VBAC

[pancakes22]

Is anyone able to give any positive VBAC stories for second child following EMCS first time round? Xx

Sorry I wouldn’t recommend it. We tried and they were so reluctant to move back to cs when things started to go wrong and they wanted to take big risks and to proceed with a very complicated vbac (they were saying it would forceps delivery or crash cs). If all goes smoothly it’ll be fine as soon as something goes wrong your living a nightmare again

A friend of mine had one that was really positive and she was so pleased. I’m going to talk to her more about it as I’m pregnant again after an EMCS. Got my consultant meeting in Jan and genuinely not sure what would be best.

Have you had your consultant meeting yet OP? Why did you end up having an EMCS the first time around? I’m trying to think of everything I should ask/somehow try to make a decision - it’s tricky!

I'm a midwife and I definitely see a lot of positive VBACs. Of course some end in EMCS too but in my experience less than the ones that end with a vaginal birth. To some extent it depends on how far you progressed in your labour first time around. If I'm looking after someone who previously got to 8cm plus then I would normally expect a nice delivery. Although had a good few positive experiences when women hadn't progressed very far at all before. But it's up to you and what you want. Don't get pressured into going for a VBAC if you are anxious.

7 VBACs here! First baby was EMCS, second was my first VBAC by forceps (baby in distress). Since then a further 6 VABCs with no intervention. 😁

Was that really necessary winterdays?

Anyway... I guess a lot depends on the reasons for your first CS and how this pregnancy progresses.

I had an EMCS with my first due to foetal distress (caused by low amniotic fluid, plus the placenta was failing and DD1 had IUGR). I had been induced but she got distressed after 8 hours while my cervix was still closed.

I then had an amazing and fairly straightforward VBAC with DD2. I’m not in the UK but my hospital will not induce after a CS due to the increased risk of uterine rupture. Fortunately with DD2 I went into labour at 38w - my waters were leaking and I was 4cm without feeling any contractions. They then put me on to the drip to augment the labour (apparently this carries less risk than inducing when the cervix is closed). DD2 was born in 3.5 hours, and 2 pushes. Afterwards I felt on top of the world compared to after my CS, even though I would say my CS was quite straightforward given that I’d not been in labour before.

I think the VBAC went so well because I laboured standing up, despite the drip and constant CTG monitoring.

Personally I would be inclined to try for a VBAC if you go into labour spontaneously but to ask for a CS if not.

I’m currently 38w with no. 3 and desperately hoping for another natural delivery.

Good luck whatever you decide!

I had a VBAC 19 months after having an emcs (this was 2 years ago). I also had gestational diabetes so could have chosen a section no problem. Decided to try a VBAC given I had a 19 month old at home and zero help other than DH. Nature took its course and from first contraction to birth was about 7 hours. Nothing out of the ordinary happened at all and whilst I recovered quite well from the emcs I found I was bank to normal much much quicker after the vaginal birth. Just make sure you do your kegel muscle exercises! And best of luck.

I ended up with a vbac home birth.

DC1 was born at home.

DC2 was an ELCS due to placenta praevia 2 years later

DC3 was 5 years after that. The consultant was happy for me to labour without massive intervention but the head midwife wanted me monitored on a drip throughout.
I had a hissy-fit (after doing a shed-load of research) and booked a home birth. 2 senior midwives came to the house and were happy to agree as I had delivered vaginally before, it was 5 years since the CS and we weren’t far from the hospital.
It was my favourite birth - in the bath, so peaceful.

DC4 was a hospital vbac 2 years later as he’d passed meconium.

@CosyWinterDays I'm sorry you didn't have a good experience second time round.

@Lumpy76 @chipshape @chloechloe That is incredible you have had positive experiences thank you so much for sharing. @Velvetbee At home sounds blissful although I don't have the balls for it myself as I would be too worried something would go wrong. I completely agree with you though I hate the thought of continuous monitoring. With my first I had it and the midwife I had made me feel terrible for even moving to go to the toilet I had to just lie still and not move the whole time it was so restricting. @chloechloe That's good you were able to move around and stand up but I believe here it would unfortunately be another stuck to the bed situation.

