What do you wish you'd known about VBAC

[Goostacean]

Aiming for a calm, healthy VBAC after an EMCS at 41+5 last time. Feeling more prepared for the whole experience but struggling to balance positive thinking with realism.

What do you wish you'd known before your VBAC, or what would you have done differently before/during labour?

I'm not sure it's helpful to you as I'm not sure where you are in your Vbac journey but I found that reading up on which circumstances worked well for the chances of having a successful vbac was helpful to me as that knowledge felt like power - I knew that I fitted the successful vbac bill! Then, having bleated in about it at every appointment, I was lucky enough to have my own midwife from the gp whilst I was in labour who reminded me of my own words when I momentarily panicked that I couldn't do it! I could and it was a very satisfactory feeling which put my previous traumatic Emcs to bed.

Oh should have said, I'm 32 weeks!

I've read the NICE guidelines which have made me feel pretty positive. It seems that based on reasons for the EMCS I have a 73% chance of success, possibly higher, and very few of the risk factors for failure. I've got an independent midwife supporting me at home during early labour and I've been attempting hypnobirthing practice. Just a bit concerned that when the time comes all my calm and good intentions will fly out the window!

Bump for the Friday night crowd...

It’s worth reading choosing cesarean by Pauline Hull and Magnus Murphy before having a VBAC as I personally think there is so much media negativity around cesarian that can affect how people view it when there are actually lots of advantages of cesarean for mother and baby such as reducing the risk of still birth and birth injury to baby and reducing the risk of prolapse and incontinence and completely avoiding the risk of serious 3 and 4 degree tears for the mother. I know cesarian comes with its own set of risks but feel it’s very much unfairly demonised in the media, the above book is worth a read because it is written by a OB/GYNE and a research journalist and they properly go through all the research and discuss it so it’s well worth a look.

I had an EMCS with my second daughter in March this year and I am currently pregnant with my 3rd daughter due in Feb 2020. I really want a VBAC because of the long recovery with a CS. As it's only 11 months apart they don't think it's safe to have a VBAC. Has anyone had experience of a VBAC so close together? I guess at the end I will do what is safe for the baby. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

I had a successful VBAC 11 weeks ago in a higher risk pregnancy .

Things I’m glad I did;

• use the hospital pma midwives
• insist on access to the pool (staff agreed for me to labour in pool)
• Took fancy disco light for pool and LED candles
• read the positive birth book
• did positive birth company hypnobirthing

NB - book has nothing to do with hypnobirthing people

• DH had a crib sheet of things to do in labour to support me
• did every thing possible to ensure prompt labour as I was expecting very large baby so had a c section booked at 39 week (red leaf tea tablets, dates, hours bouncing on ball, nipple stimulation and sweeps)
• used clergy sage oil in the bath in early labour
• when I was unhappy with that consultant I asked to see pma midwife
• had a vbac and c section birth plan
• went to positive birth movement meetings

What I wished I had done

• research placenta delivery and if I wanted the injection. I had the injection as I was exhausted and thought it would be easier and I ended up with placenta removal bib theatre under ga.

There was a point early on in hospital when I panicked and I called for a midwife and explained my fears and she calmed me down. When I was pushing I thought I had made the wrong decision and just wanted a c section but I did it.

This is so encouraging thanks so much for sharing. Can I ask how long ago was you C-section. So how far apart was your vbac and c section.

I am really hoping for a VBAC but my c section was only 11 months ago.

Three years