"Support for imminent VBACers" thread?

[pendulum]

Hi there,
I am 38 weeks today and planning a VBAC after my el CS for breech.

I haven't spent much time on the ante natal threads because I couldn't keep up with them! But now I am on mat leave and due date is approaching I would love to chat to anyone else hoping for a VBAC in the near future.

Is there anyone else out there, or another thread I can join? (Am just heading to docs to check baby position but will log in again later!)

Thanks
p xx

trying again with link - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/1365/383812

Hi. I am 36 weeks and found out yesterday that my baby is now head down so I can try for a VBAC if I choose. The hospital have asked me to make my mind up by next week and I am thinking of booking in for a c-section at 41 weeks and trying for a VBAC if anything happens before then. This website has been a Godsend and I spent 4 hours last night reading the various links and posts. I am quite excited by the idea of a VBAC but also scared....Have just bought the Ina May Gaskin book so hoping for some inspiration there.
Thanks for all the advice so far.

Betsy - you're due the same day as me! My baby didn't engage either, even after 36 hours of labour, though at least I was able to remain upright / walk about during that time. Was going to be augmented but DD got distressed, hence to CS. Turned out to be partial brow, OP and cord around neck. Hoping for a rather more co-operative baby next time!

Betsy - you're due the same day as me! My baby didn't engage either, even after 36 hours of labour, though at least I was able to remain upright / walk about during that time. Was going to be augmented but DD got distressed, hence to CS. Turned out to be partial brow, OP and cord around neck. MWs were very good and feel I was given a good run for my money - don't have any bad feelings about the experience really, and think they made the right decision at the right time. Hoping for a rather more co-operative baby next time!

Sorry about double post!

Glitterbaby - I had also been thinking of the section at 41 weeks idea today. Before when I was thinking I would have an elective section I always thought I would keep an open mind if I went into labour before my section date and see how I felt when I got into hospital.

Hello again, great to hear from so many people! Makes me feel less "out there" IYKWIM- I know plenty of other people about to have babies, but none of them are in the same boat.

ejt, can't believe they are letting you go to the mlu- you must indeed be bolshy, and also quite courageous I would think given your previous delivery.

Alicet, I hope that chatting here will help you to make up your mind one way or the other. I spent most of this PG convinced I would take the elective section but, like you, came back to the idea of VBAC primarily because of concern about my DD. She is 3.6, very aware that something big is going to happen, and at a sensitive stage. I don't want to be fending her off physically or unable to help her climb onto a chair, for example.

Having said that, although the decision was initially a practical one I am now feeling really inspired and excited by the many positive birth stories I have read. I am lucky because I don't have a previous traumatic birth experience to overcome- I am only scared of the unknown, not of repeating the known, if that makes sense!

Lulumama, thanks for confirming what I suspected about the epidural. Maybe I will just have to hook up the TENS machine to the hospital generator instead!

Yes pendulum the bit about being scared of the unknown rather than repeating the known is exactly me too. My previous birth wasn't traumatic - although it wasn't what I had planned I was kept really well informed and felt involved throughout. I also felt I was coping well with the pain of the first stage and only asked for an epidural at 8cm as it was pretty obvious by then that he was going to need some sort of intervention to get him out and I didn't want that without an epidural. If I ended up with the same experience I think I would be fine about it. And I think that's whats difficult in trying to make the decision really.

But at the end of the day ds1 has to be my priority really and while I can make choices that will ease things for him I feel a bit as though I should do if you see what I mean...

And ejt isn't all that bolshy - just a very well informed and educated lady. Although anyone trying to stand in her way of the MLU would be very brave!!!! (I know her from the due Oct thread....)

gee sucks alice! you say the nicest things!

I have been a bit of a pain in the arse to get what I want though ... I threatened to stay at home to start with (had no intention of doing so, but...) but, as I know in my heart that it was the interventions that led to the c section last time (and have had it confirmed by one of the midwives), then I really feel that the only way for me to do this is to eschew all intervention if possible - and that includes cefm ... they'll still be monitoring me, but every 10 - 15 minutes, and tbh, how many of the MWs are going to be checking the damn machine at every second?

also have to add that the mlu where I'm booked is not the nearest to where I live (25 minute drive rather than 5 minute drive!) ... I have compromised on going to the mlu which has an obstetric unit just upstairs ... just a lift ride away!

Can I join too please?? I am 38+5, edd 15/9. I had a "semi-elective" CS due to pre-eclampsia at 32 wks last time. I am very keen on a VBAC as I don't want to be out of action for long with my 4.5 yr old twins who have just started school. Also have a possibly weird desire to experience labour.

I have taken on independent midwives as I believe this gives me the best possible chance, particularly as the consultant at my hospital has a policy of doing constant fetal monitoring for all VBACS. I am hoping to avoid this by having the independent midwives monitoring me closely t/o labour at home and at their birth centre.

My main issue now is that this baby appears to be OP, although it does seem to move around. I am doing lots of "optimal fetal positioning" stuff but from what I understand some babies just do not want to move. This worries me a bit, but I will just have to see what the labour is like.

Can I just interrupt. I had an emergency c-section and then a vbac a few years later. I hired a doula and she was great. I'm the world's worst bore on the subject of doulas by the way. But anyway, I wanted to wish you all good luck and good births and lovely babies. It will sound a bit soupy but a vbac can be a very positive experience. Almost (gulp) healing. Now I will go away before I start to sound like Oprah Winfrey. Good luck everyone.

