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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Elective or vbac?

40 replies

MsChatterbox · 24/10/2019 11:37

Hello all,

I'm pregnant with my second. My first I had a c section due to failure to progress. I got to 8cm after 36 hours. Had time limit due to waters breaking. Scar healed nicely and very quickly.

With those facts what would you recommend?

I am just looking for what is less risky. I am not worried about following pregnancies as I only plan on two and don't feel like I need to do vagina birth for the experience. But if its less risky I will go for vaginal. Thanks!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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Chillisauceboss · 24/10/2019 11:44

Following as I'm in the exact same boat! Failure to progress, got to 10cm (apparently...) after 3 days of contractions and then induction drip. Baby never became fully engaged and despite pushing for 2 hours I was nowhere near giving birth.
I'd love to go vbac but I'm concerned my pelvis shape isn't fit for purpose and I don't fancy days of exhaustion just to get csec!

Chillisauceboss · 24/10/2019 11:45

I'm also hankering after 3 so not sure what to do. I recovered brilliantly and sometimes feel better off physically than all the v births friends and family have had

Skiaddicted · 24/10/2019 11:48

Following to see answers

Original poster

MsChatterbox · 24/10/2019 11:48

Hopefully someone can come along and give their opinion! I know midwife will discuss with me but they may have budgets etc in mind so want to get more opinions!

OP posts:

moonlight1705 · 24/10/2019 11:51

Also following to see answers, my experience was almost exactly the same as Chillisauceboss but am not thinking about no. 2 for at least another year.

LeftoverPizza · 24/10/2019 11:52

I had an ELCS. I had an EMCS with DS due to failure to progress, I only got to 3cm. I also had a backwards facing cervix which I believe caused this. When I got pregnant with DD I decided that although I would love to try a VBAC, I would go for an EMCS as personally I believed that I would have to have an EMCS again, and I’d rather have had an ELCS (as a PP said) than push for hours and still have to have a CS.

It was great for me, I was able to prepare for the recovery as I knew what helped last time. And it was much more calm and relaxed that the first C-section.

Chillisauceboss · 24/10/2019 11:53

If I go elcs I would really miss that incredibly exciting time of waiting to go into labour and waiting to feel the first contractions. Heart says vbac and head said elcs. Not sure what consultant will guide me to. There's no way I'd repeat exactly what happened in my first labour though. Id want some reassurance that if I'm failing to progress they aren't going to make me jump through every hoop first and they can fast track a csec based on prior experience

Original poster

MsChatterbox · 24/10/2019 11:53

Elective sounds more calm. But I'm worried about recovery with a boisterous toddler in towe! How old was your first when you had your second? 😊

OP posts:

Original poster

MsChatterbox · 24/10/2019 11:54

@LeftoverPizza now I want pizza 😋

OP posts:

Chillisauceboss · 24/10/2019 11:56

@moonlight1705 did they try and get you to have forceps. They tried to offer me forceps which in hindsight I think would have failed and then c section anyway. I'm still cross they suggested forceps when baby's head was no engaged! Also highly suspicious as I declined forceps (read went absolutely mental and said no way am I consenting) and they immediately said ok no problem let's do a section

moonlight1705 · 24/10/2019 12:00

@Chillisauceboss no, they were sensible and didn't even try with forceps which I am quite thankful for now. I recovered quite well from the c-section but having an epistomony as well would have been horrible.

AliMonkey · 24/10/2019 12:00

I can only tell you my experience, which was CS for first through failure to progress past 5cm (after induction due to waters breaking and nothing happening, then epidural,...). I chose VBAC, having researched risks and stats and concluded that I would go for VBAC unless I had to be induced, when I would instead go for CS as higher risks re rupture if induced then VBAC. There are risks from second CS and VBAC but I was strongly influenced by how hard it would be to have just had a CS and have to deal with a toddler, not be able to drive, etc. DH would have preferred CS (as was convinced I'd end up with EMCS instead if went for VBAC) but supported me in my decision. Doctors recommended DS but couldn't really support their recommendation with any good reasons and I decided to stand my ground.

I am really glad I had the VBAC. Was determined to not get into cycle of intervention like the first time and managed with just gas and air. Felt much more in control despite the pain. DH said it gave him a newfound respect for me. Can never know whether it was related, but I took a long time to bond with DC1 whereas bonded immediately with DC2, and for me that was a good enough reason, but the practicalities re caring for toddler were also worth it.

Others will of course have had the opposite experience but based on mine I would say VBAC unless medics can give you a strong reason why not.

Chillisauceboss · 24/10/2019 12:05

@AliMonkey I'm glad all went well. If you went into labour and then failed to progress, would you have been taken down a medicalised induction route? I didn't start with induction I was induced on day 3. I would also want to avoid induction but if I failed to progress would I then be taken straight for csec or would I have to jump through hoops of pethidene / epidural and induction THEN emcs like birth one?!
Or could I go into labour see how I was progressing then fast track to csec and avoid induction?

