First birth C/S, second VBAC...how long was your labour..???

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

I had DD by EMCS two and a half years ago (she was breech) and am now 36 weeks with DC2 and hoping for a VBAC.

I know that most women have longish labours for a first child, then much shorter for their second. But if you didn't labour to birth with your first, what was your labouring experience for your second?

I was in labour for about 5 hours from the first mild contractions until DD was born by CS - I got to 3cm. I'm wondering if my VBAC would be more characteristic of a first birth because of that?

I would be very interested in hearing of others experiences! Thanks.

I had an emergency c-section then a VBAC two years later. I went into hospital at 6am and baby was born at 10.30am. I probably could have stayed at home longer as I wasn't in much pain but because of the previous section they asked me to go in early.
Good luck with the DC2!

First labour first mild contraction and water went at same time to 10cm , was seven hours, and finished in emcs as DS was undiagnosed footling breech.
Three years later, exactly the same, except ended in crash cs (at 10cm after 7 hours) due to uterine rupture/DD's heart stopped.

Eek, hope all was well after that, Bike...

Thanks Dancing! That sounds heartening.

I read on another thread that once one's body has experienced the hormones that cause labour once, its more responsive to them on subsequent occasions. So I guess the fact that the stretching etc. of the second stage (and indeed, full cervical dilation) didn't happen may not preclude a shorter labour.

We shall see!

Anyone else?

I am wondering about the same question...I'm ttc for a second baby after my first was delivered by EMCS following 27 hours of labour (increasingly painful contractions every 5 minutes for that whole time )

A friend who's a consultant obstatrician (not sure I've spelled that correctly) said that because the baby hadn't actually gone through the birth canal, the usual expectation of the second labour being quicker wouldn't be true. But I'm not convinced about that..would be good to hear other's opinions and experiences on this one?

One of the main reasons I'm considering an elective caesarean next time was how long it took last time, and unfortunately I was quite sick which made the whole thing feel pretty unmanageable (plans to swing my hips and bounce on the gym ball to hurry things along went very much out of the window!!) But I feel I could cope if it was going to be less of a long haul.

Sorry, I've gone on a bit there, not sure if that helps you immaculada...I hope all goes well with the last few weeks and that you DO have a short and manageable labour

14 hours of labour with DD1 followed by em c-s under GA (I tole them my epidural wasn't working ). DD2 was about the same length of labour, TBH, and was a forceps VBAC - I really wish I'd looked at the size of DH's enormous head before agreeing to have his children. I was told the same as Looby, that as DD1 hadn't actually gone through the birth canal, I should expect more of a 'first-time' birth than a second and I think that was true for me. However, I was much more in control as I knew what to expect secondtime round, so less panicky. And the epidural worked that time...

That's rather what I suspected Poledra (arf at your DH's enormous head!!) and LoobyLou (good luck ttc!)

Inmaculada -DD and I both fine, but was scary ten mins while they got her out.

Immaculada: Am 33 weeks with DC2 and hoping for a VBAC this time too. Whilst I know the chances of ending up with an emergency c-sec are probably higher than for other people, the thought of having such a long recovery period with a toddler to look after as well as a newborn is enough for me to want to try the natural way again!

I am however finding it hard to banish unhelpful memories of first time round when I was hyperstimulated by the induction, then went on to have a 24 hour labor which was very f**king painful - only to end in em c-sec.

However, I did get to 8cms and my consultant said that since my body has done 80% of the job (as it were) there is a good chance of VBAC.

Sorry that was really long. Would be really interested to know how you get on! Good luck

Likewise victoria - sorry to hear you had such a marathon effort first time. Inductions can be really brutal (although I've also heard of mums who have found them okay, so it's luck of the draw I guess).
Good luck with your VBAC - my reasons for going down that route are exactly the same as yours. Let's hope we both have the kind of births that won't leave us too incapacitated..!!

Bike - very pleased to hear that!

Thanks immaculada

Good to hear a few accounts of successful VBACs...do keep them coming!

victoriasponge, I wonder if induction was partly to blame for the intense experience? I had a sadistically carried out very thorough membrane sweep and can't help wondering whether the babies just weren't quite ready, hence the extra painful and longer labour? (or perhaps I'm just a wuss, I do have a low pain threshold ;-)

In any case, hopefully being a bit more prepared will help you and since every labour is different, hopefully this one will be quicker as like you say, you got to 8cm.

I had an emcs after 31 very painful hrs with dc1. I'd been fully dilated for 8hrs, pushing solidly for 6 of them. Had all manner of interventions to try and pull her out/push her back up/rotate her, all to no avail.

