VBAC good and bad stories please

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I know this has been asked and discussed many times but I wanted some real life stories to help with my decision making.

Currently 34 weeks pregnant and have my appointment with consultant tomorrow to make a final decision on ELCS or VBAC.

My first DD was born via EMCS following a long 36 hour labor and failure to progress beyond 5cm dilated. As I understand she was back to back and came out with a large haematoma on the side of her head due to being very stuck!

I'd really like to hear stories about good and bad VBAC experiences including (if you don't mind) the reason for your first EMCS.

Many thanks in advance.

I had an EMCS with my first because he was undiagnosed breech but went on to have 3 further vaginal births, the first 15 months after my cs. I had no problems at all, except having to be monitored throughout all my labours.

DS1 was breech so I had an elective CS. It didn't feel very elective because the consultant basically dismissed the choice of a vaginal delivery, but hey ho.

DS2 was a wait and see job. After having had surgery on a broken ankle at 34weeks, I was desperate for a VBAC because the thought of crutches and a CS wound was too much for me!!

Luckily, DS2 turned head down (he was a lot smaller than ds1) and my bicornuate uterus managed to do the job (there was a chance that it might not, as well as also being a rupture risk).

DS2 got a bit distressed and they were hovering around muttering about an emergency CS. I bellowed at them all that there was no effing way I was having a section!! , they tried ventouse, and then finally forceps. The midwife said I was 5mins away from delivering on my own and part of me wishes they had just let me get on with it.

Anyway, I am ok about the way it turned out. And of my two birth experiences, I would choose the second any day.

Thank you ladies for your replies. It's good to hear some success stories.

Anyone else?

DD1 - crash section at 10cm dilated due to severe foetal distress. Long, painful recovery. Wasn't much fun being under GA when she was born.

DD2 - straightforward, fairly quick (6 hours from start to finish) home birth. No tears or stitches. Fantastic midwife with me who I'd seen throughout my pregnancy (we have a one to one continuity of care service in my area). Bit of gas and air at transition but otherwise used Hypnobirthing breathing and relaxation techniques. No vaginal examinations or directed pushing. Quick, easy recovery - I was walking into town with the pram to do my shopping and meet friends for lunch 3 days after the birth, feeling great.

1st baby-EMCS for failure to progress. Only got to 4cm after many hours including 4 hours on the drip. Baby in a bad position.

2nd baby-EMCS I didn't dilate yet again even though the baby was in a good position.
I just don't dilate!!

How much do you want to try for a vbac?If you're not bothered I would go to an ELCS but if you want to have another go then go for it.

Thank you for your reply MrsHoolie, what happened to you is my greatest fear. Seen Dr this morning and had a very long chat. Ultimately my hospital is very pro choice and will support me either way, which is really great. I've got another week to think about it before going back to make a final decision.

Think I'm heading towards an ELCS but still have some more time to think it through and I feel very supported, which is great

The second section was a really easy recovery as I wasn't in labour for that long before it and unlike the first time I wasn't pumped full of drugs. It was more like an ELCS and made me realise how special an elective can be.

I do have a friend who had a first c-section due to not dilating beyond about 5/6cm. She had several meetings with her consultant and eventually decided to try for a VBAC, but with the proviso that if induction was required then she would go straight for a c-section. Ultimately her second labour was quite similar at the start to the first, and she got to 4cm and then stopped. They asked her what she wanted to do and she chose at that point to agree to a drip induction but with an immediate epidural. She then delivered vaginally with some minor tears and was pleased with the outcome and her subsequent recovery. Like you, she had given a lot of thought to the ELCS option and was undecided until quite late on, but she managed to sort out in her own head exactly what she would and wouldn't be happy with and she set out her birth plan accordingly. If you would want to avoid a lengthy labour like last time, maybe you could think about agreeing with your consultant that you will labour for X time and then if things aren't progressing you would opt to go to a section rather than end up after 36 hours exhausted etc. There may be a middle road if you are unsure about which option is best for you.

Hi emsyj,

Interestingly my dad is a just retired obs/gynae cons. Not in the area I live though. When I talked it through with him he suggested a fairly strict plan for a VBAC with a move to CS if nothing progressed. However it seems the Dr's at my hospital tend to treat VBAC very much like a normal delivery with the main difference of continual monitoring once 3cm dilated. My difficulty was it took me many many very painful hours of labor to get to 3cm last time and I'm very worried this will happen again then I'll get stuck at 5cm and wind up shattered with an EMCS again!

Wish I had a crystal ball to look into the future. I still have mixed feelings as there is no perfect solution. I feel that there are risks for baby and me no matter what I choose!

I think that my friend had to be fairly forceful to get her birth plan agreed, but she had such a shit time first time around that they bent over backwards to make her happy.

I know what you mean about a crystal ball. I had a horrible recovery from my c-section and was determined I didn't want another, which I suppose is good in a way as my decision to try for a VBAC was easy - there was no way I would have chosen another section - but there were a lot of tears and stressful times during my pregnancy when I just couldn't believe that the outcome would be different second time around. I felt that another emcs was inevitable. I was also terrified of actually having a baby come through my nethers!

I hope you get some joy from your consultant. If your DDad thinks that a birth plan with a contingency c-section route is viable and reasonable and that is what you would be comfortable with then you have every right to push for that.

I know what you mean about the recovery, it worries me a lot. I get the feeling though that recovery from ELCS is better than EMCS due to better preparation and being a lot less tired.

I know my bad birth experience last time left me shattered, baby shattered and jaundice due to a huge haematoma on her head and then a downward spiral of feeding problems which lead me to be breast feeding and topping up with expressed and formula milk because I couldn't produce enough! No fun!

However the thought of looking after a 23 month old and a new baby following a CS is also very daunting. Especially as DH may have to start a new job in next few weeks so wouldn't get paternity leave! MIL on standby but not quiet the same as DH or DM!

Rock and a hard place!