homebirth after previous c-section - anyone done this??

[allyco]

Has anyone had a successful homebirth following previous c-section?

I am having terrible problems with hospital where I'm booked, and at the moment am really considering saying sod the lot of you I am having this baby at home.

Was booked for home with my second but when waters broke were full of meconium and ended up in hospital anyway as was protocol at the time for midwives to transfer you, and then also booked for home with my third but she was found to have a congenital birth defect and had to be induced early for surgery so she was born in hospital too.

Advice and experiences please? Ooh I am SO ANGRY with hospital...

I haven't personally, but I am hoping that the baby I am currently pg with will be.

Which of your children was born by c/s?

I belong to a few web groups that deal specifically with this issue. If you'd like their details, let me know.

I am hoping for a homebirth too, although when imentioned it at my hospital they weren't keen as i have had a previous cs, it was 9 years ago though and 2 vaginal births later! anyhow am only 17 weeks so iw ill fight that case when i come to it although ive heard a indepandant midwife might be the answer if the community ones refuse.

Athough have read somewhere that its the law for a midwife to attend a birth.

Hospitals don't support it because its safer to be in hospital if you have had a previous c/s, also as you have had meconium in the waters with a previous pregnancy they tend to say it could happen again. I fully support you wanting your homebirth but I think you will be faced with a brick wall, maybe a support group would be a good idea. I had an emergency c/s and then 4yrs later a natural birth and I wasn't allowed to move about and I was also in the medical suite to be monitored and I was also prepared for a c/s just incase.

I spoke to some doulas who were very supportive of home birth after cs. Also independent midwives are too. But it all costs a fair bit.

Ideally I'd love an independent MW, but you're looking at several thousand pounds for one, which is an awful lot of money (esp. if you have to transfer anyway).

I suppose the thing to know is you are entitled to give birth at home, and they have to give you a MW, although you'll probably have a fight on your hands. Just depends if you want the fight.

The web support groups are great as everyone has been there and had the fight already, so you get a lot of good advice.

thanks everyone - my last baby was c/section, 16 months ago. Hospitalsaid I had a placental abruption leading to a "pathological" ctg BUT at section they then said they "couldn't find" evidence of an abruption .

I have been really quite ill this pregnancy including two pre-term labour scares at 24 and 25 weeks. I also have hyperemesis and an ongoing fibroid problem which gives me a lot of pain. Last night I went into hospital again because I was in such pain, and can i say I never go into hospital lightly, I really do have to be in trouble. The midwife was, I'm sorry to say as I've never experienced this before, a complete bitch (DH says he thinks because she got v excited when I went in at 27 weeks pg and she probably thought wow an exciting night to be had and then found out she wasn't in for a delivery and didn't like it!!). I waited over an hour for a doctor to see me, despite the same doctor being sat in the nurses station when I first went in and the unit being patently not busy, who then gave me paracetamol, orally, which I promptly threw up as soon as I got home. This is despite my notes which have hyperemesis written all over them and dsespite the fact I was sick yesterday including sick just before this doctor examined me!! FGS paracetamol - I could have taken that at home and at least thrown up in my own clean toilet!

Then when I got home and checked my notes also saw that they said I'd complained of right-sided pain when I have never done any such thing. My fibroid is lower left side, again all over my notes.

You know when you just get to the stage where you think I can't cope with this any more. I am not going into hospital to have this baby because they are so incompetent. BUT then again the voice of reason says, but it's probably safer....

Sorry, am rambling I think this is my longest post ever. Just need hugs I suppose . I know legally I'm entitled to a homebirth but don't want to come over as some radical type 'cos I'm not.

Oh. Oh. ARSE.

(((hugs))))

thanks Laura

God, have read my last post back. What a miserable old cow I sound!!

I don't think you sound miserable at all I'm sure that if I'd been in hosp & treated so inappropriately, I'd be just as upset.

If I was you (two planned hb's) I'd def. want to try again with this one. I planned one with ds, but ended up with pre-eclampsia, v.long labour, no progress, foetal distress and then c/s! I'm sure your cmw (knowing earlier plans) will realise that this is just something you feel happier with, rather than thinking that you are a radical!

Personally, I don't think I'm going to raise the issue for a while yet (unless I have to). I don't want to have the big fight on my hands, only to end up with PE or high blood pressure again, so hospital anyway.

Do you have any other options? Diff hosp? Midwife led unit (not sure if they let you in there if you've had a c/s - but you can have a hb! madness!)? Hope you feel better soon

thanks again Laura. I'm due to see community mw on 19th January so will have all this out with her then.

