what exactly happens during a vbac delivery?

[raininginlondon]

Hi ladies. Hope someone can help me understand what happens during a typical vbac in hospital. Things I would like to know is how long do they normally let you labour for, what type of monitoring is used, can one stay active (walking around, bouncing on ball etc) and is it likely to have a midwife present at all times in order to pick up an problems early/on time?

I've got an appointment with a consultant next week and am still very undecided whether to go for an ELCS or VBAC.

Such a hard decision!!!

Reading the guidelines from the RCOG might help you:

www.rcog.org.uk/womens-health/clinical-guidance/birth-after-previous-caesarean-information-you

I recently had a VBAC choices discussion with the head midwife at my local hospital.

She said that I would have be in the labour ward, not the MLU, to come in early in labour, be continuously monitored but that the monitor could go in the birth pool. She also said they would be stricter on how long they would let you labour for at each stage without interventions. Oh and she said I would have to have a managed third stage.

Thanks for your replies everyone. I've got my appointment with the consultant tomorrow so will get them to explain what is the exact process of vbac to me. I've unfortunately been feeling slightly unwell and think pre-eclampsia is rearing it's ugly head again and so I may need to be delivered early. In which case I think I may go for ELCS.

How did you get on today? I had a VBAC and found it to be fine really. They did only let me push for an hour and then I had ventouse to help me deliver. But also I was pretty knackered by that point. I was able to stay quite mobile for a good length of time but needed an epidural at 7cm as was desperate to push! I didn't feel overly monitored until right at the end when they were giving me help.

You do feel a little pressured that you've got to get the baby out before they whisk you off for an EMCS but in a way I think that made me more determined to get it done in those final few minutes!

Good luck!