VBAC

[BabyG123]

Has anyone delivery naturally after a c section or did you go for a elective c section again?

Pros and cons?

No advice but I was just about to post an identical thread. I had a section just over 2 years ago and am due again at the latter end of this year and considering my birth options. Be interesting to see what people have to say x

If you have a vaginal birth you won’t ‘go back’.

Most people just go for elective. The only negative is you are more anxious.

@BreadmanAndCake I'm the same as you. Hoping to get some opinions.

@Cinderella25 this is very true 🤣🤪

@BabyG123 have you been referred to discuss the options with a consultant?

@BreadmanAndCake yes i have. But I'm only 12 weeks so she's yet. 🤣

I went for a second section as I recovered well from the first cs and was really worried about birth injuries.

@Sicario as DS1 got stuck I'm feeling the same way. Need to weigh up the options

My first delivery was an emergency Caesarean section (due to placental abruption) then my next was a successful VBAC. I think there's a lot of factors to consider when deciding. My first delivery wasn't elective and ended up being a fairly disastrous end to a difficult labour (baby in distress, tetanic contractions, epidural failure, bleeding due to abruption and finally c-section under general anaesthetic.)

For me the vaginal delivery went a long way towards healing the trauma of that first delivery. I also felt a sense of achievement at being able to have a successful vaginal delivery; I think that was beneficial to my self-esteem. That might not be the case for someone who had an elective c-section first time round or who had to have an emergency c-section but without all the added trauma.

In terms of recovery, I had to have an episiotomy with my VBAC so I wasn't actually that much better off than with my section wound. At least with a section you can sit comfortably afterwards and it doesn't hurt to pee!

@StuntNun thank you for the help. I do really want to give natural birth a go but so many factors to think of 🤪

I am going for an elective. I was induced for my first baby, was in so much pain and in labour for so long. My daughters heart rate decreased as she was in distress so ended up having an emergency c section.
I just can't go through labour again knowing that I could end up with another emergency c section.
I would love to have a VBAC but don't think I am strong enough.

@StuntNun when you say that your vaginal birth sort of healed your trauma/feelings of first csection birth, I think this is one of the reasons I'm leaning toward a VBAC. Thanks for posting your experience, it really helps reading stories like yours so I know that if that's what I decide to do, it can be a success.

It was very rewarding and totally worth it for me. I was watched more closely than would usually be the case so I had a doctor and a midwife with me throughout. The baby's heartbeat had to be monitored so I wasn't allowed a water bath but other than that I had a lot of control. They did put a time limit on me, if I didn't deliver within a set time they would do a section but by the time the four hours was up I was in established labour so that wasn't necessary.

My third delivery was a planned to be a VBAC but ended up another section as the baby was in an awkward position; he was oblique with his head at a 45 degree angle to my pelvis so labour couldn't progress quickly enough. So I've had VBAC both ways - successfully and unsuccessfully. I would recommend going for it if you don't have a really good reason for wanting an elective section.

I had an emergency c-section with Dd1 followed 18 months later with a vbac for Ds then also for Dd3. Personally I much preferred the vbacs, but that could have been because my c-section was quite traumatic. I'm sure an elective c-section is a very different experience to an emergency.

I was put in a room opposite the operating theatre with my vbacs, just in case I had to be rushed through, but thankfully they both went very smoothly.

Breadman I didn't even really understand just how bad the trauma was until I had my VBAC. Women should get counselling after they've had a baby. All four of my deliveries were traumatic in different ways and you're just supposed to get on with it afterwards, all while healing and trying to look after a baby.

It's not about strength Natalie it's about what's right for you. It sounds like an elective section is your best way forwards so I think you should embrace that decision. It has its advantages: you'll have some choice over the date, you'll be able to prepare better, you won't have those awkward end of pregnancy days when you're almost desperate for the baby to be born because you're so big and uncomfortable. No worrying about your waters breaking or how you're going to get to the hospital. Or well-meaning idiots people asking, Haven't you had the baby yet?

@stuntnun thank you for your message. Its true, there are so many benefits to having an elective c section :) I suppose the most important thing is that the baby arrives safely!

@stuntnun thank you for your message. Its true, there are so many benefits to having an elective c section :) I suppose the most important thing is that the baby arrives safely!

Thank you ladies. Feeling much more at ease from your stories xx

I'm due #2, and #1 was an EMCS after 30+ hours of only early labour even though my waters had gone. I coped quite well with the 30+ hours but baby never descended and I'm not sure if that's because he was breech and wedged in my ribs. I was adamant I just wanted an elective for this one, then about five weeks ago I swapped to VBAC (under certain circumstances, if I needed to be induced etc I'd rather opt for a RCS) but litrally today I've switched back to section. I'm really worried about the repercussions in terms of regret if I go for a VBAC and in ends in a EMCS under general or if it's successful but I end up with a horrific injury. I'm hoping to have an appt with the head of midwifery to go through my notes from last time and see where things went wrong and make a decision from there

@FirstTimeBumps it's so hard isn't it. If only e could know what's going to happen 🤞🏼🤷🏼‍♀️

Going for elcs in a few months after vbac first time. Felt, honestly, how the fuck can people go through that again? And I had a fairly textbook water birth with gas and air and 'only' a second degree tear. I hated it and didn't get over it for years. Body never been the same since. Feel like 'natural' birth is so pushed on people without anyone fully explaining all the aftereffects and potential problems.

Had a vbac after emcs for foetal distress, vbac didn’t quite go without a hitch as I needed the drip. But my recovery was much better and I did feel it healed the trauma I’d felt after the emcs.
How would I have felt if it hadn’t been successful? I don’t know, but I think I would have regretted not trying more.

@BabyG123 I had a vaginal delivery with my first and c section with my second because he was breech. I found the recovery after the vaginal delivery easier even with an episiotomy and forceps delivery. Painwise, vaginal delivery was horrible, back to back with no epidural. So this time, I want to go for a vbac wirh the epidural. If I end up with a emcs, I wont regret trying.

I had an emcs after a very very long labour and I’m going for an elcs this time. A part of me really wishes I could have a successful vbac but it was such an awful experience last time and the fact I’ve been told I won’t be allowed to go overdue due to dc1 being so big for me and in the same breath told you can’t grow a baby too big to exit. Which is exactly what I did last time. I’m going for the CS and I hope the recovery is as good as last time.