Recommendation for VBAC friendly consultant- private care

[Needchoco]

Hello, I would really appreciate any recommendation for a VBAC friendly private consultant in London with good bedside manners. I suffered from severe post-traumatic stress after the delivery of my first child via unplanned c-section and second time around I need all the support I can get. I need to find a doctor who will give me the best shot at a VBAC. Saying that I know that I also need to psychologically prepare for the possibility of a second emergency c-section. But it is important to me to at least find somebody with the right attitude even if I end up in the theatre again, because the consultant first time around was too keen on interventions.

Maybe it is too much to ask but if anyone had any positive VBAC experience with minimal intervention in private care (I am dreaming of a birth pool instead of being connected to a monitor for hours), I'd really appreciate hearing from you.

Hi there, I'm so sorry to hear about your experience during and after your first birth. Hopefully you will have a much better experience second time around...

Which side of London do you live on?

This is a list of private maternity hospitals/wings that I found in and around London (hope I haven't missed any!). It might be best to select a few that are within a reasonable distance and then work out which consultants practice there:

the Portland (near Regent's Park in Central London)
the Lindo Wing at St Mary's (Paddington)
the Guthrie Wing at King's (Camberwell)
the Sir Stanley Clayton Wing at Queen Charlotte's (Acton)
the Kensington Wing at Chelsea and Westminster (Chelsea)
the Lansdell Suite at St Thomas's (Westminster)
Kingston?
Watford?

Have you thought about hiring an independent midwife?
I had a traumatic time first time but this time had a one to one midwife-I saw the same midwife all the way through, in my own home and will see her untill dd is 6 weeks old. I too had PND and PTSD and although I didn't get the birth I planned for (she turned breech at 36 weeks so chose to have an elective section which was beautiful ) I still feel empowered and have no issues with how she was born as I know I did everything in my power to have the best possible birth and having the same supportive midwife all the way through really helps-they know you inside and out which really normalises pregnancy. You don't need to have a hb with an independent midwife but they will advocate for you to ensure you get the birth you want and ensure you have comprehensive plans if things don't go to plan x

For a supportive VBAC with the best chance of a safe outcome I would strongly suggest looking at an independent midwife rather than consultant led care. You could have a homebirth with a pool - and regular monitoring from a MW who is caring for only you would be very effective at picking up concerns and you could still agree to transfer in for a CS if it became necessary.

Have you had any kind of debrief/looked at why the CS was needed, to see if there is anything in particular you could try or avoid next time?

Thank you all for your responses. Indeed I am thinking of an independent midwife as an option. I think I am too scared of the chances things may go wrong in a VBAC to attempt to do one at home; that's why I am considering a hospital setting. Saying that, an independent midwife could still be a birth companion at the hospital. Of course then there is another risk that if an emergency C section is needed, it will be performed by whoever is available at the time and I've heard too many horror stories of botched C sections by junior doctors.

As for the CS first time around, the baby got distressed after 14hrs of induction. Basically I became one more statistic of induction leading to CS. As for the induction itself, it is questionable whether it was necessary at all according to a few doctors I talked to since. It depended on how the doctor interpreted the risk and basically that person decided to take no chances. It is really not relevant for next time around though as they do not induce VBACs in fear of uterine rupture.

an IM would be able to guide you through your consultant appts and help you find one sympathetic to your needs. mine has been fantastic this way and is coming with me to that appt

I chose to attempt VBAC at home - purely because I felt it was safer than a VBAC in hospital - Genuine one to one care at home, less chance of unnecessary interfering, able to change position freely, frequent checks on myself and baby rather than restricted by CFM.

I also felt that overall I was likely to end up needed a CS but they refused me an elective despite a crash section under GA with first baby

I felt that if I was forced into a VB I wanted to maximise my chances. As it happened, I did not progress and did end up transferring in for a 'routine' EMCS that was really not bad at all.

But you must do what you feel is the best thing for you, whatever that is.