"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 everyone

Havent posted much here but have read with interest & got lots of info on here that helped me decide to go for a VBAC. Thought I'd let people know DS2 arrived 12 March by emergency C-section, all happy & healthy & home now.
Wanted to post as one of my concerns about trying for VBAC was that it would end in emergency section & I would feel I'd had the worst of all worlds - pain of labour etc & the mad dash/stress of emergency op. For what it's worth, it didnt feel that way in the end. I felt immensely happy I went into spontaneous labour, & got all the way through just like clockwork - it was thrilling & laid to rest lots of demons from my last birth. Ended in section as I'd pushed for over an hour with no progress, & they didnt want to risk rupture of scar. Turned out his shoulders were very wide & I would have had trouble getting him out.
Anyway, I felt proud to have tried & philosophical that it didnt end with natural birth. Have my healthy gorgeous boy so that is all that matters. Hope that might be of use to anyone with concerns like mine - best of luck!

Congratulations, superjump!
I have not posted on this thread, only lurked, I am sure will be posters who "know" you soon to help you celebrate.
Well done and enjoy your boy!

Congratulations Superjump on the birth of you baby boy.

Hi, posted this on a seperate thread, buut maybe you VBACers can help...

I am 24 weeks+, and have had a previous emCS (will be just over 2 years ago when I have this one). This pregnancy is like the last one, uncomplicated, and I am not high risk.

Can anyone direct me to some sort of evidence based resource about VBACs?

I have just had a meeting with a consultant, and now I am full of questions - specifically, re:hospital policies...how much is for the hospital's convenienec, and how much because it is good practise?

My quibbles are:

1. I have been told I will have to have CFM (or the scalp clippy thing). I am concerned at how this will limit my mobility, and thus impact on how successfully I can labour. I feel as though I am being 'set up to fail' by potentially having to labour flat on my back + immobile.

1. I have been told that I will need to come in pretty much as soon as the contractions begin - again, I am concerned that having to spend a big chunk of time in a labour/antenatal ward will have a negative impact on my ability to labour successfully.

1. part of the labour process will involve me having my waters broken artificially, to check for meconium. I have just read on another thread that artificially breaking the waters can lead to a v painful labour, and is there not an infection risk anyway? Are babies born by VBAC more prone to meconium leaking? As far as I am aware, breaking the waters is not standard procedure for a regular vaginal birth.

basically, if anyone can direct me to any resource which can deal with these questions so that by my next appt I am in a position to challenge/question things and be taken seriously rather than brushed off with 'well that's how we do it, the dr knows best, like it or lump it'.

If it has to be this way, ok, but it just seems to me to be not v conducive to a good labour/birth experience.

Thanks for sticking with this, any help is MUCH appreciated!

hmmm you don't 'have' to do anything. It's all about choice and weighing up risks verses the benefits.

There was lots of helpful data back at the beginning of this thread that I've used to persuade my hospital that I'd like a water vbac (or wvbac).
It does help if your consultant is pro-vbac

I have refused cfm in favour of intermittant monitering

After doing some reseaerch it's probably worth having a chat with the consultant midwife or senior midwife at your hospital as they are generally a lot more supportive of vbacs and can help you show the consultant that you are serious and that you are aware of the risks etc

Found this helpful:
www.caesarean.org.uk/articles/VBACScarMonitoring.html

data.memberclicks.c om/site/wi/LabourandBirth.pdf

someone links from earlier:
VBAC in general
www.childbirthconnection.org
www.caesarean.org.uk/
www.vbac.co.uk/
www.vbac.org.uk/
www.storknet.com
www.aims.org.uk/

birth plans
users.picknowl.com.au
www.storknet.com

optimal positioning
www.homebirth.org.uk
www.spinningbabies.com/

"natural" induction
www.caesarean.org.uk/0

thanks aquababe - I guess the hardest thing is that the consulatnt holds the trump card - 'do it our way or your baby will be hurt/die and it will be YOUR fault'. I will try to get an appointment with the consultant midwife.

