To try natural or elec cs??

[Pickledgerkingsareathing]

I had my son 11 1/2 months ago today ! And needed a emergency c section :( I'm now 16weeks and due sept 10th but already panicking about how I'm getting this baby out ! Do I risk a emergency and possibly ripping open my scar in labour ...or just have a c section planned ??? I just don't want to be so limited when I will have a 17month old running around :( ???

Most hospitals will not induce you due to the slightly increased risk of rupture but unless you have an additional risk factors then there’s no reason why you couldn’t try for a VBAC if that’s what you’d prefer, but only if you go into spontaneous labour.

You need to have a think about whether you’d prefer to try for a VBAC, knowing that if all goes well the recovery will be easier but bearing in mind that you’re also risking another EMCS or the other complications that come with a VB like forceps, tearing etc.. If you go down the ELCS route then it’s very calm and from what I’ve heard nothing like an EMCS (I’ve only had elective) and baring any rare complications, you know what to expect. However, the recovery will probably be longer compared to a VBAC and you won’t be able to pick up your older child.

It’s swings and roundabouts, for what it’s worth, personally I’d go for the ELCS as it’s more predictable. Can you discuss your options in detail with the midwife at your next appointment?

Midwifes in my area aren't trained to talk about it in detail have to meet with a specialist but I'm just worrying my partner will get two weeks off but with a previous c section I'm supposed to expect a longer recovery period apparently .. how am I supposed to look after my other child while he's not here ?????? Only just started to panic about this

Ah well in that case definitely insist on a referral to a consultant ASAP to properly discuss your options, that’s if you’re not already under consultant care (I thought you would be as have had a previous CS but maybe not). Could your DP take a week of holiday alongside his paternity leave? With an ELCS you’ll have a date in advance so it will be easier to plan. I was definitely over the worst of it 3 weeks post elective section.

I recovered well last time but I have quite a big lad at the minute and god knows how big he will be by then ! Don't know how my body will cope with it this time x

I had a birth reflections with a MW who happens to do the consultations for vbac or elcs Which was really useful.

She could go through the reasons for elcs (in my case it was my baby that was struggling) which helps work out chances of success etc.

They'd lost my notes unfortunately but had a letter describing the basics and how far dilated I was.

At my hospital they will induce but the drugs are at a much lower dose so as not to put pressure on the uterus, but it means there's s higher failure rate than natural labour.

I've got as much chance to succeed naturally as any first time mum I've been told. I've decided to allow nature to try up to just gone 40 weeks then elcs and avoid induction- but this was very much decided based on all my own factors with the mw consultation.

I joined a vbac and elcs group on fb and just read to stories and asked qs on both.

Many do vbac successfully with induction.

This was at the hospital- id ask for birth reflections and then also a consultant appt, if they do the two together even better.

The mw commented that she found she has to do a mini birth reflections in the consultation appt (she does uncomplicated ones eg no other health factors) and this meant the consultant/ consultations were a bit rushed sometimes.

It might help to find out where you'd be allowed to go eg mlu (a few do/ can) or the main hospital and what their facilities are . There is a pool I could use for example with wireless monitoring (and two other wireless monitors available) which helped me make my decision.

I could ask for induction and use the wireless monitors if I want to.

I thought advice was to wait a year before trying to get pregnant- doubt a vbac will even be an option?!

Ruby- yes that's the advice . Yes it is a option sister had a Vbac yesterday 10months after her c section - my son will be 17 months old so over the gap is way over a year .

Oh my!
Personally I wouldn't risk it and I'd go straight for elective c section. Perhaps our NHS is lax about things like that, but I know other European countries are very strict.

Risk what tho .... like tbh worst case senario is a c section ... which I will be opting for if not trying naturally starting to think it doesnt make a difference if I give it a go x

There's a good vbac group on fb with lots of experienced mums and midwives. Ask to join and post some queries.

Personally I would feel safer with a c section, that's just my personal choice, even with the increased risks of a c section.

I would be scared of uterine rupture- even if it does only happen to 1 in 300 vbacs I guess you have to factor in you would be a little higher risk due to getting pregnant again fairly early on.

I guess having had a c section previously that went well it is easier for me to see this as less risk than a vbac- if that makes sense!

