"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

HI there, I am 36 weeks and am going for a VBAC after a CS with DD who was breech.
I am seeing the consultanmt tomorrow armed with all my info, so wish me luck and I shall elt you know what he says....he has already made is clear he wants me to have CFM, is dead against me having a homebirth and that I wil not be allowed to labour in water so should be fun!

all the not allowed stuff is crapola ! you can make an informed and educated decision to have a home waterbirth without CFM , if that is what you want and you understand the risks ...

contact AIMS if necessary

it is your birth, your body, and you don;t have to labour how your consultant tells you to

water is actually really good for VBAC as supports the uterus

Unfortunately I will receive no support from anyone for a homebirth as my bitch MW frightened DH and MIL with tales of uterine rupture, and I will not be allowed in the birth centre (it is the ward next to 'normal' labour ward in the hospital which is where the pools are...so I really have not a lot of choice, which is why the one thing I can have a voice over (CFM) I am not budging on!

And there are NO doula's free on my due date near me!!!! It's so unfair!

I have accepted this TBH but am planning to stay at home as long as possible thanks to everyone's stories on here, and I have a lovely deep enamel bath that I may set up camp in for the duration as well!

hi there chirpygirl, good luck for tomorrow...what your cons is saying is not necessarily the uniform view of all obstetric consultants, for example see my earlier post about what mine has agreed to....have since had nice letter where she agrees that I can have intermittent monitoring with sonicaid, can labour in water etc... do you have a choice of hospitals or of consultants within the hospital if he sticks to his guns?

without wishing to hijack, can anyone with experience of labour advise me whether pre-labour/ the early stages can feel like tummy upset? I have been having griping cramps that come and go all day, had loose bowels this morning (sorry if anyone is eating!)and it seems to be intensifying. Not quite the period-style pain I am expecting labour to produce but is there any chance things are kicking off?

Thanks pendulum, in fairness to my consultant he is the nicest one on the staff (I met them all last time, he was the only one who would attempt an ECV) and he has already said that CFM and an active birth are not mutually exclusive but also said we would discuss in more detail tomorrow, so not sure if he was fobbing me off or serious!.

Funnily enough I have had the same as you, I called labour ward and said that if I wasn't pregnant I would think I had eaten something that disagreed with me, is that what is feels like?
They said to take some paracetemol and have a warm bath, if it stopped then fine but if I still felt bad after a couple of hours to possibly go in and be checked. HTH!

thanks chirpygirl, will try what you suggest. Feels exactly like have had bad kebab but have eaten exactly the same as DH and DD and they are fine!

I got all excited until I checked DD's nappy before bed and realised she had the same thing, I was never more gutted to see a dirty nappy

Pendulum, it sounds like a posibility.... check out my usual favourite Early labour link.

Definitely, if you have a nice bath or better still a good shower so that you keep OFP in mind, and then get an early night you should find that it either tails off or else it progresses, either way you'll get some rest.

Make sure you empty your bladder regular also!

for those of you who want to labour as long as possible at home but a homebirth is not a comfortable option:

You could always 'plan' a HB so that you get a mw out to check you in earlyish labour and so be sure that all is well. Then you can use your right to transfer in when the time is right for you (as with any Homebirther). Obviously don't let on to the mw that you don't really want a HB. It's a bit cheeky but hey, you have to look out for no 1, don't you?

I can't see how a mum can get reassurance of monitoring baby intermittantly in labour while not rushing to the hospital because she doesn't want to enter the 'system' she knows might put her VBAC at risk. And we all know that a planned HBAC is safer than an unplanned one, while minimising risks the hospital setting imposes

The Medical profession is great at Risk Management but not so great at normal birth. This way you play them at their own game, in a sense!

klaw..did you get my email??

chirpy.. where do you live?

have you checked with nurturing birth, they train and place doulas all over the uk

nurturing birth

Yes thanks Lulu, I posted a reply in that thread, and ended up on my soap box

Will reply to you on other questions via email... eventually

okey doke sweet x

lulumama, I havent checked with them, shall give them a call tomorrow.
I am in South Wales though, and previous searching only found one doula in Cardiff, who another MNer has nicked as she is due 4 days before me!

If I don't manage to find one I am happy that I know what I want and DH, however disapproving, will also stick up for my wishes (as evidenced when he shouted at the MW for attempting to give vit K to DD after she was born as I had said nothing was to go into her until I had BF her!)

I am in South Wales too and planning a VBAC. Any chance you are in Swansea? I think I also spoke to the one Cardiff but as I am due on 12 December and she doesn't work at Christmas I was out of luck as well.

I am due to see consultant on 17th of Sept and would love to know how you got on especially if you in Singleton!!!

