Planning VBAC but getting cold feet - reassurance please?

[dotty2]

I'm due on Thursday this week and am hoping for a VBAC (had emergency section last time after mammoth 3-day labour, failure to progress in second stage and failed forceps). Unfortunately my 2 year old is a bit under the weather and sleeping really badly - up for hours and hours every night for over a week now. I'm exhausted and have got myself into a really negative frame of mind. I'm starting to feel that I'm not really up to the challenge of a VBAC, either physically or mentally. Anyone got any positive stories to share to encourage me?

Hi Dotty,
I'm due in 10 weeks and also planning a VBAC, although I keep having wobbles too.

I found some great inspirational stories at

www.vbac.co.uk, which I read every now and again to re-energise myself.

Good luck whatever route you go down and hope you get the outcome you want.

P

shout for lulumama

she is wise and knowlegeable

an elective section is not necessarily an easy option.

Ooooh Good Luck, I have had two VBACs adn they were great. (I have also had two sections and they weren't).

I have no idea when you went into labour with your dc1 but just a word of warning that it is dangerous to be induced with the added strain on the scar so I ended up giving birth on 42+3 weeks as I waited to go into labour naturally.

Good Luck dotty2 and am looking forward to reading your birth announcement

Thanks for your kind words and suggestions - yes, know all about dangers of induction and dd1 was 10 days late, so am not holding my breath. Am just worried I'll be too knackered to labour effectively - am sure that was a factor in my section last time, and then I was only coping with the effects of a long labour, not a sleepless and demanding toddler. (Mind you, on the plus side, if I am 10 days late, she might have decided to start sleeping through by then...)

hi dotty

if you can search on here for the word 'VBAC' and my name, you 'll find a lot of reassurance !

i have company here at the mo, so can't post a lot now, but will check back in later

failure to progress is not necc. going to happen again...labouring at home as long as poss

active, upright is better

and being positive !

more later x

Dotty

I got to 9cms with dc2 before they decided to cut me open., if I had known then what I know now i wouldn't have had another section.

Lulumama is quite right, with my second section they told me I 'had' to lie down and be monitored and I believed them HA.

With my two vbacs I laboured standing up and with my last one I gave birth kneeling/squatting by the side of the bed.

You have to be assertive and don't take any shit. When I went in to have number 4 the midwife told me I would have to be monitored - I told her I was going home and could she provide me with a midwife at home. She was great once she realised that I had very firm ideas on how I was going to do things and with her help I birthed a 10lb 12oz baby with only a small tear and two stitches

Basically I really believe that a positive mind is a must in this case, if you are going to give in at the first hurdle you will end up with another section, try your best and you might get your wish.

Last point here, my overriding feeling about all this birthing and vbac malarky was that if I/we had done everything we could have done to get achieve a natural birth and it hadn't happened then maybe it wasn't meant to happen. In the case of my second section I had trusted the medics, they let me down, I let myself down by not preparing, and next time I knew I couldn't let that happen.

Sorry I waffle, this is my soapbox, I really hope it works, a natural birth seems to be even sweeter after a section (in my case anyway)

Good Luck

Hi Dotty, I am a VBACer too and tiredness can be a killer! Can you ask friends or relatives to come over and watch your 2 yr old so that you can nap?

You CAN do this and must not be too proud to ask for support. If you were near me I'd come round like a shot to let you go have a sleep....

There are loads of positive VBAC stories out there, and as you've got the best part of two weeks in which to have your VBAC I imagine that LO will be recovered and you will have caught up on sleep by the time you do go into labour.

Waiting for spontaneous labour is your best chance and you will possibly find that you will not laboru for nearly so long as last time if you are not induced. I assume it was an induction that caused the 3 day labour...?

Stay strong and keep posting, we can see you through this.

Thank you all again. Already feeling a bit more positive for some feet-up time this evening, and have arranged for in-laws to come over and help tomorrow. I can absolutely see that I have to have the most positive attitude from the beginning if it's going to work, so thanks for helping me towards that.

No, not induced last time - just very, very slow and a bit stop-start. Had high bp in that pregnancy (though not in this one), so was considered high risk, with all that entails.

Oh I'm glad that inlaws can come and help you out!

Let us know how you are, won't you and try to avoid any interference when labour comes, eg avoid CFM, intermittant is best, no IV, labour in positions you choose, etc etc....

Take care and stay strong

For other potential VBAC-ers, interested in the outcome...

I ended up with a horrible cold and v. run down, due to DD1's nocturnal antics. But of course as soon as I was in labour, that all got swept away by the adrenaline. I took good advice to stay at home as long as possible, and got to hospital 8cms dilated. Unfortunately, DD2 was quite distressed, with alarming dips in heart rate (turned out cord round neck)so needed a bit of ventouse help to get her out quickly. And then had retained placenta and 2 hours in surgery with a spinal - so much for avoiding pain relief. And big PPH so now struggling with bf due to anaemia - and getting BF off to a good start was one of the reasons I wanted a VBAC in the first place. BUT in spite of all that, am absurdly pleased with myself, and will never forget seeing DD2 delivered onto my tummy. So, for me, a VBAC was definitely worth it.

Oh dotty2, what wonderful news!!!! A VBAC in spite of a nasty cold! How wonderful!!!!!

Please get help for the BF if you're still struggling. I hear that Spatone is well recommended for improving your iron levels, never had to worry about that myself....

Anyway call the NCT or ABM NOW to make sure that you get all support you can to carry on BF, and REST! No heroics please! Once again get the IL and friends etc to come over and do cooking and cleaning and spoiling dd1 so that you can just rest and enjoy your babymoon and get your energy back.

Once you've had a VBAC you tend to feel invincible but you definitely do need to take it easy, rest, and let that pelvic floor recover!

very , very well done ! big congratulations....not quite as straightforward as it could have been, but nothing beats that feeling of your baby being delivered straight onto your belly! very pleased for you x

NCT BF support

Association of Breastfeeding Mothers

to find local LLL group

Call them! ]