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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Vbac vs cs: can you

265 replies

PollyParanoia · 09/11/2006 11:49

Hello I'm 38 weeks pg and still haven't decided what sort of birth to go for. Change my mind on a daily basis and am getting quite irritated at my own indecisiveness.
Ds born 2 and a half years ago by em cs. I was fully dilated, failed ventouse, a bit of foetal distress, blah blah. Found cs recovery to be surprisingly quick (was cycling into town three weeks later, which looking back was a bit idiotic).
Anyway was all gung ho about a vbac and have very pro-consultant, but then his underling doctor was saying to me "what you really don't want is an em cs at full dilation" (and judging by quick dilation first time round is what I'd end up with if it came to a cs).
Anyway, it seems to me a successful vbac is the "best" I can hope for, followed by a planned cs, followed by an emergency. Oh, and a nasty vbac with loads of tearing is I think for me the worst option given that I've already got my cs scar, why have another somewhere else. What I don't know, in terms of safety, recovery, discomfort, is where these births come on a scale. If an elective is way better than an em cs and not much worse than a vbac, then that's an appealing option. If a vbac is way better, then I should go for it etc, etc.
It's such a blooming difficult decision without the aid of a crystal ball.
Arggh, Pol
ps have another consultant's appt on Monday to make final decision. They are being very patient with me. Oh and dh's work means that being on time or early would give us much better paternity leave. Plus he would much rather I have a planned cs as found the whole first birth terrifying.

OP posts:
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lulumama · 10/11/2006 20:51

"not less possible, but it's becoming less palatable"

i think you have nailed it MKG...

why feel the pain? it is good pain, positive pain..it brings your baby closer to you and the feeling i got holding that bloody, wet baby against my naked tummy the second she was born, while i was still feeling the sensation of her being born...was truly the best moment of my life. and then the pain is forgotten.

i had to feel that pain to feel that joy.

lulumama · 10/11/2006 20:52

bloody as in covered in blood not in the sweary sense!

and obstetric led care, IMHO, leads to more intervention as obs are conversant with high risk deliveries..not the norm. agree 3and..

MKG · 10/11/2006 20:53

I totally agree, I was lucky. I went in with the attitude that I wanted pain relief. I dilated in 45 minutes and by the time the pain got so bad it was time to push. I feel blessed because if things had gone to plan, I wouldn't have felt anything, and would have missed a great experience.

nicky111 · 10/11/2006 20:55

WOuld like to echo what Fredarthur said - I am opting for a planned section. had a failed induction, em section, baby in special care etc etc. It was very traumatic and I have a strong aversion to going anywhere near that happening again. have been offered a planned section just before Christmas at 39 weeks which means there is a good chance I will spend the festive season in hospital. I recovered from my first section fairly quickly (had to as I had to climb the stairs to special care several times a day and night to feed my daughter) and to be honest the section will help me to feel more in control of things. It's not the pain that I am afraid of, it's the whole traumatic experience of last time.I don't really have a desire to 'achieve' a natural birth, I just want my baby in my arms, safe and be able to enjot my first day without being drugged, exhausted and terrified. I think some people on here should remember childbirth isn't a moral issue - it's a personal one and scare tactics are not helpful.

jabberwocky · 10/11/2006 20:59

nicky, sounds like we had very similar experiences.

FWIW, on the issue of laboring before a section to improve breathing, I was in labor for 30 hours with ds before the emergency section and he still had wet lungs. So in our case I don't think it made any difference. Certainly not enough to convince me to do a trial of labor this time around!

lulumama · 10/11/2006 21:02

nicky... i hear what you are saying... if you don;t have that desire for a vaginal delivery..ok.....i don;t know who is using scare tactics...if anything i have said has come across badly..i will be glad to apologise...

everyone wants the baby safe in their arms..for some..how the baby gets there is really important..whether by planned c.s or VBAC.

kittywits · 10/11/2006 21:04

A friend of mine is due a month before me. She has 2 children and has had 1 section. She said they could not induce her if she was overdue because of the section so if she didn't go into labour spontaneously by 10 days over they would give her a section. WTF????
I actually asked what on earth she was talking about. She just didn't question it. I asked her what she thought would happen If she asked to wait. She didn't have a clue. It makes me so, so angry. Inducing and cutting women open for no good reason.

If there's a sound medical reason fine, if not then leave alone until there is. .
How are women to stand a chance of vbac when there is no support and there is this sort of shitty upsetting pressure to conform and dance to some ridiculous obstectric tune. usually one conducted by MEN!!

MKG · 10/11/2006 21:06

It's not important to me. I'll shout it out. I had a great birth the first time around, and I know I might not this time (especially since I've had a very scary 12 weeks). In the end as long as I get my baby I don't care how he/she gets here.

jabberwocky · 10/11/2006 21:08

kittywits, I may be wrong, but I believe that the contractions are so much harder with induced labor your friend would be at greater risk of uterine rupture. Hence the wait and see approach, then section.

MKG · 10/11/2006 21:15

You know what I think the problem is? No one talks about childbirth until when 32 weeks or so into the pregnancy. Looking at the OP, at 38 weeks they aren't giving her a lot of time to make decisions or educate herself on the options.

lulumama · 10/11/2006 21:22

well...i think we all know the baby has to come out! and we do have 9 months to think about it! unless it is a question of vbac or not.....it should be a presumption of a vaginal delivery...unless medically contra indicated.......IMO

MKG · 10/11/2006 21:23

I'm waiting for the thing from star trek where they just beam babies out.

lulumama · 10/11/2006 21:23

LOL mkg....!!

