VBACers support thread

[Coldest]

I know there are a multitude of threads on this but was hoping for a thread where is anyone is at the same boat as me.

Had an EMCS with my first at full dilatation and after 12 hours of labour due to fetal distress but I feel that care was really mismanaged and I probably could have b even birth vaginally if I had been allowed off the bed but for reasons which the midwife couldn't justify later I was on ctg and not allowed off the bed. The resulting section was very difficult to recover from but 2 years later I feel fully recovered. Am 25 weeks now.

After all my research I have hired a doula this time and hoping for a VBAC but after the consultant appointment yesterday I am feeling quite wobbly. Feeling like an ELCS would be better. Also I was talking to friends and colleagues who say that they still feel quite tatterted vaginally after y even birth quite a few years ago while feel completely recovered ROM my section. So maybe a section wouldn't be so bad.

Anyway sorry for the long intro but I am sure I will oscillate from VBAC to ELCS throughout this pregnancy so would appreciate to chat with those in a similar situation.

Also watching with interest - dd was born at 33 weeks due to preeclampsia and I'm now 13 weeks with dc2. The high risk of preeclampsia happening again means I might not have the full range of choices but assuming all is well towards the end I'd love to try for a vbac. I'll be watching the thread too to learn from the experiences people are starting to share.

When I was in hospital before having dd I did ask the (lovely) consultant about vbac in the future and her response was "we would very much encourage that." The (much less lovely) consultant I saw last week said "that may be a possibility." I didn't get a good vibe from last week's consultant so I'm already hoping she doesn't have the final say in how I give birth.

Coldest, no-one has mentioned a VBAC midwife to me - something I should ask about at my hospital appointment this week?

Burning - I had an appointment at about 23 weeks that I thought was going to be with a consultant but turned out to just be with a midwife going through my options with me and recording in my notes what my intentions were.
As far as I'm aware, I will not now need to see a consultant unless there are any complications. I don't think she was a specialist VBAC midwife though as she was reading the info out to me from notes.

Glad I found this thread. I have a birth options appointment this evening and I'm researching my choices so it's good to hear all your thoughts.

I had an ELCS 4 years ago because of high blood pressure later in pregnancy and failed induction. I'm on asprin this time but blood pressure OK so far although I'm on lyrics 22 weeks.

I would love a natural birth. But I don't want to be tied to the bed by a monitor or be induced. So I suppose it will depend how the hospital can allow that.

Thanks Mrs Mugoo. I have a few complications that are being monitored closely so I'm averaging one appointment per week - I'd be amazed if there’s anyone in the whole hospital I haven't seen! It's a big teaching hospital though, so I am reasonably happy they'll know what they are doing if it comes to it.
I had a pregnancy massage yesterday and have been having loads of Braxton Hicks ever since. Am hoping this is not the start of something!

*only 22 weeks not on lyrics..

Amazing how many of us are saying we would not be induced again...

For me it's only because I've read the risks of uterine rupture increase with induction. So that would tip me into wanting an ELCS.

My midwife keeps talking about uterine rupture she's mentioned it so many times. She's definitely on the side of ELCS unusually. But I don't like her that much generally she's always very distracted. My partner just wants an easy life and thinks that's a ELCS so he's not much support with this dilemma

I don't know how I feel about being induced either. My hospital have recommended I have sweeps from 38 weeks and that they will offer to break water or drip at 12 days over, but no pessary.

I think I would opt for the sweeps and daily monitoring if I go over. I would consider having my waters broken if it genuinely looked like I was favourable to start labour but my gut feeling is to decline drip and go straight for a section if it got to that stage.

My husband is supporting me in whatever I decide but I can tell deep down he thinks that the ELCS was so "easy" last time I might as well just do another one! Compared to friends of mine that had traumatic experiences in labour, he knows it was a walk in the park. But I want to give myself the chance as this is my last baby.

When I spoke to the obstetrician about inductions, she told me that they don't use a pessary, and prefer to avoid the drip, as those are linked to increased rates of rupture (it goes from 1:200 to 1:100).
Instead, they can break waters, and can use a special balloon type catheter that stretches the cervix etc in the same way as a sweep does, but more so.

But this is optional, and dependent on how much the woman wants to avoid a caesarean. Her view was very much that women need to have all the information, and choose the risks they are happier with as each woman will balance her choices differently. Risk free is obviously not an available option!

I had my birth options appointment this evening and it went really well. The hospital encourage VBAC unless there are issues with pregnancy and find most people have them successfully.

She said there was a comment on my notes from my c section that the doctor had written which said i was suitable for vbac based on the previous operation. I didn't know they did that note so thought you all might find that useful.

They have wireless, waterproof monitoring and said I can be mobile and even get into the pool, so that's made my mind up to definitely go vbac.

Other useful stuff (sorry if you already knew this but it's all new to me) - when you go into labour the threshold for getting you into hospital is lower, so you go in sooner as a vbac so they can start monitoring you. They also won't let the labour go on for as long as they would with non-vbac labours (ie days) because of the pressure on the scar. So after a few hours if it's not progressing quickly enough they recommend an EMCS. Which i found reassuring.

They also said it would be fine to opt for an ELCS as opposed to induction if you get to that point ie get to 41 weeks.

She also said although I hadn't gone into labour before (I had an ELCS before any labour started) it wouldn't be like a first birth as I had carried a pregnancy to 40 weeks so ligaments and cervix etc had been stretched and ready so all that would help the labour progress better than a completely first labour would.

