If you had a caesarean for your first baby and went for a VBAC for the next one... how did it go? A small survey

[Sexyandhappy]

I did a survey a few months back about women who had a first birth with ventouse and / or forceps... to see if their second baby had been ventouse or forceps again. From memory 2 or 3 mums had a repeat instrumental delivery but everybody else had a much easier time.

I want to run a similar "survey" because I keep seeing threads on "had horrendous emergency caesarean and want elective now"... this is fine because it is ultimately an individual's choice..... however I think we only hear scary stories so I would like those of you who had either an elective or an emergency section and CHOSE (or accidentally) had a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean)... to share their stories and tell us whether they did indeed managed to deliver vaginally or whether they had another caesarean section... and how they felt about the whole thing.
VBAC attempts are quite rare actually and not well supported.... so here is your chance to speak out !

The floor is open

How interesting...
As a doula I have supported 5 VBACs all had easy births except one who had a repeat c-section. Her first section was for breech. She was happy to have tried labour and had a good section.

I'm due in January - had an emergency section the first time round and hopefully going for a VBAC this time. Emergency section was fine and TBH I'm more than a little nervous about having a VBAC but going with the flow. I shall not hesitate to have another CS if need be or if things aren't going to plan. Shall keep you posted

Ooh, I am surprised to hear that they are a bit rare. Myself and my best friend both had a vbac following very traumatic first deliveries - maybe we were so upset by 1st time it made each of us more determined to have vbac.
I had emergency c-section under general (epidural wouldn't work) after a failed ventouse following an induction at 38 weeks due to high blood pressure. Bp continued to rise during the horrendous 9 hours of labour I went through and once they realised baby was in distress I was taken to theatre.
Am amazed I even wanted to get pregnant again.
Found recovery from c-section very hard and really wanted to avoid that again. Also, felt (foolishly) like a failure...
Anyhow, like Pagan, I kept the option of another c-section in my mind and went with the flow.
Was booked in for an elective as I went over my dates and the baby was measuring up rather large but she came naturally at 5 days past due date.
Woke up at 5am with labour pains, got to the hospital at 7 and was already fully dilated. Waters broke a bit later and then she was delivered naturally at 9.10am (I had gas and air). Just one midwife and my dh were present, it was very intimate. It was a wonderful experience, least of all being awake for it. It put all my demons to rest from the first time.
I came home the same day. It couldn't have been a more different or happier experience. Obviously it won't be the same for everyone but I am so glad I attempted the vbac.

I don't think successful vbacs are as rare as the consultants make them out to be. I do think they are terribly supported at the consultant level. I had to go around the system and approach a midwife directly in order to get support.

I had a terrible 40 hour labor followed by an emergency cs with my first. 22 months later I had an easy VBAC with only 5.5 hours of labor (I only pushed for 20 min. which my midwife said was very short). I did have a post partum haemmorage (sp?) but it was coincidental and unrelated to the previous cs.

Statistically, successful VBACs are rare, but that is before you factor in the number of people who go for an elective the second time round.

Overall, the national figures show that over 60 per cent of first time Caesareans in the UK have a second one. However, another study which looked a bit more closely at women who did try labour ? about half the total number ? found that over 60 per cent of these did manage a normal birth.

so there you go.

I think 65% of VBACs are successful. From what I observe (and this is not statitsical of course), for a VBAC to be successful she needs to be well informed and well supported.

Interstingly lots of doulas do have many clients who want a VBAC and we have a huge success rate..... Higher than the 65%!

first emergency c-sec dd was breech and 7 weeks prem.
second vbac attempted but ds stuck and had decelerations another emergency c-sec.
the second was much better as i had an epidural and was awake to see ds born and the staff were fab.
first was horrendous, horrible staff and general that wasn't my choice.

I had an emergency section with dd1 and a VBAC with dd2 6 weeks ago. For the section I had to have GA so didn't see dd for an hour of so after she was born.

I had a ventouse delivery and epistomy (sp??) for dd2 but the recovery was fantastic compared to a section.

Have no bad feelings for either birth but my hospital was fantastic and promoted a VBAC but didn't force me to go that route had I not wanted to.

ooh, my favourit topic.
I had an emergency cs with ds1 when he got stuck, failed to progress, got distressed. As I already had an epidural in, it was just topped up and he was whisked out. Did feel like a bit of a failure as I had raced through the pain relief options to the epi - at which point I was immobile, propped up on a bed with the monitor. Kind of felt like it was my fault that he got stuck. However, subsequently discovered that he'd been o.p. - no one had ever spotted this until during the cs.

Was really keen to try vbac for no. 2 - consultant didn't see any reason for me not to and gave me similar stats (50-60% chance of success) that others have quoted. On the day, I had brilliant mw who helped me so much with pain relief and attitude. I never needed anything more than gas and air BUT struggled to push and after around 4 hours, doctor consulted who suggested I have an epi and go to theatre for forceps/ventouse - with option of cs if baby really was stuck. I think I thought that this was my last chance so before I was whisked out of delivery room, I had one last go at pushing - and out he came in one big rush - and a third degree tear.

Now unfortunately, I am advised that if I want baby number 3, I must have a cs (believe that this is my hospital's strict interpretation of nice). I wouldn't change the decisions I made about vbac with no. 2 though. And I got every bit of support I needed from the hospital. Sad if this isn't the case everywhere.