I have a lot of reading to do! thanks again.

Hi, i have had a brief read through and i am still confused. I really want a home water vbac and dont feel i am asking to much as my 1st was cs for breech, so i didnt even labour. Therefore i feel i should be ok to have a home water birth. I am thinking an independent midwife might be my only choice because the NHS dont seem to be that supportive even if they would like to be and not sure i can do with a fighting and being scared by consultants. However we will then have the cost of a independent midwife but then i wonder how much value do you put on a positive birth experience that doesnt give you nightmares for months before and after childbirth. I am already losing sleep and i am only 20 weeks!!

Has anyone been in my situation?

Thanks very much to those who helped me on this thread.

I got my waterbirth VBAC and have a beautiful little boy. I totally recommend water to anyone whose 'allowed' it. though I did have a tear and end up having to stay in hospital for a bit the waterbirth part was so beautiful i didn't really care. (Don't get me wrong the bit before bloody hurt!)

That's great news aquababe - I wonder how everyone else is getting/got on

Hi. Can I join?

I've dipped into this thread over the last few weeks and now I am finding things confusing and could really use some help from fellow VBAC-ers.

My DD was born by emcs after a 30-odd hour labour. She was stuck and trying to come out looking at my thigh. I spent the last 12+ hours of my labour on my back, hourly VEs, had an epidural etc, none of which helped, I think.

This time I want things to be different. I want an active labour and would love to spend some time in water. I want peace and quiet and minimal internals. I'm adament that I don't want CFM. The thing is, that my DH and I want to have the back-up of being in hospital in case surgery or a NICU is needed (much as I would love a homebirth in many ways). I'm in London and find continuity of care a bit patchy so I have an independent midwife who is coming to the hospital with me to act as doula and before that will be helping me to stay at home as long as possible.

Anyway, this brings me to the bit that has me confused and a bit upset. I had an appointment with a doctor (a Snr Reg) at the hospital. I asked about hospital protocols for VBAC, explained what I went through before and emphasised that I want an active natural birth. I was told I would "not be allowed" to labour without CFM or in water (it's not safe, apparently), but in the next breath she was going on about possibly using drugs to speed up my labour (WTF? - every case of rupture that I have read about involved these drugs) and giving me an epidural. She suggested I would be able to mobilise until then because I would be able to walk around the bed!

I am going to request a meeting with my consultant, but seriously, how on earth am I going to get these people to not treat me like some sort of medical timebomb? Do I have a legal right to refuse treatment I believe to be unnecessary? If I turn up with a strong birthplan will the staff stick to it or will they question it unless the consultant has signed off? Any practical advice would be really welcome.

Oh, and congratulations to the aptly-named Aquababe.

MrsHappy - you are certainly entitled to have the type of labour you want. Find out if your unit has a Consultant Midwife - she will be able to help you. If not, then contact the LSAMO (Local Supervising Authority Midwifery Officer) for your area and she will help you too.

link for LSAMO

Thanks Mears. I've asked my IM to find out if there is a consultant midwife (she does agency work in the hospital so should know) and then I will go that route.

I just find it hard to believe that a small risk of rupture is cause to medicalise a birth so highly when other risks - which potentially affect every woman - are not. Makes no sense at all.

Hello.. haven't seen this before and just wanted to say good luck to you all.

I had two VBACS, the latest ten years ago, after an emcs. I was told I was too small, that I would need to be monitored, that I should rush to hospital and so on.

It's hard, they do talk up the risk, but what aquababe said is the truest thing ever you don't have to do anything, which amounts to you don't have to do as your told!

I discharged myself while in labour, I stayed at home as long as possible, I used avoidance tactics when in hospital to not be seen by a doctor and be put on the clock ("Ooh I think I need to pop to the loo" etc).

The doctors and midwives are naturally concerned, I don't knock them, but while being as nice as can be it is possible to defy all their expectations!

