To those who have had/attempted a Vbac...

[joymaker]

I had a EMS with DC1 as my waters broke without contractions, waited a couple of days to see if labour would start naturally, when it didn't I was on the drip for 2 days without success. I am seriously considering Vbac and trying to make some decisions about what I want to do. I would really appreciate an idea of others experiences.

What led to your CS (and was it your 1st Dc)?

How long were you in labour?

Was it a success or not?

What pain relief did you have?

did you have an induction?

(I know it's so different for every woman but I'm agonising over all this.) Thanks ever so much

HugeGrant thanks a lot for sharing your experience. It's intersting to me that even though you've had post birth issues you don't regret it ( and maybe I would feel the same? Something for me to consider) ...One never knows what way things will go...

PosieParker thanks to you also. Your Vbac experience sounds frightening. I hope you don't find it insensitive/strange/silly if I ask whether you regret trying for one (heaven knows oneone would blame you!) or if you are still glad that you did.

It is a bit of a lottery. If you know you can do vaginal without problems that has to be preferable.i have nothing to compare to but found the c section very civilized somehow, as in very calm and not traumatic.
My mum had such problems giving birth and my gran had prolapsed womb her while life from an 11 pounder so I suppose I view the c section as an escape from such potential life time of pain but it is only a small minority of women who have probs like this. Trouble is despite being an optimist I do think well someone will be that statistic.,...and why not me be the unlucky one.

I loved relaxing after c section...like being on a long haul flight where you have no other option but to relax. I do thi k I have an unreasonable fear of a child being disabled from the birth
Recess having worked with many kids affected due to births gone wrong......it is rare but not rare if it is your child sadly.

Pit I didn't have anything go wrong with my births but still have two disabled children, there's no guarantees in this life I suppose.

Pitmountainpony

I do thi k I have an unreasonable fear of a child being disabled from the birth
Recess having worked with many kids affected due to births gone wrong......it is rare but not rare if it is your child sadly.

Dear Pit, can you clarify what you mean about children disabled from birth, do you mean vag - or c section....not sure what recess is....many thanks

Kal. I have been told that i need a csection as I have had 2 previous. I am surprised you were allowed to try VBAC.

Hi it's such a tough choice as it's the unknown. I had EMCS with DD1. Got to hosp 9pm was 3cm, some point given syntocin as not dilating fast enough, got to 10cm. 9am epidural, theatre, failed ventouse then EMCS as DD stuck back to back. Recovery was a bit slow.
DD2 was ELCS at 39 wks, 17 mths after DD1. Decided on ELCS as worried about rupture being close together and thought ELCS would be better than EMCS. Was all very calm and fine. Recovery so much easier than first time having not laboured but felt a bit of the magic from the natural labour was missing. DD2 had few breathing probs for while after birth. Just when she was sleeping she'd yelp and catch her breath. Quite scary, although Drs didn't seem too bothered. I'm sure this was due to mucus following CS without labour. She's fine now.
Now 20 wks pg with DC3, wondering if I want to try VBAC. Interested to see what consultant advises next month. Part of me keen to try, to avoid breathing probs, easier recovery (?), birthing when ready, but part of me scared of EMCS and intervention/ongoing probs.... my mum had a prolapse recently (1 labour with forceps), she thinks go for CS to avoid this! Tenby22 did they give you a reason why they refused after 2CS? Was it automatic? Thanks

tenby -I do think it depends on the consultant (and how risk averse they maybe are) and definately the individual case of the woman as I know my consultant consented to a woman attempting vbac after three sections (not sure whether they were emergency or not) which was successful but assisted (forceps)

Loboo - that must have been frustrating, though did well to get to 10 cm.

If your DD's initial breathing problems are your main reasons for trying for Vbac (?), could you enquire whether it's possible to suction (not sure what's involved in that, but I think hospitals used to do it routinely) the baby after delivery if you opted for an ELCS. It was my hospitals policy not to suction babies after CS. My DS 's breathing wasn't afffected after birth although I definately remember him coughing up mucus about 4 times during the following couple of days after and it's scary particularly when they're lying down.

loboo It actually says in the preprinted part of your notes that if you have 1 section you will have a good chance of a successful VBAC. If you had 2 or more you will usually be advised to have a section.
Obviously, this is just on hospital so asjoymaker says I guss its down to consultant.
Glad I know about the breathing thing. Although I suspect I may go ibto labour before my ELCS at 9 weks.

Thank you. I think for me the main thing is I feel like I have missed out on giving birth, so am going to give the consultant all my pros and cons and see what they think. I have joined the yahoo VBAC group and there are lots of ladies on there who have had VBACs after more than one CS. I know I can push for this even against advice, but personally I would rather listen to the drs who have much more experience than me. I just wish I felt a bit more positive about what I want to do. I was willing DD2 to come earlier than the planned CS date to take the decision out of my hands. If I go for the planned I will definitely enquire about suction and also leaving it until 40 wks is possible.

Good luck with your decision. If you do have an ELCS it is lovely how calm it all is, compared to my EMCS anyway. But all labours seem so different - you may find you have none of the same issues as last time. Check out the VBAC yahoo group - lots of support on there.

I have namechanged loboo Was tenby and I so now how you feel. My 1st section was awful although I suspect dd wouldn't be alive without it. (GA) I felt like I missed out on 1st few hours of her life. That's why I was keen to vbac. But perhaps more importantly at least be awake for birth.Sadly I ended up with a section anyway but at least I got my spinal. It was much better than previous one but I still wish I had been able to see actual delivery and to find out baby's sex for myself. Instead of being told.
Hopefully i will be able to do that this time.
Good luck to everyone.

What led to your CS (and was it your 1st Dc)?

1st DC - "failure to progress after induction" was the official line.

How long were you in labour?

A long time! Depends when you class labour though - was induced and it was about 24 hours of proper pain but not of proper labour.

Was it a success or not?

Yes and no - I had a natural birth with low forceps but I had a PPH afterwards that ended me up in intensive care (these are apparently more common with a c section so they would advise me against a c section next time if I had a next time)

What pain relief did you have?

Planned a hippy gas and air - ended up begging for an epidural after 8 hours of pain that I couldn't cope with -it was great!

did you have an induction?

Yes

Do I regret it?

No! For me I am so very very glad I had a chance at a natural labour and birth and it was amazing having hte babe come out down below rather than c section this time. I had to be in hospital a few days because of the PPH but when I came out I was far more mobile than after a C section. I had a real fear of not being able to pick child 1 up after a c section and of her feeling rejected so was glad to be able to do this!

The PPh could have happened anyway. I had a pessary induction (they wont use a syntocin drip or most types of pessary) as I was 2 weeks over. I would have loved to have gone naturally as what I found the most difficult was labouring on my own in hospital which of course wouldnt have happened with a planned C.

So for me I was so grateful that I've had a "natural birth" as well as a C.

Insanity, I am so sorry your children manage the challenges that come with any firm of disability. What I always feared is a child having a disability caused by birth as in, if they had not had a difficult birth the disability would not have occurred. I personally would have found that hard to be with.

Eliza
iPad typo....recess means having.......

Whereas if a child is born with a disability, that is often something that could not have been any other way so your choices have not influenced the outcome and of course you and your child deal with it and adapt and create the best possible life as everyone tries to.
I looked after several children who had a form of cerebral palsy caused by lack of oxygen during the birth, if I remember rightly. I just was aware they would not have had those special needs if birth had been different.