@DinoMamasaurus I'm similar to you just trying to gather info at the moment, I'm seeing the midwife on Friday and I know she will bring it up so my mind is racing. I had mine due to a small part of my waters going
on a Friday night but labour not starting. The induction drip only progressed me to 2cm. Failed epidural/drugs made me vomit so they did the EMCS on Tuesday morning as they were worried it had been too long since the first part of waters went and I wasn't progressing. @SecretM I suppose if I think about your 8cm idea then that isn't looking good for me that I just didn't dilate. i really am desperate to avoid section again as I hate that my body just didn't progress to what it was meant to do and I really don't want to deal with the recovery with a toddler (my recovery also included a frozen bowel and uterine infection which makes the memory of recovery seem worse).

It just feels like there isn't a happy option - either stuck to bed with continuous monitoring and then likely have to have some form of intervention or have to go through a section again and never experience a natural birth

I had a vbac in September :) not 1 complication and a 4hrs 31 active labour anyway ( early labour dragged on for about 26hours )
In my birthing plan I requested telemetry which is wireless monitors so your not bed bound and I'm sure you can even go in the birthing pool :) I was so scared but I looked at it is a c section is the worst outcome really since your closely watched and it's what you would opt for anyway 🤷🏻‍♀️ my children was also only 16months apart so rupture was more likely but I was fine x
Was nice straight after I was stitched up to go have a shower too and I could walk !!!😂 xx

I had a really positve VBAC after an emergency section. Four hours from start to finish. I listened to a hypno birthing CD in the run up that was specifically for VBAC births and found it really helpful. I did end up with an episiotomy but it was far less of a recovery than a section.
I’ve just had my third (surprise) baby after a 10 year gap and ending up with another emergency section, this time under general anaesthetic. However, although I have hated how long it has taken to recover, I am more accepting that it happened - I was so disappointed first time round.

Dd had a successful vbac, 2 years after an emcs. Started labor around midnight, asked her dp to drive her to the hospital at 8am, arrived at 9am (terrible rush hour London traffic) delivered by 10. A bit of a vacuum assist at the end due to some meconium.

@pancakes22 I had issues at the pushing stage. Labour went really well (albeit not fast) got to 10cm, they told me to start pushing I did my absolute best - pushed for an hour. Then my temp went up a little so they whisked me to theatre for a spinal and attempted forceps (if pushing before was ineffective I’m sure it was doing nothing after the spinal!) then they did the EMCS. Aaand then we all found out that he was big! Over 10lb! He didn’t even look like a chubster he was just long and big all over. Filled up the hospital tank cribs. They told me that it was his size and the fact he was a bit posterior why I didn’t push him out but the thing that really stood out to me when I looked back is that I had absolutely no urge to push when they told me to - not at all. I read afterwards some people have a latent I think stage when they are fully dilated before the action starts so I don’t know if that was it but I am sure now that even though I was trying so hard and doing everything they told me it was never going to happen without my body having the urge to push. I’m not sure where that puts me for next time! I have no regrets because he was born safe and well and I was fine.

I had no GD or sugar issues his sugars were checked after birth and totally fine. Just a big boy it seems so I don’t know whether I’m in for another whopper and how that will affect my chances of a VBAC I don’t know!? I have read some people say big babies are easier as they have the strength to push themselves out lol. I’d be lying if I said I’m not a little nervous of the damage that might be done in the process. But then I know you can have a teeny baby and still tear etc so probably best not to dwell on that!

@SecretM thanks for posting that is really interesting and gives me a bit of hope for next time! I wasn’t sure if having fully dilated before would make any difference for my next labour or if it was the actual pushing them out but that makes subsequent labours different.

@pancakes22 sorry if my comment was a bit disappointing but I should have emphasised that there is still a good chance of successful vaginal birth - almost certainly more than 50% unless there is anything really odd in your history.

I take your point about worrying about being strapped to a moniter the whole time. There might be some ways to improves things though.

• ask if your trust has a wireless CTG - this can give you more mobility and you may even be able to use a pool
• sometimes women negotiate having just periodic monitoring ; I think our protocols give some room for discussion on this. Remember ultimately you have the power to say yes or no to any intervention although you also have to take responsility of course if you choose not to monitor. However, at least in the early stages of labour, the risks are fairly low and good intermittent auscultation should pick up problems
• consider having a clip on baby's head to moniter the heart rate. I know it seems a bit grim but I'm quite keen on these when women don't have an epidural and need to move around. Of course it's not ideal to the baby but then neither are things like forceps and it's probably nothing like as unpleasant as just being squeezed though a pelvis come to think of it It would mean you could move around without midwives fussing and pressing the monitor into your stomach during painful contractions. And you can be certain that no one panics because they have accidentally picked up your heart rate.

Don't despair, and even if it does come down to another c-section it may be different experience to your last one. Hope it goes well