I tried for a vbac with dc2. After 37hrs and a complete failure to progress I had another emcs.

Turned out that I have a twist in my pelvis and can't give birth naturally. Hey ho, I tried.

I had an emergency CS with DS1 and a VBAC with DS2. Don't know if it was just my hospital but as soon as they decided I was fully dilated (which took about 4hrs) they said they would only let me push for an hour (they even noted the exact time!) and then I would be taken to theatre for a CS. Infact I did end up in theatre with forceps and was allowed to have one more push and out he popped! Did tear really badly though and had an elective CS with DD3! Have to say that although I healed well from my 3rd degree tear, of all 3 of my births it was the VBAC that took the longest to recover. But it was also my "favourite" labour!

Best of British to anyone preparing for a VBAC. It's a difficult balance - you have to be positive enough to believe in your body and, at the same time, understanding that if it doesn't happen then it isn't your fault.

My experience was an em cs with DS1 after a failed induction - I stuck at 8cm so I did labour (albeit with the help of a bastard synto drip).

DD was born 2 years and 4 months later. Went into labour spontaneously at around 3pm (after a jolly good lunch actually). and the ctx started to get quite hurty by around 7pm. Got to hospital about 10 and assessed at 11ish when was told I was 2cm. I wanted to weep. Waters broke 12.30 and DD born just after 3! I managed with gas and air but not much of it as it made me sick. The pushing stage lasted about 45 minutes.

DS2 was born 6 weeks ago. Woke up at about 3am having ctx and tried to ignore and stay laying down as I really wasn't up for going into hospital at that time. They got going when I got up about 7 and I was in hospital for 10.40. In the pool at 11.30 and DS2 born at 12.36 after about 3 pushes.

In summary, my first phase was quite long each time but staying at home helps. I believe that what made my VBAC's successful was the fact that in each instance I was basically left alone to get on with it. I declined CFM and with DD. As I wasn't in active labour they were happy to leave me for a couple of hours to see what happenned - I dilated very fast in that time. With DS2 I had wireless monitoring although they took it off after a while anyway because the modwife said my cervix was still thick! I think she was trying to do me a favour and take me off the vbac clock. I asked to see the Supervisor of Midwives at around 20 weeks with the most recent birth because I really wanted a water birth so needed a consultant to sign off in advance as I didn't want any arguments on the day. She was great and the whole process worked very well.

Oh yes, I found in all cases that practising hypnobirthing style breathing really helped me stay calm and focused. Even if you don't go the full hypnobirthing route I think everyone can benefit from the breathing because it helps you stay calm no matter what happens.

Good to hear all these VBAC stories, thanks!

Yours sound very interesting wasabi. I've been told I'll probably be asked to come into hospital fairly early on because it's a VBAC (and I'm over 40) and they want to do CFM - although I have been assured that this will still allow me a certain amount of movement and the hospital likes to encourage labouring women to try whatever position (within reason) that feels most comfortable. (wireless sadly not available). I've been listening to a natal hypnotherapy CD (mostly falling asleep to it - does that count as a hypnotic trance?!!) so I hope that will help.

If I go into labour spontaneously - I have an ELCS booked at 40+3, so DC2 had better get on with it....

More VBAC stories very welcome!!

I was in a very similar situation to you OP - laboured for 5 hrs with DS, but hyperstimulated thanks to induction, baby was in distress and whipped out by CS. I had got to 2cm dilation.

3 weeks ago I had a successful VBAC, but it did take a long time - 55 hrs including a 36 hr latent period. I think I was unlucky though, as my baby's head wasn't well applied to my cervix, which is why it took such a long time to get going. I also had added stress because my waters partially broke right at the beginning, so the risk of infection rose the longer my labour went on.

That said, in every other way the birth was a fantastic experience and the hospital was amazing. I had made it clear that I wanted as natural a birth as possible and to be active, not strapped to monitors on a bed, and they respected that. I had wireless monitoring, and although they were quite keen to get me on the syntocin (sp??) drip to speed things up, they didn't argue when I declined. I did have an epidural at 8cm dilation, so that I could get a couple of hours sleep as I was totally exhausted after two nights of almost no sleep, and I am glad I did as the pushing stage lasted over 2 hrs. Strictly they don't like you to push for more than an hour if you're a VBAC, but my baby was not in distress and they allowed me the extra time as they understood how much I wanted to avoid interventions.

