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Original poster

How did your contractions start off?

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Lilonetwo · 19/01/2018 08:24

A question to all mother's not just those who were induced...

I am due my second baby soon. My first was an induction (on the oxytocin drip from beginning, no pessary).

My contractions went from 0-100, there was no build up and it was quite a shock. They were incredibly strong every 1-2 mins and back to back contractions almost immediately. There was no time to talk between contractions. So I found it exhausting as the labour took 20 hours from the beginning of these intense contractions until baby was born (epidural and EMCS in the end).

I hated being strapped to the bed from the start (drip in arm, bump monitor, blood pressure cuff, finger heart-rate monitor meant I couldn't really move off the bed or change position easily.)

I am trying to decide whether to have VBAC or ELECS. My questions are:

How did your contractions start/ramp up?

Did you count your 'time in labour' from first contraction or from when things really ramped up? If my contractions come every 5 minutes, I think I could manage another long labour but not if they are so close together to quickly.

Or was my labour pretty standard and I am making a big deal out of nothing?

Help me decide VBAC or ELCS. From what I have read it seems with a VBAC they will insist I am monitored in the same way?

Some people have told me having an ELECS 'is cheating' 'dont you want to experience a natural birth?' (I don't believe this but am conscious about what other think... obviously I shouldn't...)

Sorry to ramble, I am anxious!

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MNHQ

HebeMumsnet · 19/01/2018 09:25

First time they started very slowly, really wasn't sure if it was just a bit of an achy belly or not, and they built up slowly over two hellish days. Second time, they were painful and close together right from the off. So much so, I thought it must be really bad indigestion or appendicitis or something. First two were 5 apart, then they were pretty much 2 mins apart after that and very strong - none of the preamble you get with the first one. And I've heard that's quite common.

So if it's the same for you, you might have a much better experience. I got to the hospital mooing second time round, and the midwife just said 'she's ready, room two' and had the baby within the hour. Having less time means less time for things to go wrong, and therefore for interventions to happen, which is when I felt it all spiralled out of control the first time.

Second time didn't hurt any less but it all being over in a matter of hours means you don't have that feeling of having been run over by a bulldozer for a week afterwards!

One of my NCT crew had exactly your situation first time, ending in EMCS, and she went for VBAC next time round and everything went really well. She was nervous about it but, although I think she did still have the monitoring, it all went much more smoothly and she had the baby with just a bit of gas and air in a few hours. You can always ask for intermittent monitoring instead if you don't want to be hooked up.

If the VBAC is really going to ruin your life with the worry in the run-up though, I'd consider the ELCS. Could you talk to your midwives and ask someone to go through your old notes with you? Sometimes they do this and you'll be able to pinpoint 'the thing' or 'the moment' when things took a turn for the Holby City, and that might make you feel less worried if you can see clearly that it was a one-off or something that could be avoided again?

Fingers crossed for you, OP. You never can tell but I'd say you've a much better chance of smooth run at it second time round. Do come back and tell us how it went afterwards!

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