at my notes to see!

I did go into labour spontaneously at 40+7 but ended up on drip/with epidural as I wasn't dilating.

I am really hoping for a VBAC and it's nice to see that it might not be the same this time. Also nice to see that the CS was easier to deal with too second time round. I was too rushed to think of asking for the screen down and kind of feel I missed seeing DS 'born'. DH did get to tell me it was a boy though. :)

countrylover · 17/09/2011 22:06

72 hour labour with contractions every 5 minutes and only got to 4cm with DS1 and ended up with em C-section. I really thought DS2 would be different so went for a VBAC and the same thing happened again, didn't get past 4cm even with contractions every 1-2 minutes for over 12 hours and ended up with another em C-section.

At exactly 10 pounds each, they were both big babies although as a previous poster mentioned, I don't think the size of the baby has anything to do with it. I'm just not designed to give birth naturally!

kerrymumbles · 17/09/2011 22:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

Iamjustthemilkmachine · 18/09/2011 14:37

jaggy congratulations on no.2!

countrylover i wonder about the size thing, I agree when it is regarding weight, but lately I've noticed that ds's head is double the size of his contemporaries, double, no kidding, and saw a baby 2.5 mo yesterday that just 'fell out' of her mum and she was a size that ds never was, not even in day one, and her head is the size of ds's thight. Everybody talks about the 'healing' aspect of a vbac, hoy did you and kerrymumbles felt? (if you don't mind me asking).

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kerrymumbles · 18/09/2011 23:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

Iamjustthemilkmachine · 19/09/2011 11:59

Yes of course there is no choice then! hope everyone was safe kerrymumbles.

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melpomene · 19/09/2011 12:06

dd1: got stuck at 3cm, EMCS

dd2: tried for VBAC, moved around more during labour but still only got to 1cm despite 12 hours of regular contractions and ended up having another CS. Still, I felt more confident and in control than I had during the first CS. Afterwards I was glad I had tried for a VBAC even though it didn't happen in the end.

Original poster

Iamjustthemilkmachine · 20/09/2011 17:23

Glad you found the second one a better experience melpomene!
I wonder what the true statistics are, I mean, just counting the people who didn't dilate fully.

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kimberlina · 20/09/2011 22:14

milkmachine thanks so much for this thread. You sound exactly like me. I still have issues of being a 'failure' for not giving birth vaginally. I was induced and 3d later was still 0cm dilated hence the section. I really felt like I hadn't earned my baby which I know is ridiculous but that is what I felt.

So I too am worried that if I ever had no.2 then would VBAC be possible. My initial thoughts (which seem to be backed up on here) is that the vast majority of failure to progress occurs in inductions. I think if there is a next time I would think v carefully before agreeing to induction.

Original poster

Iamjustthemilkmachine · 20/09/2011 22:27

I know what you mean kimberlina, but I knew the problem would be an induction, and yet at the time i agreed to it! there were enough positive stories to reasure me, and the risks after +14 do go up so steeply... I don't know what I'd do a second time, well, I think i would have no option I guess as they don't induce vbacs i think.
How long ago was your cs? I felt the same, it still creeps in sometimes! I now have a mantra, I keep reminding myself that as natural as childbirth is death in childbirth.

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kimberlina · 21/09/2011 21:43

It was 11 months ago. A midwife friend said to me 'better to be regretting having had a section, than regretting not having had a section and ending up with a dead or severely disabled baby'. That helps me quite a bit. Plus I did manage to breastfeed so did one of the 'natural' things. I'll add your mantra to my list.

It doesnt bother me all the time now, just occasionally like when some other Mums were swapping birth stories I felt really left out and down again. But I guess the older they get the less people will talk about their births.

kimberlina · 21/09/2011 21:44

Mind you I do get some funny looks for moaning about not having experienced major contractions, pushing out a baby and stitches down below. Plus my pelvic floor is perfect :o

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