vaginal birth after 2 c-sections

[kimmy2912]

i had a c-section in dec 2009 with twins, then with my dd in april 2012, i wasn't getting the support for a vbac, but i regret my decision, hopefully in a couple of years i'll be pregnant again and would like to know if a vbac would be possible?

i am going to wait at least a year before a start ttc to give my scar time to heal, i'm just trying to get as much information as possible, i want to go into the consultant's office with enough info to write a book with lol
i do hope that i do fall pregnant and i find someone to help me have a natural birth.
can i ask what is a doula?

A Doula is a lady who has trained to support women in birth. They're not medical and not there to help deliver the baby or give opinions. It's about supporting and helping mum. During the pregnancy they can help you to educate yourself on whatever is a concern for you. You may find it helpful to speak to one before you get pregnant to help prepare for pregnancy.

You might find it easier, rather than going to the consultant and asking, to go to an SoM. They're usually a lot more helpful with preparing for natural births (or whatever it is you want to do) and they'll make sure that you're heard and your wishes supported.

one emcs and VBAC (with forceps) 4.9 years later. Good luck :)

kimmy, I had the 2 sections within 14 months of each other, dc three was born when dc2 was just 2. So at that time I had 3 3 and under. I became pg second time when dc1 was about 5 months. The dr didn't think it would have been an issue to try for a vbac so soon after my first section, but I got cold feet and had an elective section

Yes I had a VBAC back in 1998 after an EC with dd1 who was brow presentation and would not shift and became distressed - my consultant was very laid back about it all and said it was up to me what I did he would support whatever I wanted.

DD2 was back to back but I managed and it was easier than another section.

A word of warning - if you have significant stretch marks then you are likely to be similarly damaged internally by VB you just sort of give way! But no one tells you that before and afterwards the line 'what did you expect dear?' (yes a consultant actually said this to me six months after the birth of my second and last when a sympathetic GP referred me) becomes particularly hurtful.
I finally had to go private to have a vaginal repair operation but how I wish I had been forewarned and insisted on a CS! NB my stretch marks are very bad and my babies were over 8 1/2lb and the labours were very fast (but not painful at all!) I would want others to be forewarned about this as there seems to be a conspiracy of silence. Apparently most women are unaffected and their love lives do not suffer forever after giving birth vaginally! But if they were asked I wonder what they would say?

I had an 'easy' VBAC with a doula holding my hand, or rather holding the sick bowl! A couple of years later I had another baby who also counted as a VBAC. Despite the fact that I had a VBAC already, the Registrar on the delivery ward still wanted to monitor me. I put my faith in the excellent MW and pretended to have contractions while she was explaining the monitoring to me. She gave up on me and left. Textbook delivery and 11'14 .

I should add I did see 3 different Registrars for the first VBAC who tried to persuade me to have another section. It was only when I burst into tears on one that the subject was dropped.

I had 3 sections in 3 years then a vbac after 8 years. Nothing ruptured.
However, like any vaginal birth other things can go wrong and in my case they did. Tragically. But nothing to do with it being a vba3c.
And I will add that a c-section is a peice of cake compared to tearing of under-carriage. Ouch.

thats interesting all4u. I have horrendous stretch marks despite being slim and the VB has left me sitting very uncomfortably. I wish I'd had a 4th section to be honest for that reason but also because what went wrong would not have happenend with a section.

I missed out due to inducement - All geared up for a smooth VABC but one pessary wasnt enough to induce hence ARM (big mistake should of gone for oxytocin). ARMs carry too much risk hence baby went into distress - ended up with crash section which was horrific and sends me to tears now. Very annoyed with the pressure of inducement and feel as if I'd pushed for 2nd pessary would of laboured naturally.

I had a VBAC last year after an emc-s 3 years earlier.

The Yahoo VBAC group is invaluable. Try to get hold of a book called Silent Knife - it's hard to get hold of but I bought a copy and donated it to the group on the understanding that it would be passed around so ask on there for it.

Don't believe what you're told, always research, always question.

Just because the rules say something, that isn't actually the way things have to happen :)

I am currently expecting baby #3 after 2 sections. I live in the United States and no one in my area is willing to do a vbac after two sections. I live in a metropolitan area and was told it just wasn't done. Frustrating.

As you said, you have three beautiful children... I had no desire at all to have VBAC after EMCS for DC1. The midwives would have let me try to have VBAC but I had to insist I didn't want it and say I didn't think I could cope (first labour long and v traumatic EMCS). Thanks God I pushed for ELCS - there was no way DC2 would ever have exited any way other than through the sunroof - but surgeons carrying out first EMCS failed to note this. There is a reason why so women and babies were lost in the past and the whole idea of missing out by not giving birth vaginally seems ridiculous when you think about it. The decision is always yours, but please don't feel you have missed anything by not doing it 'properly'. If in doubt look at the children - and the life - you have already.

which metropolitan area HiNoon. I found an Ob/gyn in North Virginia who was willing (she was german). As it was I returned home at 32 weeks.