MKG · 10/11/2006 21:27

We all know that the baby comes out eventually, but no one discusses it. In hindsight I would have appreciated my midwife discussing different scenarios with me. I didn't understand why I was being induced until a nice nurse explained to me while I was in the process. I would have liked to have C-sections discussed, just procedures and what may happen in an emergency. I asked what going in to labor felt like, and all I was told is "you'll know". Well since I didn't have any pain until I was 10 cm with my induction, I would never have made it to the hospital on time. I just think that because midwifes and doctors deal with the medical aspects all the time, the assume that we know.

MKG · 10/11/2006 21:29

Wouldn't it be great just to show up and beam them out. And all the lochia that comes after too. I felt so bad for my poor dh who was mopping up blood in the hospital.

MKG · 10/11/2006 21:29

blood=blood clots

3andnomore · 10/11/2006 21:34

Lulu..what a beautyful and true discription...that was how I felt afte es and ms...with ys I felt he was "hoiked" out of me, yes I saw him being born,and no I don't feel bad about dh having first skin to skin...but it just wanst quite the way it shouldhave been...I wish I could think and feel the way some discribed, that it doesn't matter how te lil one is Born...nothing would be better then that....so, now am wondering am I wrong, selfish stupid to feel deprived and traumatised?

kittywits · 10/11/2006 21:36

Jaberwocky, I understand that, I have had three vbacs myself. What I was cross about was the stance that they would section her if baby didn't appear of its own accord within ten days over. I waited three weeks for mine to decide they were ready enough to come out. There are very few instances when a "late" baby is actually in danger, most dance to their own tune and are perfectly fine. I agreed to be scanned and monitored occasionally after 42 weeks and the babie were in good shape. All three vabac labours were uncomplicated and I think many more labours would be easier if women weren't unecessarily induced.

MKG · 10/11/2006 21:41

3andnomore

You're not selfish. You're human.

3andnomore · 10/11/2006 21:42

lol mkg...am all for the positively beamed out Baby where and when you want...which means they would be ready and you are ready and it's the Birth you want Oh to be that far in the futurte....or maybe not..not sure...lol...am just greatful for the positive Birthexperiences I have had, as otherwise I may turely feel the need for a 4th...yikes...
Must say upset me of a friend when we got talking..hse has so far had 3 natural9ish) Births...and she said, well..C-section is just not on my agenda...oh the days when I fel that was all it took..the innocence, lol

nicky111 · 10/11/2006 21:45

Hav.e beem thinking some more about this - in countries like the Netherlands, the rate of ceasarean is v.low and I think this is a good thing(even tho I have opted for a planned section). Our section rates are high because our health services are so overstretched, facilities are poor and women are just not supported well enough. I remeber what a bewildering experience it was to be strapped to a bed, told I couldn't have gas and air, but could have diamorphine, and reduced to tears because it the whole experience was so unlike the picture painted by our hospital antenatal classes. If you care passionately about women giving birth vaginally I could lobby your local MP and try not to judge people who opt for a section. it doesn't help. By the way the scare tactics occureed earlier and was noting to do with you lulumama

MKG · 10/11/2006 21:47

Having never had one I can say that it isn't on my agenda. However, since this pregnancy has been fairly nerevwracking in it's short twelve weeks, I know that it could be in the cards. I hate people who think that just because it went great a few times, that it will be like that forever. Sometimes we forget that this whole giving birth thing involves two people and although we can control what we do, our rascals tend to have their own agendas.

What is a "naturalish" birth.

Mummy2Sadie · 10/11/2006 21:48

Hi there - i am pretty new to mumsnet so i don't know any of you - I am in the same situation, i am 36 weeks due on 8/12/06 and had an emcs with my daughter Sadie in Oct last year. I didnt plan on getting pg again so fast but am very glad now to be expecting our new addition. I have all along wanted a VBAC - i just want to know what it is like to give birth naturally - to see the baby straight away, to feel the baby on my chest, to experience something that for thousands of years has been so natural. I am grateful to the docs that Sadie and I are ok after the emcs, i healed very fast, and Sadie suffered no ill effects whatsoever. My labour progressed normally and i dilated nicely but due to Sadies heartbeat dipping twice in the period of 10 hours they kept me strapped to a bed on my left hand side, so she turned back to back and wouldnt come out. I sent away for my labour notes which hasnt really helped me understand what 'went wrong' as such, but i feel it wasnt my fault. I was heartbroken that i had an emcs i felt a real grief at my inability to get her out. In a way a VBAC will put that to bed. However now i have one healthy baby i understand more than ever that the baby's wellbeing is what matters the most, and of course your own. I am going for a VBAC - and i reckon that you won't regret it if you decide the same!!!!

Good luck with whatever you decide though!!

Caroline

lulumama · 10/11/2006 21:50

Nicky.....i am passionate about it...which is why i am training to be a doula! to give the support to women that overstretched medical systems cannot give......and i f i have come across as judgememntal of anyones choice..apologies...

MKG · 10/11/2006 21:53

Mummy2Sadie,

Giving birth naturally is cathartic. I was so depressed when i was pregnant with ds, that for me the effort of pushing help me channel any hurt feelings and sadness that I had. As soon as he was born my depression went away. It was instant.