Good luck with your survey.

Tried for a vbac, with ds, didn't work out, emergency c section after 2 very difficult days. I

went extremely well, delivered at home (emergency- not planned as ds wanted out!) and all very straightforward.

Midwife who delivered commented on my hospital notes though saying, "they really did want you to have another Caesarian didn't they?!'

I had an emergency c-section with ds1, large baby, awkward position and failure to dilate past 8cm after 36 hours. Also strange pain like someone trying to exit down my left leg whoch was not dulled by epidural. C section fine, not rushed, quite enjoyed it really.

Tried for VBAC with ds2, larger baby, exactly the same awkward position, failure to dilate past 7cm after 18 hours, consultant and i put a time limit on it!!

However, this time I had 'missing segments' with my epidural and had pain and sensations in my left hand side. I ended up having ketamine during the c-section. Fantastic hallucinations, i was convinced i was on Saturn and that George Clooney was my doctor. I was also convinced i'd had 4 babies!!

Despite this i wouldn't class either of these as bad experiences, i had quick recoveries both times and the hospital were great, really helpful and impartial with the advice they gave.

ds emergency cs,dd succesful vbac (forceps and if it was up to the hospital they would have done another cs within hours after (elective)induction). Glad to avoid cs although was in more pain afterwards..
SIL had ds after emergency cs, had 3 other after that, all succesful vbac(but this is in another country with lower cs rate).

jamiesam - so the hospital wouldn't let you try for another vbac although your last was ok? I don't understand?!
One of my reasons for having the vbac was because I had been told you shouldn't really have more than 3 c-sections. At the time I was imagining 4 children. Is this still true? I hear Victoria Beckham is planning a 3rd c-section - wouldn't that signal the end of her plans for a large family?
Am I really behind the times with my information?

Jamiesam - I mean in your theoretical 3rd pregnancy...!

Yes you can have 3 sections.
I think Jamiesam may have the 3rd degree tear as an issue HOWEVER I did post recently the guidelines from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gyneacologists which said a section was not necessarily the only way when you had a 3rd or 4th degree tear ! It depends on the tear and the damage it actually left.

So what happens after 3 c-sections? Do the doctors want to sterilise you?

will let you know in a few weeks.

dd was an emergency caesar - poor dopplers and growth stopped..

no 2 growing like a goodun and due ( by calendar ) in 3 weeks today.... realistically any day now!! and I really NEED a vbac due to my circumstances but I can report that my first hospital visit they wanted to schedule me for a caesar, finally saw a consultant at 36 weeks who thought he 'might' let me try labour and see what happens... finally met my named consultant and he was very supportive and understanding of my needs for a vbac...... gp and midwives also.

Although from my reading caesar rates are not as high at my hospital here in Aus as they are in the UK.

I had a emergency CS with DS, after I went into labour 5 weeks early and he was breech. Hated the pain and discomfort and my scar still itches now, nearly 7 years on!
I had a VBAC with DD1 and DD2 (quite surprisly as they were both premature and I thought I would be whipped round for a section) had gas and air with DD1, Gas and air and pentine(sp??) with DD2, I was shocked at how quickly I recovered from the births of DDs and glad I did it.

Didn't realise that VBACs are so rare these days. I had a successful VBAC 19 months after a pretty traumatic emergency section. Back then the general advice was to wait a year after a section before getting pregnant again, then if all seemed well and there were no other risk factors a 'trial labour' could go ahead. One thing the hospital did insist on was that I had an epidural, so that I'd be ready for another caesarean 'just in case.'

BooMama/Pupuce
Yes, my issue is as a result of third degree tear. However, pupuce, it's my 'bum' consultant who is interpreting the rcog guidelines as 'thou shalt not vaginal deliver after a third/fourth degree tear', and my gynaecologist is bowing to her 'greater knowledge'. Hmmm. Am waiting for further consultation after scan/testing of impact of third degree tear. Expect to return to MN with more qus after that. Although 3rd pregnancy currently very theoretical as dh doesn't want any more babies (still working on him)

Jamiesam - I have a friend who had a 3/4th degree tear with her first (don't know which, but the baby was born at home and my friend had to go to hospital and have a spinal to get repaired). Anyway her second child was also a homebirth, weighed over 11lbs and she didn't tear .

Oops jamiesam - just realised I've done to you what I hate people doing to me. (they hear about how dd was born and say "oh but my friend's baby came feetfirst and she didn't need a cs" - and it isn't helpful!). Sorry!

As for the VBAC survey - I'm growing no. 2 at the moment so I'm very interested! Has anyone had a successful VBAC that was also their first labour? ie first baby was planned cs.

Sucessful vbac for dd here, after emergency cs with ds during second stage (he had not turned successfully and was stuck). Dd arrived an hour after getting to hosp all a bit quick and dramatic, plus they gave her about 1 min of ventouse as they were concerned about heart rate. She was fine though and I was very happy with the birth, lovely to sit with her afterwards in dim room instead of laid out in bright lights of op theatre (i had strong shaking reaction to epidural for ds's section so was not able to hold him after his birth for about an hour). Staff were supportive, esp the nice OB who I had look at my birth plan and okay it for the m/ws on duty.