NKF - you go ahead and sound like Oprah ... thanks for sharing your experience! It makes people like me (who has the wobbles every now and again) feel that it is something worth fighting for!

I second the Oprah-esque 'healing' feeling with VBAC. DS was elective c/s as he was breech, we had unsuccessful ECV, and elected for cs. Suffered PND from about 5 mths - 11mths, once i came out of c/s/drug/shock/loss of control fog, and really pined for the labour I didn't have.

Fantastic VBAC 2.4yrs later, lots of walking and acupressure during labour, and a very supportive mw and a friend as doula. DD born after very short active labour phase, and a few good sucks on the g&a.
I felt like the birthing goddess of the world (still do, 6mths later ). All issues re elective cs completely gone out the window!

I don't recall ANY discussions or worries about my scar, after over two years it just wasn't an issue for anyone. Either that or mw just got on with her self and did the watching and worrying for me!

GO for it VBACers - you are born to do this!

{{stops short of jumping on Oprah's couch and punching the air}}

Thank you Skittles and NKF! Very inspiring and a nice change from all the doom and gloom stories.

Yes, thanks from me too- the moral support is v valuable as the day draws nearer! Must say though , I am getting impatient now and keen to get things underway- theses last few days feel like a kind of limbo for me, DH and DD.

Can I ask the successful VBACers how long you stayed labouring at home? My midwife (v attached to hospital protocol) has advised me to go in at the first contraction (presumably for CEFM which the consultant has agreed not to give me!). My doula on the other hand advises me to stay at home as long as possible, probably until I am around 5-6 cm dilated(this is her standard VBAC procedure if the woman agrees). Her view is that arriving in hospital before active labour is really well-established risks slowing everything down and increases the risk of intervention.

I do like the idea of being at home as long as possible, but the hospital is 25 miles away and I am slightly nervous about the fact that there will be nobody medically qualified with me. Would be interested to hear anyone's views.

ta!
pendulum (38+1)

I stayed at home until the contractions were 3 minutes apart, presuming i would be in established labour by then

hadn;t banked on OP baby. and when i got to hospital i was not dilated !!! anyhoo, was encouraged to get off the bed, stop using gas and air, and move and rock with teh contractions, which i did, for one hour, and she turned.... after that it was all systems go!

the longer you are at home, relaxed, mobile, upright, able to listen to and work with your body, the more chance of less intervention and a succesful VBAC

i would doubt you would even be admitted to labour ward, if you are not in active labour, so you might well end up on ante natal, with your partner and doula possibly being sent away . and no pain relief !!

if you do not wish to have CFM, and you are making an informed decision, then stay at home.. if the doula suspects things are not going well... and there will be signs of it, if so, then she will either encourage you to go to hospital or get a MW out to check you over

sorry, meant to say, i laboured at home , for 10 hours

keep the positive success stories coming, it really does help.

I'm very determined to go for VBAC, but still a little bit nervous IYKWIM, but I guess that is normal for any looming labour, not just because I'm VBAC

Hi, I'm not a VBACer or a doula, I just wanted to show support for you ladies. I've had two natural births and they have been the most wonderful experiences of my life. Good luck to all of you.

Pendulum-you asked earlier about hypnobirthing at the hospital. It's easy. I just picked a spot on the wall and focused on it. I slept through most of my labor and delivery with ds1 (literally I would close my eyes and only open them for pushing and then fall back asleep).

I can't remember how long I stayed at home. I'm useless with details like that. I did have continual fetal monitoring but it was very unintrusive. Labour was about eight hours (I think) but the birth bit was pretty quick. I honestly can't remember very well. What I recall is my lovely doula holding my hand and my husband's excitement and the friendly midwives and my baby lying between my legs, all sweet and peaceful. And, wonder of wonders, hopping off the bed and walking to the ward. I had no idea unti then it was possible to have a baby and not feel like death.

Hello everyone, sorry ive not had chance to be on for ages. Lots of lovely positive stories here which is good.

Im still undecided but officailly still down for a VBAC...off to see m/wife at 12.30 for 36 wk check so going to have a chat with her and see what i think then.

I think my downer about it this last week is due to me slipping and falling last monday which did no favours for my SPD (which up until then i had been managing reasonable well). I have been v. sore as a result and i think this has had me worried about the natural birth and SPD as my experience in labour last time was that the keeping your legs close together doesnt really fit with giving birth. Plus it is just so awkward and painful to move around that i dont think i could manage a v. 'active' birth anyway. Last time i could only lie on the bed on my left side in a sitting position.

Anyway enough waffling will chat to m/w and hopefully feel better about it all then.

Just wanted to add my positive vbac stories.
Dd 1 was an emergency section at 33wks because of pre eclampsia. I was determined to have a vbac and i had nothing but support from everyone. I went 3wks overdue and was induced with ds1,ds2 but went into spontaeneous labour.Dd2 was natural as well at 39wks. I had to be continually monitored with the boys but partly because they were so late. With dd2 i asked to be intermittentaly checked and i had a very quick,mobile labour and a v v quick delivery.

Meant to say - because of the reasons mentioned by lulamama i didn't want to get to hospital too early. Dd2 i was 7cms and dd2 i got there at 6cms. I do think staying at home and mobile really helped me relatively quick and easy births.