I think it must be hard from the mw's point of view if you are insisting on your "rights" but they personally feel you would be safer in hospital.

The hospital has however already told me I must go in as soon as I feel I am in labour (my previous "normal" labours have been very long so I imagine this would be the same) and I would need to have continuous monitoring throughout which would mean I couldn't be very mobile. I'd need a drip in place too (not just a cannula) and would possibly labour in the operating theatre "just in case". From previous experience the theatre is about ten seconds' walk from the ordinary delivery suite!

Aarrgghh!!

oh and mw led unit at different hospital already said no because I am "high risk" (previous c/s, fibroids, and my advanced age....!)

Maybe you could look into other hospitals anyway, just so that you can feel you have all the options at your disposal? Would be horrible to feel you'd ended up at your least best option through default, if the home birth option turns out to be too expensive/ whatever. The midwife led unit; is it attached to an obstetric unit? Our local hosp is that structure; I always feel that the obst. unit is rather informed by that and is a bit less medical as a result.

Hello allyco. I just wanted to say that I had a homebirth in July with my 3rd babty. 1t was in hospital and emergency c/s, 2d was hospital and ventous. This time around they were quite pushy for me to have it in hopsital, but in the end I said that I understood the risks, had done my research, but wanted to try at home and promised to go in if there was any hint of a problem. Ihave to say it helped that my midwife was very supportive and dint realy see the consultants problem. Anyway, as it turned out dd2 was born within 55 minutes so hospital would have been out of the question anyway. We didnt even have a midwife, so so much for all the concerns, they proved irrelevant. I do realise that I was lucky, and there can be problems, but I found once I had promised to go in when told, and that I did fully understand risks, they left me alone.

good luck

OR a friend has suggested I leave it so late that I turn up at hospital with baby's head already out thus leaving them no time to browbeat me!!!

Don't think I'm brave enough to attempt that one!!

Allyco - didn't know you were pregnant again. Am sooo pleased - congratulations and I hope you have the birth you want xx

From your email you sound as if you're more keen to avoid this hosital as opposed to being definite that you want to give birth at home? If that its the case then I would definitely talk to your GP and ensure that you are fully aware of all the available options open to you (in terms of different hospitals etc).

I'm not an expert and I only know one woman who attempted a HBAC. She had a fair amount of stress in dealing with the hospital during the pregnancy (having to sign disclaimer letters etc). She then had a slow labour, with baby being positioned poorly and ended up with am em c/s. This was 4 years ago, so I don't know whether the law has changed, but she had to lobby everyone (even brought her MP into it) in order to get her chance of a HB.

There are support groups for this, and as it seems to be a battle they may be a good bet for the sort of continuing support you would need on this one! Good luck!

thanks for all those posts everyone.

I think ladymuck has it right - it is more this hospital that I have lost faith in than being utterly desperate to have the baby at home IYSWIM.

I'm due to see community m/w on 19th January and will no doubt post again following that....

Just like to say I'm hoping to have a home birth in March after having a c-section 2.5 years ago with twins (one was breech so for no other reason than that). I also gave birth naturally to dd1,now 10, so I know I can do it!
I fortunate in the fact we are in a position to be able to afford an independent m/w otherwise I am looking at the high risk consultant unit at the local hospital.
If its any help my ind m/w told me that its rare for a need to be transferred to happen suddenly,things normally build up gradually giving time to deal with it.
I found these sites helpful independent midwives association and homebirth reference site

thanks Catj, am checking those websites {smile]

Allyco, I am in a mad dash but just thought I'd add that some doulas support homebirth for women who want a VBAC even HBA2C!! If you can work the accronyms !

I am out for 4 days now so would not be able to respond but here you can find doulas and they cost far less than Ind. MWs... they won't do anything medical but they will support you throughout and help you communicate with the MWs.

Just thought I'd add my links - would also be useful in case anybody looks this thread up in the future

They are all yahoo groups. I subscribe to them and get a daily email, but you can access them without having the email sent if you prefer.

A home birth support group by email - this list is for anyone interested in home birth in the UK.

The UK Midwifery mailing list discusses midwifery and maternity care. Open to midwives, students, mothers, and anyone interested in improving maternity services in UK.

A UK discussion group on vbac and home vbac for interested mums, mums to be, midwives and anyone else with an interest in avoiding unnecessary c-sections.

HTH