All power to your elbow. And if it doesn't work out, don't feel like a failure for God's sake. There are worse things.

best wishes xx

MrsHappy - women are able to use and birth in the pool who have had previous CS in my unit. Definitely contact supervisor of midwives if you have no joy with consultant - your IM will be able to find that out too as she must have one of her own.

MrsHappy second what mears said (though I think she's better qualified than me!). I found my consultant MW at the hospital invaluable in getting the agreement for the type of birth I wanted (planned labour in water, birth on dry land due to repvious PPH). Didn't happen as I had to be induced, but having that agreement made the last weeks of my pg much less stressful.

I'm just about to VBAC (all bits crossed, or uncrossed as the case maybe) and have been told I cannot do this or that by my first consultant... I asked to see someone else, who understood how important it was for us to try and keep things as simple and straighforward as possible.

I'm hoping to be a natural earth mother and breathe through everything, whilst day dreaming of being in the open air - it aint going to happen I'm sure, but if I can see it - it might help. Same with the interventions and monitoring and being able to choose to have a go in the water if I wish!!! We'll see, but at least the hospital have told me that I will be able to make those decisions myself on the day...

Be firm, it's your body!!! Listen to your instincts... good luck!

Thanks for the advice ladies

I've asked my IM to get on the case and hopefully she can help me find a way through.

Worst case scenario is that I find myself labouring so happily at home that I omit to go to hospital...

It's good to hear that some units allow VBAC in water. I might ask around and find out what London units do so, in case it makes sense to move hospitals. Also I know hospitals in London are supposed to "compete" so it might induce my lot to rethink if their competitors offer more flexibility.

Let us know how you get on.

Aquababe hi, I am also in Kent and must have seen the same consultant midwife as you did, this morning. As she emailed me exactly the same VBAC waterbirth letter (Risk Assessment) as yours a few pages back on this thread.

I will (hopefully) be laboring at the sister hospital to you, but it is fantastic news to me that your VBAC waterbirth went so well.

I am 41 weeks today (officially) by my own dates I am a little over that but shhh don't tell my consultant as it gives me extra time to go into labor.

I have been in latent labor now for over a week due to numerous sweeps but am doing everything possible now to get the irregular contractions to turn into the real thing.

I know you are now busy with your lo but hope you get to see this message and can get in contact with me soon.

Hi there
Just thought I'd resurrect this thread...I'm 33 weeks and planning my HBAC. Got a great support team - my acupuncturist is my doula and she's also a trainee midwife. The head midwife is very lovely and extremely supportive so I'm feeling in a great space about it all. Baby is head down and though she could turn I'm told it's not likely. Fingers crossed that she'll make an appearance before 42 weeks as I plan to avoid induction at all costs.
Seems like not long now so happy to hang out on here with others in a similar boat.

How's it going for other VBAC'ers?

Wishing you good luck and hoping to hear your fabulous VBAC birth announcements soon.

x

I'm 38 weeks and waiting for things to get started for our 2nd. I'm concentrating on getting the baby into the correct position so that labour will start as soon as possible. On Thursday baby was head down but ROL i.e. head facing into my left leg, which apparently is not ideal as is quite likely to go OP. So I saw my reflexologist yesterday and yesterday evening spent the whole evening either on hands and knees or lying on my left side watching telly, then the whole night propped up on my left side. Woke up this morning stiff as a board but I can't believe it, but baby is now perfectly in the middle as far as I can tell.

The main thing for me is not go go overdue as it will most likely be straight into for a C/S if that's the case. And apart from my hopes for a natural birth, I would have wasted over £1k on Hypnobirthing classes, reflexology and a doula!

Hi manyhatson...... sounds like you're doing really well getting baby in the right position.
I'm crossing my fingers for you that she makes an appearance over the next four weeks so that you can avoid induction, though I'm hoping you would love to see her even sooner than that! There are lots of tips for stimulating natural labour if things go over time and you want to speed things up. I'll be looking out for your updates anyway so keep us posted ok?

And if there are any more imminent VBAC'ers out there, come and join the fun!

x