Original poster

MsChatterbox · 24/10/2019 12:32

@AliMonkey thank you for your input. It sounds like you had a really great experience of a vbac! I do feel like I would be able to do vaginal. I had back labour which I think influenced the slow Labour. And my waters were broken by midwife accidentally. Not sure if i can be asked not to be checked early on to prevent this?!

OP posts:

AliMonkey · 24/10/2019 16:09

@Chillisauceboss, they said that if I failed to progress they would strongly recommend CS so as I didn’t want induction VBAC I assume that would have happened. In fact there was a point where things slowed down and they started talking about it but it didn’t last long as things got going again on their own.

@MsChatterbox, you can ask not to be checked, they can’t do it without your agreement, though worth making sure your birth partner is on the same page so can support you in refusing.

Infamy · 24/10/2019 18:46

I had an EMCS due to failure to progress with DC1. I opted for a VBAC with DC2 and ended up with another EMCS for the same reasons. Don’t regret trying though!

Chillisauceboss · 24/10/2019 19:05

Thanks for your experience @Infamy how was the labour and how medicalised was the vbac before it became elcs?

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 24/10/2019 19:07

@MsChatterbox I'd err towards vbac in your case. Dc1 was back to back plus my waters went first and my labour was long and v painful. A correctly positioned baby is likely to be a lot faster. It took me days to get to 6cms with dc1, I got there in abour 6 hours from my first proper contraction with dc2 because she was facing the other way and although it also ended in a section, it was a totally different experience. You can refuse examinations. They confirmed I was in labour purely by sticking a hand on me and feeling the contractions with dc2. They only checked dilation when it became obvious there were issues to make sure I wasn't fully dilated again.

@Chillisauceboss Dc1 was born by emcs at full dilation following pushing and failed forceps (he was mid pelvis). I have no issues with the forceps in my case as outcomes for babies who need to be shoved back up the birth canal and their mums can be horrific, it just didn't work.

Dc2 was also an emcs albeit 1000x better.

Did they have any suggestions as to why your first didn't engage? In our case, I have a sub optimal pelvis which is flatter than it needs to be in the middle and dh's family all have giant heads.

Chillisauceboss · 24/10/2019 19:20

@Dinosauratemydaffodils the reason I'm sceptical about forceps is that I can't see them being successful on a baby high up in pelvis and that's not fully engaged. That's why I assume I'd have been a case of failed forceps too. And I'm a sceptical thinking they offered me (and maybe you?) forceps to show that by the time they performed a emcs that they'd ticked every (cheaper) box.
I'm yet to have a full debrief with midwife but I did whilst in hospital with DD1 request full copy of my notes so I have them at home.

StealthPussy · 24/10/2019 19:23

Your risk will be based on your own circumstances. As you had a C section last time, this birth plan will likely be consultant led rather than midwife led. Part of the risk is based on how long since your previous birth. The risk of the scar splitting during labour is higher if less than a certain amount of time (I think 18 months) and higher if over 5 years. So there is a window of lower risk for that.
I opted for vbac. It was almost a csection again but ended up being forceps delivery in theatre with a spinal.

Chillisauceboss · 24/10/2019 19:42

@StealthPussy I know every person has a different experience. But would you have preferred a csec or were you happy and recovered well with your forceps / spinal?

StealthPussy · 24/10/2019 19:52

Immediately after the birth I was happy as I was full of drugs and felt “ well at least it was vaginal”. But once the drugs wore off...
Really both births were similar. I was in theatre for both, couldn’t feel anything, difficult recovery, infections after both. I had a cut and 2 tears during the vbac. So I had scarring after both births. Vagina is now shaped like a U bend of a toilet which has its problems. Tummy is numb from csection. Looking back I wish I’d had 2nd csection. But it was a long time ago now.

WellErrr · 24/10/2019 19:53

Based on only the info given, if it was me I’d go for vbac.

Cannyhandleit · 24/10/2019 20:04

I had an emcs with number 1 due to no progress after induction and baby became distressed and I mean NO progress at all! With number 2 consultant let me wait until due date to see if my cervix showed any signs of softening as he would not induce me again! Cervix not budging so elcs next day! I am currently pregnant with number 3 and just going straight to section as consultant thinks my body just doesn't want to push a baby out and to be honest I'm happy with that!

fedupandlookingforchange · 24/10/2019 20:10

I’ve had one emcs after a very long labour, drip, head never fully engaged. DH was told in theatre if we have anymore to have a section as I’m the wrong shape for giving birth. Nowhere was this recorded in my notes.
My mother had to try vbac with my sister and just did 24 hours of labour which ended in a section
So if we have number two it’ll be a c section at least then I’ll only have to recover from the section not labour as well

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