Vbac support thread

[Fabulosososo]

Anyone else who's having a vbac want to share info, stats, tips, ideas, feelings about it all? Or even just complain, rant, celebrate, share news & updates? It might be nice if there's a few of us out there going through the same thing. I don't know anyone in real life who's had a vbac at all!

Obviously if you've had a vbac and fancy posting stories, tips and encouragement, that would be amazing too!

I'm joining the thread. Due end Jan with DC2. DC1 was emcs at 27+3 due to medical emergency. Hoping for VBAC this time, but think my plan is "try to VBAC , no induction, no forceps, straight to section if needed". Have ordered hypnotherapy book and cd, am under very close consultant care, and DC1 was breech anyway, so very open-minded!

I'm also due in Feb and going for a VBAC. I've been told I can use the pool as my hospital has wireless, waterproof monitoring equipment, so it does exist! I was really impressed to hear that as I'd assumed a pool would be out of the question. The midwife I saw for my VBAC clinic was really helpful and put my mind at ease about the risks. I have said I'd prefer an elective section to being induced though (my EMCS last time was due to a failed induction as DS was in a bad position and got stuck and squeezed) so I've agreed to go to 41 weeks and then book a section for the following week if I haven't gone into labour naturally.

No news here, I'm 24 weeks ish and seeing Mw Thursday. Apparently my hospital have a 54% success rate which doesn't fill me with confidence. Although a colleague has told me that they don't let you go overdue or induce you if you are going for vbac which seems a good thing, does anyone know if this is usual?

I really really don't want to end up with emcs. I'm also worried as ds was big 9lb 1 at 38+6 and has a massive head. And I have never been through any labour so I worry the odds are against me.

Equally, how will I manage ds1 at 18 months old if I have a c section?

I'm going for a Vbac and I'm 35 weeks. I had a consultant appointment at 23 weeks to go through birth options. I've been told categorically that my hospital will not induce me with anything hormonal, the most they may do is break my waters. I've been discharged from the consultant and back to midwife care, but will be referred back around my due date essentially to book a planned section rather than induction. I'm not going to be allowed to go very overdue.
However I did my birth plan with the midwife at my last appointment and the hospital are relaxed about continual monitoring and I can go in the pool if it is free and they'll just monitor every 15 minutes. I've been warned to phone if I think I'm in labour or my waters go as I'll have to go in earlier. Everyone seems really confident that it will be fine this time, so I'm fairly chilled about it. DH will take longer if I have a C-section to help with DD (who is 5 so less reliant on me though.)

At what stage did you all see the specialist/vbac clinic about birth options? I'm 25 weeks now and still no sign of an appointment with anyone. Ive ask my midwife twice about when this appointment will come through. Is it normal for them to leave it quite late in the pregnancy? it's making me anxious not knowing what the options are.

My midwife referred me to the consultant at my 16 week appointment and the appointment came through for 23 weeks. Have you googled your hospital/Vbac? Most have their guidelines online and you might be able to find out that way. Has your midwife referred you? If she has, then you could always ring ante-natal at the hospital and ask.

Same here Fabuloso, also 25 weeks. Still not actually met 'my' mw. Feel sure I haven't been referred despite me asking about it at the three appointments I have had so far. I do have a hospital appointment on the 20th November, but that's a different issue. I think I will give my mw a call tomorrow. I too am getting anxious. Mw on Thursday said 'oh you've got a while yet' 15 weeks, and I need to get clear in my head my options to make an informed decision!

Ionacat it was worth a try but nothing's coming up on google for my local hospital or trust and vbac.

NottaLotta I know how you feel. I want time to digest the info and then make a decision. I understand I will get 2 appointments in order to do that so if they leave it too late to book the first appointment I might feel rushed into a decision which I really don't want. I've asked about it twice now as all my other hospital appointments have come through. I
Might try the antenatal at the hospital as Ionacat says. I need to understand a bit more about what some of these other appointments are for anyway so maybe they can explain that too. I feel like I'm having to nag them which is a shame. It's A very important decision to me whether they think it is or not!

How is everyone?
I'm Currently in the middle of my gestational diabetes test. Not been allowed to eat since 9pm last night and just after I sat in the waiting room (2 hours til next blood test) the shutters next to me opened and there's a restaurant here now selling all sorts of deliciously smelling food that I'm not allowed to eat . I can't wait until the 2nd blood test is done! I'm buying the whole restaurant

How is everyone else getting on?

Is anyone getting rather intense interest from well-meaning friends and family about how we will birth the baby? lots of 'do you have to have a cs?' 'You can only have 2 babies right? Because you can only have 2cs.' 'Cs will be safer for you. That's what you should do.' Yikes! everyone's an obstetrician it seems! and none of this is true based on what we are being told by the professionals.