The end bit didn't make much sense to me x

I have had a c section and come out of it safely, I have not had a vbac after a c section and come out of it safely. Therefore, I would choose a c section as the risk posed from a uterine rupture seems worse than the risk of a c section.

I have had two natural births and 2 c sections. I would go for a natural every time. C Section is a major operation with the associated risks. My DC3 was a elective C Section as he was 12 days overdue and was found to be huge on a scan. They had missed it. I was very anxious as I had lost my previous baby at 22 weeks pregnant. I just didn't want to take any risks of him getting stuck. Right decision as he was 11lb 4. My last DC was an elective too and they really pushed for a VBAC. They also stated due to previous section they don't let you go full term and they start you early. You are in hospital and very carefully monitored. They cant use chemicals as it can cause the scar to rupture but my local hospital used some kind of strange balloon thing to stretch you. Anyway I had a mass bleed when one of my arteries into the placenta ruptured at 12 weeks and I was having extra placenta monitoring as there was a risk of the placenta deteriorating. I just wasn't willing to take the risk of things going wrong during the birth. Also I went for sterilization at the same time. If your pregnancy is fine and you have no issues I would definitely go for natural.

Another vote for vbac here too. I can see what ruby is saying but there’s so much emphasis on the potential risk of rupture and not enough on the risks of c section. The risk of rupture is only 0.5% which means a 99.5% chance of no rupture plus that includes predominantly scar dehisence and not full rupture. Women who are induced with no previous c section also have a risk of rupture, it’s just that nobody highlights it. A repeat c section increases chance of needing an emergency hysterectomy (ten times more likely than a hysterectomy due to scar rupture) and the risk of maternal death associated with c section is 4 times that of a vaginal birth (even an elective has a higher rate) In fact, there is no study in vbac literature that a maternal death has ever been attributable to vbac

Now I'm scared I'm going to die either way fantastic :)

Haha sorry pickled believe it or not, the odds are great both ways, I just get sick of everyone saying a VBAC will kill you when there is a higher chance of sooo many things going wrong than scar rupture but it’s all anyone harps on about and some people act like c section is the easier safer option as standard. I’m sure either option will be fine but I wouldn’t be scared of rupture without doing some research first

Try to ignore it aha after reading about c section risks after my son it petrified me although I've already had one it was a emergency so within 5 minutes of being told I was knocked out :/too much time to think this time

I had a very emergency section with my first and it was awful.

Wanted to try for vbac the next time around but due to other complications the choice was removed and I had to have a scheduled csection.

What I would say is that a planned csection is calm, feels safe, and recovery was much much easier than with an emergency. It's not a bad option.

That’s good to know Lucking because if I go over I’m having a planned section! I was wondering if recovery time would be easier

LadyPug Rupture is gone on about because it is the single biggest risk factor for most VBACers, and if it does happen it can be catastrophic for mother and baby. Yes other things can go wrong, but they are even less likely to happen and many don't cause quite the same time-critical emergency. I've never heard anyone IRL talking about CS as the no/low risk option (lower risk, yes, but that's not the same thing).
I would always advocate trying for a VBAC if it is a recommended option as chances are everything will be fine and recovery much quicker, but I also unfortunately have the experience of having been the 1 in 200.

Weirdly OP I actually found my EMCS recovery easier than the ELCS one. It really shouldn't have been given the circumstances, but there you go! I also got awful and painful trapped wind with the ELCS, but not the EMCS: perhaps down to the 'luck' of who's on shift?
In your circs I think I would go for an ELCS due to the gap between pregnancies (it's recommended 12m minimum between birth and start of next pregnancy rather than between births IIRC). Your risk of rupture would be higher than 0.5% because of that.

I had a planned c section with my first, felt like a walk in the park compared to my VBAC with second DS in terms of recovery. You can't always predict what will happen!

Very stuck on decision making now !:(

I would say you need to talk to the specialist who has details of your history, rather than rely on MN!

I went for a VBAC (successfully); the consultant really supported it, and felt that with my history (one vaginal birth, one EMCS due to distress. 26 month gap, no PG complications) there was no reason why it wouldn't be successful. You are monitored much more closely than usual, and you can't be induced, but it was definitely the lower risk option for me. It might be different for you, which is why you need to wait and see what the specialist says.

Although it was successful, I was within 24 hours of requiring a planned CS because I was overdue!