Vbac experiences - after EMCS first time does body treat second labour as if it is first again?

[MicroPigInHighHeels]

Hi, just wondering about this really.
1st baby I got to about 5cm dilated before EMCS was performed due to fetal distress and me bleeding during contractions. I had been in labour since 5am on one day and had C-section at around 1am the following morning.
Everyone else I know who has had their 2nd baby (both 'normal' births) have reported back being in labour for much shorter time and not nearly as painful as first, seeing as their body had already 'done' it before.
I'm really worried that my body won't know what to do and it will either go on forever and end in another EMCS or worse some sort of awful vaginal birth leaving me horrifically damaged (I know, I know - I need to not read all the horror stories on google.) I'm due in 3 days and now wishing I'd gone for a planned section as then I'd know what to expect :(

1st pg - no signs of labour until waters broke with a whoosh!!0-10 cm dilated in 7 hours, emcs due to undiagnosed footling breech. 38+5.

2nd pg- no signs of labour, waters went with a drop, drip, drip, 0-10 cm dilation in 7 hrs again, uterine rupture, crash emcs under GA.

Sorry, that's bit a great news story, but I do know people who have had successful vbac and vba2c.

Bike
do you mean me?

DS4 was ELSC as footing breech, but had DS5 & DD VBAC.
all fine.
not sure if giving birth previous to C-section made a difference, I feel I got "better" at it the more I had!
DD was my smallest (8lb 3oz) , I didn't even need stitches with her and bounced back incredibly quickly.

now 28 weeks pg with #7, I hope to have another VBAC.
(or would that be VBA VBA VBAC? )

good luck with whatever you choose to do.

Hello, I am also due shortly (today actually, but DC1 was 12 days 'overdue') and anticipating a VBAC in the next couple of weeks.

Like you OP I got to 5cm with DC1 last year until foetal distress prompted a EmCS - and like you I had also been in labour for a long time beforehand!

I have been told by my v. senior midwife that yes, with DC2 the labour should be speedier even if you didn't actually deliver vaginally before.

I have also heard that just the part of the labour up to where you go to last time should be speedier but thereafter it is as a first labour, ie no way of predicting speed or efficiency.
I put this to her and she said no, the whole thing is usually quicker - that if you went into labour last time and had any contractions and dilation things will be quicker, regardless of the point you had the CS at. I trust her 100% and for what it's worth I had already done some research of my own which concurs with her.

I so know what you mean about going for a planned section as it is a known quantity - and now past my due date I am thinking this more frequently than before! - BUT I am just trying to hold onto the reasons I wanted the VBAC in the first place...

Good luck and all the best, these days are not the easiest but we'll have our babies before long! Let me know if you have any other questions as I've asked my MW quite a lot!

Hi toomuchribbon - yes I think it's all the anticipation and feeling like it's all a bit unknown still that's making me start to question my decision to try for a Vbac. I've been allowed to go to 12 days overdue before they will talk about inducing this time - 1st baby was 11 days over so hoping that means I'll go into labour on my own before that happens.
Good luck with your birth too.

My first dc was elcs for footling breech so no labour at all but followed by 3 successful vbacs - recorded established labours were dc2 3hours, dc3 about an hour and dc4 was 4 contractions. I tore with all 3 but no permanent damage/mangling.

Definitely agree with Zing that by dc4 I relaxed and just let my body do it's thing, much to the disgust of the caught on the hop midwives . I do remember the midwide with dc2 telling me to stop making the silly noise and push like I was doing a poo though...

^I have also heard that just the part of the labour up to where you go to last time should be speedier but thereafter it is as a first labour, ie no way of predicting speed or efficiency.
I put this to her and she said no, the whole thing is usually quicker - that if you went into labour last time and had any contractions and dilation things will be quicker, regardless of the point you had the CS at. I trust her 100% and for what it's worth I had already done some research of my own which concurs with her.^

That's interesting, because I think my consultant said that because we don't know how long my labour would have gone on for or ended up, it won't be quicker. I think that's what she said anyway. Can you point me to where you read that it will be?

I had contractions for 11 hours, they were at 2-3 mins and lasting 50 seconds when I went in, before they realised she was breech. I was only 3cm though. I thought I would have been further on but I read somewhere that you may not dilate properly with a breech because there's a lack of pressure on the cervix (not sure what type of breech she was as they unhelpfully didn't record this in my notes.

micropig toomuchribbon
I see your due dates have now passed. Any birth updates? I hope things have gone well for you both

Hi theborrower. Sorry for the update delay! Yes due date has very much been and gone but happy to announce that DS2 arrived on due date+1 this time, last Saturday. It was a much better birth than last time, spontaneous labour with contractions starting at about 5am, went into hospital at 9am and had a successful Vbac with DS2 being born that afternoon shortly before 5pm. I think if I'd still been pregnant now I'd be seriously re-considering my birth plan but very glad I decided to Vbac, I can't believe the recovery being up and home within 24 hours.
Any update toomuchribbon? Hope your birth went well too, xx

Congratulations! And that's great news about a successful VBAC, glad it went smoothly x

Congratulations and well done!

Congratulationmicropig :)
Interested to hear that things progressed quickly as hoping to VBAC myself, having nearly died after ECS with ds1