Sorry this is so long and rambling. I would say that it's difficult to predict how long your labour might last, but if your cervix hasn't fully dilated before, it will probably not be as quick as someone who has previously fully dilated. But if your baby is happy, don't be afraid to negotiate with the hospital for additional time if that's what you want. I also hired a doula and would really recommend that, as she kept me calm and positive when it would have been easy to despair as it was taking so long. She also had great techniques for getting labour established.

Good luck!

Congratulations mrsfox!

That's very useful - I hadn't realised there was a time limit on the pushing stage (also surprised they wanted to put you on a syntocin drip as my understanding was there's general reluctance to do that because of fears the stronger contractions might rupture the uterus...). Hmm. I think I will follow your example and insist on longer if there are no signs of distress in the baby.

I'm very tempted to hire a doula, I must say. Especially as it would free up my DH to go and spend some time with DD if things are taking a long time. I'm just wary of doing so if I then go overdue and have to have an ELCS - money's a bit tight at the moment!

*insist on longer if needed, of course!!

Immaculada, the use of the synto drip in a VBAC depends upon your hospital's policy. When I had DD3 (after the forceps VBAC with DD2), I was induced with synto, as DD3 had medical issues so I was booked for an induction at 40+1 as they said it was easier to treat her outside than inside! The reasoning is that the synto is quickly metabolised by your body, so, if there are any issues, they can stop the drip and your body will eliminate the remaing drug quickyl whereas once the pessaries are in, the drug takes a much longer time to be removed from your body so it can't be stopped in the same way.

DD3, therefore, was an induced birth with synto and epidural - I am really shit at this giving birth thing! Anyway, it was a fabulous birth, the best of the three by a country mile! Most of which I put down to the outstanding midwives I had that time, both the community midwife who looked after me during pregnancy and the hospital MW who looked after me in labour. I still think of them both fondly, and DD3 was 4 last week

DS em cs after 48 hours of contractions (mild, got to 4cm).

DD normal delivery after 3.5 hours of labour (not mild, shouted the place down). I was contracting at home for a couple of hours before I went in. I found the whole business incredibly painful but was very pleased not to have a section again, because she was born at 7am and I was home for lunch, able to pick up DS and give him a cuddle like normal, which were the most important things to me.

That makes sense, poledra - no induction for me, though - if he doesn't take the vaginal route by the 40+3 deadline, it's the scalpel....

I'm putting in an order for a birth like yours, what !

Just wanted to add that I am 40 but this didn't seem to have any bearing on how the hospital treated me. My lovely consultant said I had an 80% chance of success, which was very heartening.

I had also requested to be allowed to wait until 42 weeks before having an ELCS, which they agreed to, so I felt fairly confident that I would go into labour before we got to that stage.

I had an emcs with my first (8cm, baby in distress) and I was all set up for a VBAC for number two. He was 10 days late and the csec was booked in for the saturday ... but went into v early labour thursday night. Friday morning regular mild contractions. Painful but bearable by late morning. Full on by 2pm ... took until 6ish to get to 7cm and then I had to have another emsc, for same reasons.
So I have decided i am very good at pregnancy as they were both trouble free but my body obviously isn't quite built for the normal way out. Nevermind! I i gave it a good go both times! I would try and stay at home as long as possible and also second the hypnobirthing books (marie mongan). Although it didn't work out as planned, i was a lot more prepared second time around and the breathing (which i completing forgot to do first time) really helped me with the contractions.
Good luck to you OP and everyone else going for vbac X

1st labour em/cs after 20 hours labour - got to full dilation (eventually) but DD was oblique transverse. I never had an urge to push

2nd labour (5 weeks ago) - successful VBAC (yay!) - 3.5 hours from waters breaking to delivery. was bloody painful, plus I ended up with a pretty hefty episiotomy and haemorrhage, so needed 3 units of blood, which meant my hospital stay was 3 days. Still got a massive sense of achievement from it though :) That urge to push is amazingly strong when it happens!

I had a pretty stern old-fashioned midwife who insisted on supine position and CFM - wish I had negotiated these things with the consultant beforehand because I didn't have the strength to argue with the midwife, as I was already 7cm by the time I got to the hospital even though I didn't hang around long at home once contractions started.

2nd ones can be a lot quicker so be prepared!! I almost feel as though mine was too quick, as I had trouble dealing with such a quick escalation of pain - couldn't get on top of it mentally - my hypnobirthing techniques were useless!

Good luck Immaculada and let us know how you get on xx

Thanks everyone! These stories are all really helpful.

mrsfox I think it depends on your individual consultant's/hospital's policy (the "overdue" question) - my consultant would have had me under the knife on the EDD itself - I got the extra three days because it was a Bank Holiday...!