I had a 10lb baby last time in difficult (but apparently not impossible position) but after 11 hours and only getting to 5cm with no real progress from midnight to 11am I gave into the interventions they offered and then I was on the emcs rollercoaster. I feel my midwife not to bothered/interested in my case and keeps saying "oh you will be fine sweetie". I could scream.

How did it go with your consultant chirpygirl?

(as you can see I am still here, pain tailed off in the night...)

Well, went quite well I think. Had to take DD with me so couldn't concentrate very well but this is what happened

The consultant was not available so saw one of his residents (I think) and a medical student, they confirmed she is in teh position I thought she was in (head down, back out and on my left, all good so far) and that I wanted a VBAC.

I was then told that they woudl like me to go in when contractions are 10 minutes apart (hah, fat fecking chance) for monitoring, I explained I had spoken to consultant (Mr L) and he said I wouldn't be restricted and got fobbed off with 'we shall see at the time'.
I asked about ambulatory/wireless monitoring and was told they could have it if they could find it (!)
However, it gotI asked why I wasn't allowed in the birth centre and was told that they had a VBACer in there before and as she was aware of the risks but made a huge fuss they let her go in.
I asked about labouring in water and was told they couldn't as they need to monitor the fetus and couldn't do that in water, I argued that they could if they used other monitoring methods and was then told CFM is best and sometimes only way to spot uterine rupture (!)

Anyway, I then rememerbered something I read on ehre a while ago and asked exactly how many uterine ruptures he had seen, and he told me 2 in the last 6 months, but one was while they were performing a 37 week ECS, he cut open the stomach and the uterus had already ruptured and he could see straight through to the baby....and they were both fine afterwards, but it was almost unheard off.
To which I replied, well, it can't be that dangerous, if no-one spotted it and they were both okay...and Singleton (yup, I am there) is main maternity hospital for miles so they have thousands of births so it can't be that common.

So end result was I will go for a sweep at 40 weeks and be booked for CS then for 12 days later so there is a slot for me. I will then have a sweep at 41 and if nothing then the CS as booked, which is not what we discussed but what he wrote in my notes...

There was no writing my birth plan, which is what was supposed to happen, and I have just found out my midwife is leaving my surgery this weekend so I have to write my birth plan with someone I have never met at 38 weeks.

I have waffled a bit, but it was very funny as at the end I saw his handwriting and said 'hang on, you are the guy that delivered DD! I had such a clear memory of him being a huge black guy (think Danny Glover) that I hadn't recognised him, seeing as he is shorter than me, and indian....how much morphine must they have given me!

Whereabouts in Swansea are you bumpy? I help run a playgroup in Brynmill on Wednesday's if you fancy coming as we have a couple of mums there who went/are going for VBAC's

chirpy - have you tried Jofeb04 on here and VIcky Buckley on doula uk? think they are in yor region

anyhoo, sounds like it went well

i thikn it was me who mentioned asking how many ruptures the obs has seen

sounds like you are good to go !

I was thinking about it more last night and have decided not to try and get a doula. I do have serious trust issues and I don't think 4 weeks is long enough for me to get to know someone well enough to have them there and be my spokesperson as it were. With medical staff it is different as I will never see them again but I wouldn't even really want my mum with me...

had a chat with DH last night when I got home and it looks as if he has been reading up this time so he knows what is happening and what I want, I just haven't mentioned uterine rupture to him much so he doesn't panic!

I am in the uplands and plan to start going to the Brynmill group as soon as I am on maternity leave (29 Sept) but I am actually around tomorrow - when does it start again? Is is the one in the hall next to the police station on Gwydr Crescent

We always planned to go with my son but from memory the times didn't suit us with naps etc but as he is a bit older might work now. Can you remind me of times?

I ahve midwifes appointment at 2:30. DS usually sleeps from 1-3 but DH is at home with him.

I thought about the doula thing as I said in first message and I too would feel a bit weird about esentially a complete stranger but I was feeling desperste at the time. Anyway she isn't available at Xmas.

I have spoken to supervisor of midwives from Singleton to go through notes form last time and my memory serve me pretty well but I did learn from her that no-one (as far as she knows) has ever come to Singleton with a doula. Maybe Swansea isn't ready for it

LOL at swansea not being ready for doula's! Singleton isn't ready for argumentative mothers to be from what I gathered today!
I go to the one on St albans road in the community centre, I think you mean the pantergwder-something-cant-spell-it one! We are 10-12 and they are too but we stay open over hols.

Word of warning though and then I promise to stop hijacking, Singleton carpark is now pay and display, so you have to decide how long you are going to be BEFORE finding out if they are running late!

10 o'clock perfect. Will you have time for a quick chat if we turn up. I will be the one with the Irish accent so should be easy to spot.

Course I will! (as long as DD doesn't fall off the slide again !)
Don't 'out' me to anyone else there though!