Sorry it's a long post, but I'm feeling quite uplifted and positive from the appointment. Hope this information is helpful to some of you.

That's lots of good info - thanks for sharing.

Coldest i had a premature emergency section due to severe pre eclampsia so I'd never even been through labour. So with my second (which I managed to get to my due date) I was crapping myself about having to go through labour. I was umming and ahhing VBAC v ELCS until the last minute literally!! Induction process had been started but wasn't getting labour going at that point. Consultant said I could still have a section if I wanted one. But I decided to go for it and ended up with a 4 hour labour (2 hours of which I didn't realise was labour). Just had gas n air, a paracetamol and a TENS machine. Recovery was not a walk in the park but still easier/quicker than section recovery. It's a tough call you never know what will happen but it worked out well for me. Good luck whatever you choose!

Ooh I could have written this! 29 weeks with 2nd, first time round was 2 weeks over - 3 sweeps, waters broken, then induced with drip, preparatory epidural after 22 hours and after 26 hours an EMCS after getting to 9cm (but he got stuck and upset).

Would ideally like a vbac as far away from hospital as possible but they've insisted on hospital delivery and monitoring (although I've said only intermittent). Won't let me near a birthing pool. As a compromise I've been told they won't interfere with me until 42 weeks but if I don't start naturally or via certain methods of induction, I'll have to have elective - I sobbed and sobbed in his office.

Totally terrified of going under the knife again and need to find a way of avoiding it. The physical and mental recovery from the last one was bloody awful.

Hi bubbleandsqueek . You've got until 42 weeks so a really good chance of giving birth naturally. Just because your first wasn't ready on time doesn't increase the chances that this one will be late.

Hi everyone. Reading with interest. I can't even recall exactly how many weeks I am now. I think 26 or 27. I don't have any updates as I am currently away.

soniashoe that was a very informative post. I am.due around 8 June. Wen is everyone else due.

Hi all. I'm due Saturday next week but booked in for an ELCS on the Friday if nothing has happened before then. I should be hoovering and putting away baby clothes but am lying in bed contemplating having crumpets for breakfast...

Interestingly the hospital has given me slightly different info to what Sonia was given. They are treating this as a first labour, presumably because I was induced at 37 weeks last time, so they are not expecting the first stage to be quick. Nevertheless, because I live a long way from the hospital and am dependent on my mum coming from a long way away for childcare, they've said that the threshold for me getting on the road is 3 contractions in 30 minutes. I don't need to call the labour ward, just show up and I'll be admitted to the antenatal ward if it's really early in precedings. I'm reassured by that, but kind of hoping to make it to next Friday when I at least know how it will all work!

Hope no one minds a thread crash.

I'm ttc number 2, so no imminent decisions needed here! I had a crash section with number 1 after days of labour and fully dilated due to a missed obstructed labour.

I had just assumed I'd have an ELCS - figured I might as well avoid tears/etc if I can. I can't, at the moment, see the appeal of VBAC.

Would anyone be happy to say why they would like VBAC? Did you find recovery hard after section. Or do you want to try a natural birth? Did your opinions change in pregnancy?

Just curious!!

Thanks ladies.

My first was an ELCS for breech - so no trauma, (hopefully) no repeat of the same issue. I think this is relevant to my decision.

I'm planning a VBAC primarily so I can avoid having to recover from an abdominal wound with a 2yr old to look after, but also because I would like to experience labour this one time! (No more babies planned!)

I am hoping for a VBAC because my recovery from the c-section was incredibly difficult and I have no help at all. This time I will have a toddler to look after. Also I want to have more kids if possible and I don't want to be limited by the no of sections.

I'd also like to experience at least one contraction. It feels completely surreal to have no experience of the thing that most people associate with childbirth.

It probably sounds bizarre to those of you who had emcs due to problems in labour, but having the choice taken away was quite difficult to deal with, and getting to the point where I can try for a vbac would - I think - make a difference psychologically. I had an early emcs due to severe preeclampsia and wasn't well enough to wait for an induction to work (or push a baby out - my heart wasnt working properly). My body had started to completely shut down on me, and I still think of that as failing in some way, even though I know there was nothing I could have done to stop it. Part of me wants to show that I'm physically able to get that far through pregnancy and then physically able to deliver a baby. I know it's silly but I feel like that will help to close down some of the feelings I have about my first birth. And also stick two fingers up at preeclampsia if I manage to avoid it this time.

Hmm, just back from a blood pressure check - slightly up, I wonder if I'll end up with an earlier c-section... (this was ultimately why I had the first one). Back to see GP tomorrow.

I feel like I ought to try a vbac for the experience, but found the c-section really easy to recover from so not worried if it goes that way. Whatever results in a safe delivery!

Thanks for sharing.

I found my days of labour horrendous but my recovery easy, and there is divided opinion of the problem might recur. I guess we all come to this point after different experiences.

Good luck with your pregnancies/births (however they happen)

My reasons for wanting a vbac are basically all to do with recovery and how things will be afterwards. I will have a just turned 2 year old and a newborn. And I also live in a flat over a shop with lots of stairs, and we have to walk a full five minutes to get to where we park our car. I would just rather avoid having to do all that after a section. Boring but practical!

This is a really useful thread - I hope we can keep it going until we all get our VBACs!