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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Consultant says he 'won't allow' me to have a VBAC

12 replies

rachelhill · 07/02/2007 20:11

I'm hopping mad. I'm thinking about baby number 2 - had pre-eclampsia with baby number 1 and had a failed induction then a CS.
At a follow up appointment I saw my consultant who said that he was very sorry but that he 'won't allow' me to have a VBAC (actually I want a home birth but I'm easing my DH in gently to the idea) because of the risks of uterine rupture.
I said 'but it's only one in 200 and it's more likely if I am in your unit because you will try and induce me' and he said 'yes induction may be necessary as you didn't labour well last time' (not flipping surprised, was induced PRIOR to labour with ARM - through closed cervix -ouch - and syntocin). I said I would not consent to induction again and he said 'well we can book you in for a scheduled section' as if this will completely answer the problem!
I'm being made to feel like I'm putting my baby at risk just for wanting to give birth normally! I'm not even bloody pregnant yet and the guilt trips have already started.
Worse still my DH is of the 'doctors know best' school of thought. Whereas I'm of the 'doctors like to poke you because they are trained to act rather than hang back and let things happen naturally' school of thought.
Please someone tell me I'm not being unreasonable here?
At this rate I'm going to run away and hide and give birth in a cupboard/garden shed.

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lulumama · 07/02/2007 20:16

yyyyyeaaaaaaaarrrrrghhhhh!!!!!

change consultants

i had a failed induction ,followed be emergency c.s

i had a VBAC 18 months ago.

VBAC is a perfectly reasonable request , so he is talking rubbish..

Induction increases the risk of rupture..so don;t get his thinking there...

sometimes , obstetric led care does lead to a poorer outcome in terms of birth experience, especially in the hands of Doctor knows best consultants

ARM - should not be done unless cervix is already dilating.....

i would get in touch with AIMS....they can support you...and the homebirth.org site..
and the yahoo VBAC and HBAC site. DaisyMOO had a HBAC after 2 sections...

a VBAC is so not unreasonable

Plibble · 07/02/2007 20:20

You are not being unreasonable and your doctor sounds like a tosser.
Presumably your consultant refuses to oversee any VBACs? Or is there some other reason why he would be less comfortable with you having one?
I have to say, if a doctor said something like that to me, I would go totally the other way and just refuse to go to the hospital...

CorrieDale · 07/02/2007 20:21

You're not being unreasonable at all. I have done a similar thread, after a similar comment about the Consultant deciding whether or not I could have a HBAC or if I'd 'have' to come in.

The homebirth website is brill - loads of good info. DH wasn't fantastically keen on the idea of a home birth at first, either, but once he'd concluded that pregnancy is not a sickness, he's became fully supportive. I used the attrition method to convince him - little drops of water on a rock, etc.

PeachyClair · 07/02/2007 20:22

Oh FGS

What's he gonna do, sellotape you to his tabel from thrity weeks to make sure he gets there first?

AIMS are fab, as Lulu says. Give them a call. And tell him no, its my body I want to try labour.

And I will be doing too.

lulumama · 07/02/2007 20:25

will do some links shortly!

10weeksandcounting · 07/02/2007 20:29

Change consultant for a start - when do decide to have another baby and book in make it clear you want someone else or midwife led care.

My experience was the opposite - they wanted me to have vbac and avoid induction completely.

DaisyMOO · 07/02/2007 20:31

What a dinosaur VBAC is backed by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologist and the NICE guidelines state "If you want to have a vaginal birth [after a previous cesarean] your healthcare team should support you in this" I would love to quote this to him, but it might be easier just to change consultants although of course you don't need to see one at all!

It sounds as though you're already pretty well informed, but you might like to look at the vbac yahoo group that Lulumama mentioned. As she said I had a home birth after 2 previous cesareans, increasing numbers of women are choosing to do this and as long as you're aware of the differing risks of hospital and home vbac I think it's a good option. I don't know whether you've found the homebirth website but there is a section there on HBAC and some birth stories from people who've done it, which your husband might find helpful.

Know what you mean about wanting to run away and hide - I kept having dreams about giving birth before the midwives arrived, but I did phone them on the day in the end Good luck!

Original poster

rachelhill · 07/02/2007 22:07

Thank you all for confirming that. Yes he is an absolute tosser. Gave me two paracetamol in labour as well!

Lulumama - is ARM with a closed cervix bad because of the risk of prolapsed cord or because it's bloody painful? They couldn't even see my cervix to put the gels in so they said they wanted to try this - but at the time I was thinking 'if you can't see it, isn't poking it with a crochet hook dangerous?'

I have made DH agree that IF I have a normal pregnancy, until the point when the midwife says it's abnormal I don't have to see any consultants unless I want to. Used all manner of arguments to make him see sense, but what actually did it was me pointing out if I had a section, I'd be in hospital for five days and he'd have to look after our daughter and he's NEVER yet managed to get her to bed!

OP posts:

morocco · 07/02/2007 22:16

where on earth did you find this consultant??? I also had pre eclampsia and failed induction + c section at 37 weeks then went on to have vbac 17 months later and it all went fine. i had to change consultants as first one initially agreed to vbac then decided the 2 births were too close together when I was at 38 weeks. it all went fine and I stayed at home til the last hour to avoid knife happy consultants
good luck and don't let this put you off!

lulumama · 08/02/2007 12:03

painful and potentially damaging i would think!

prolapsed cord is a risk if ARM done while the baby;s head is still high

sounds like your body was no where near ready to be induced, did you have a bishops score done? a score of 6 or more indicates induction should be succesful

MarsLady · 08/02/2007 12:13

ditto lulu cos I'm too to type

mozhe · 08/02/2007 12:34

I AM a doctor and we most definitely do not know best all the time,( not an obs/gynae though but still wouldn't dream of 'telling' my patients' whats what ' in that way...we're not all like that ! ), you should ' shop around ' for a more sympathetic bod..I'm currently pregnant with no6 after a c-section for twins last time so shall be after a VBAC myself ! Luckily live in France currently and they don't seem to have a problem with this...

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