I'm still veering wildly. I'd like a straightforward vbac please!

Did you have a nice lunch?!

I ate a massive lunch and half a pack of chocolate biscuits!

Test was OK then?!

Yes! I got the all clear!

So that's one potential vbac issue removed from the equation. More tests scheduled for later in pregnancy tho (for a different issue), I can only hope they will go just as smoothly or it'll be cs for us....time will tell...

Id like the straight forward vbac too! Why is there not a crystal ball to see how the vbac will go? and if we don't like what the crystal ball says then we can just take the elcs. Simple!

I wish I could see the outcome in advance too! I have a potential issue due to low PAPP-A in my 12 week bloods which means there's a chance the placenta isn't functioning properly and the baby isn't growing at the right rate, or I could develop a placenta-related problem such as pre-eclampsia. I had a scan at 23 weeks that indicated that everything looks fine - blood flow to/from placenta is normal and baby's growth was bang on track, so I'm considered at low risk of having any problems arising from the PAPP-A, but I have another growth scan just before Christmas when I'll be 34 weeks to double check for any issues. So I'm still slightly on edge until that scan - I had a bad induction experience last time so if they do pick up an issue and need to deliver the baby early I'm very undecided about whether to go for IOL or a ELCS.

Otherwise, if all looks well and no placenta issues arise I'm considered low risk for a VBAC so have agreed to go to 41 weeks and then discuss options with a consultant, but I'd be pushing for an ELCS over IOL if it got to that stage. I think in my case the risks of a VBAC are lower than section and I have faith in my hospital as they've been great so far (wasn't too impressed with my hospital last time!).

Also in the same boat and so marking my place! Still early days yet (19wks) but so so sooooo going to fight against any professionals suggesting a c-sec unless one of us is dying (which was the case last time, not happy memories).
@Panda: A good friend of mine had a scar start to rupture while in labour with her second. From what she and her husband said, I don't think you need worry about anyone "noticing", pool or not. You will notice. (They had to tie her onto the bed because she was writhing in pain so much that they were worried she would fall off.) Wish they had never told me that, rupture is now my other fear, especially as we were "sewn up" at the same hospital. But indeed, the rate is very very verrrry low. Very low. Mantra mantra mantra.

Thought I'd share this as I found it quite good for putting the vbac risks in perspective: www.google.co.uk/amp/s/midwifethinking.com/2011/02/23/vbac-making-a-mountain-out-of-a-molehill/amp/?client=safari

I was all set for a Vbac but baby is moving between oblique and transverse and isn't likely to move so I'm now booked in for a planned section next week. Good luck to all those wanting Vbacs hoping you have more lck than me!

Good look ionacat, I actually wouldn't mind that. I am so undecided that I'd be happy to have the decision taken out of my hands!

Morning ladies I hope you are all feeling well. I had DC2 by vbac after having had an ECS with my first. I didn't dilate with first, baby's head was stuck, had induction, every form of intervention known, 3 days of trying, ending in ECS. They told me that I was pretty unlikely to have natural labour with DC2 due to circs with first. I had totally normal birth, nothing but gas and air, and end stage very fast indeed. It was awesome! I'd say be prepared for whatever comes but take heart, it can and does work out perfectly OK. Not that a section isn't ok obviously but if you hope for natural birth, it can happen!

Thanks Lost, sounds like a very similar situation to my first labour. Nice to hear a positive story!

ionacat How are you feeling about it? I found cs to be a positive experience last time and I do wonder if it's better the devil you know! I'm sure your elcs will be calm and beautiful. Good luck. Please come back and let us know how everything is going.

lost Thanks for your story. It really helps to hear that it can work out even against the odds!

I'll take a planned section over an EMCS any day of the week. Hopefully this time next week I'll be holding my munchkin!

Hello all! I'm expecting DC2 in April and hoping for a VBAC following an EMCS with DD in Sept 2014. It was following an induction and very long labour, DD's heart rate dropped and my dilation had really slowed. It appears she was trying to come out with an arm up.

My hospitals VBAC rate is only 49% which is very disappointing but due to getting a wound infection last time that hung around I would really rather avoid a c-section at all. However the EMCS was a very traumatic event in itself and I've heard that all elements of an ELCS are better. If I ended up needing to be induced I would opt for ELCS I think (though my hospital is one of many where you'd have to fight for one despite their poor VBAC success rate) though I understand that induction should really be avoided for a VBAC. I've got my appointment about it in December anyway. Only 16+6 now anyway!

Thanks for all the links fab!

Good luck with your ELCS Iona!