You are right quazi. The only important thing is that the baby is safely delivered. I wish with all my heart that I'd had a 4th section. (even though what happenend was nothing to do with it being a vbac). DD would have been fine. It was my own stupid fault for hankering after a 'normal' birth and feeling like a failure. and dd paid the price.

KalSkirata, I am sorry.

I have had o successful vbacs after an ELCS for a breech. The first one I was heavily monitored on the bed the whole time, but the the second one the midwife strapped me up to the monitor and let me stand and use the birthing all etc, they were great, both times I had to have my waters broken but I don't think that was anything to do with it being a vbac.

VBAC almost 5 years after emcs for premature twins. The VBAC wasn't entirely easy, I had to be induced, dd had a clip on her head to make sure she wasn't distressed and I had an epidural and small episiotomy.

But the sheer BLISS of being able to walk out of the hospital the next day with no scar, and not being in theatre for the birth was worth it. I have never regretted it and am so glad it eventually worked out.

That was St. Georges in London and they weren't very keen on the VBAC during checkups but luckily consultant on duty let me have a trial of labour. The midwives were fabulous (and so was DH!)

all4u, I've never heard anything like that, I'm not entirely convinced it's accurate but I can do some digging. I don't see how the two could be linked.

I don't agree that a healthy baby safely delivered is all that matters, I mean yes it's always the goal you want to achieve and if a VB isn't working then a CS is the best option or lifting the baby, but that doesn't mean that alls well that ends well. My first birth left me so traumatised that I couldn't talk about it and when it came to the second and wanting a CS I wasn't able to broach it with my consultant (who was fabulous last time and I wish I had because she would have supported me). It's rather insulting to tell a mother suffering from PTSD that at least their baby is healthy, in fact it's damaging because you're adding to the guilt she feels. Any deviation from the plan, in fact any decision, should be handled properly to reduce the risk of harming the mother. If someone had sat down with me after the birth of my eldest and said "this is what happened in theatre" I wouldn't have been so traumatised, as it was I heard snippets and knew "something" bad had happened but not what or how bad the "something" was.

The deaths of the past aren't all about modern advancement. They got worse when doctors (ie men) got involved. The biggest cause of maternal death was doctors not washing their hands, when germs were discovered and hand washing prioritised, the death rate dropped. We also have the medical model (which we still see today and thankfully have CS rather than death as an outcome of that), doctors wanting to get hands on, doctors wanting women on their backs making doctors' work the focus rather than mothers' work. We know these are things that increase the risk of CS, we also know that if all births were well managed a much smaller % would be CS so it's not fair to say that all the current CSs would have died if it wasn't for modern advancement.

Yes, another vote for doulas. I honestly believe I couldn't have achieved the vbacs without mine.

thankyou for all your advice, another reason the doctors wanted me to have another cs was the my dd was measuring big and at 39 weeks when she was born she weighed 8lb 10 so if i did go full term she would be been over 9lb and i don't think i could of managed to of given birth normally, so in some ways i am pleased i had the cs, but i just feel i have missed out on trying :(

I had C -section, then induced VBAC, then normal VBAC. The last one was my best birth. It was wonderful!!! I know lots of women who have given birth normally after a c-section. There was lots of pressure to do otherwise though but I stood strong !

I had intended a VBAC for DC2 and hospital supported this but a scan at 35 weeks indicated he was already about 8.5llbs. I was offered a CS and took it. DS2 was 10.10lbs at when he was born by CS at 39 weeks. I have no regrets about not having a VBAC :o in fact because I felt in control of how he was going to be delivered it turned out to be a very positive experience and helped in moving on from the very dramatic events of DS1's birth.

for ds2 i was booked in for a c sec after 1st emergency section for ds1, but went into labour night before and had a vbac. i guess it depends on the reason for section and i did have 3year gap too. i am a firm believer in going with the flow in all things birth related and am a bit meh about either way of delivering. at least after section my undercarriage was in tact. all i have to do now is laugh and a little bit of wee comes out! lots of hugs for future lovely babies as they're all worth it. x

Interesting.

I had my DD at King's College, EMCS after a 22 hour labour and the consultants said that there was no reason I couldn't try for VBAC next time round. They even sent me a letter to say so!

Well I'm glad to see that when I posted the question to my birth junkie friends about a correlation between stretch marks and tearing the general concensus was "WTF???" glad because I thought I was missing something. That's a selection of Doulas, MWs and mums (all mums anyway) who love birth etc.