VBAC experiences / scar rupture

[tootsieglitterballs]

We are due DS2 in a couple of months.

For most of this pregnancy I've been happy to try a VBAC (last time I was induced for 4 days then ended in EMCS after pushing for an hour) .

I've been ok'd for a waterbirth providing it's available. Really love the thought of being able to get this one out naturally!

However, the last week or 2, I've started to panic, and I'm terrified of scar rupture.

What are people's experiences of VBAC ? Anyone actually suffered with scar rupture? Is it that common or not? Am I just being daft!

Anyone?

Hi, mw here

Assuming you have a 'standard' scar that healed well I think the risks are 0.5% of scar rupture in subsequent labour. But that's just a number. In my own practice I've seen 5 in 8 years (average sized unit but not huge) but not all scar ruptures are equal.

One was in a pregnant woman not actually in labour (very unusual)
One was in a woman who had an extremely prolonged latent labour who refused lscs after 3 days and then requested syntocinon against medical advice (baby was fine by the way)
The others were all in 'normal' labour, two detected due to changes in the fetal heart during continuous monitoring, one due to continuous pain (baby was being monitored but apparently not distressed). All babies delivered by emergency lscs and I believe OK (brief visits to special care etc).

Just to put the 5 in 8 yrs in perspective I probably see someone planning VBAC every week

Having said that if you're not comfortable with the odds then that's also fine and you need to talk to your consultant about booking an elective lscs

@Duskybluebell thank you so much for taking the time to reply, and with such useful information! That really is very reassuring , especially from a professionals point of view.

Thank you!

I had a VBAC in March. It was fine, no problems with scar at all. The constant monitoring and their refusal to let me have a water birth, even though I'd been promised by the VBAC midwife and consultant that i would be able to have one, pissed me off no end.

But the recovery was so much easier than my EMCS, even with the episiotomy and forceps delivery, so I'm glad I did it.

@Letsgetreadytorumbleagain how did you labour in the end? We're you able to be mobile? That was the biggest problem for me last time, I was labouring a back to back baby and stuck on my back, not allowed to move...

I'm a mw and planning a VBAC after labouring to 9cm last time. I have various anxieties but pretty determined to do this. Maggie Howell natal hypnotherapy does a VBAC cd

@tootsieglitterballs I'll be honest it wasn't great, I was mostly on the bed when I finally got moved to the labour ward, and I got told to stay on the bed a lot. They kept loosing the babies heartbeat when I moved, so it was very frustrating.

But it progressed a lot quicker than my first one, where I laboured for 29 hours with lots of syntocin extra and didn't get past 5 cms. This time I went from 2 cm to fully dilated in 4 hours, so a different experience entirely.

Good luck whatever you decide