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

Wilbur, what do you mean by strong shaking reaction? Do you mean withdrawl from the drugs? If so I had that. But then I was offered a shot for it. Worked very nicely...I later found out it was morphine.

I have a question about how to define labour? I was induced, baby never engaged, I think I got to around 5 cemtimetres. Then, baby's heart rate dropped and I was rushed off for caesarean. So did I go through labour... or is that a failed induction?

If I were to have a VBAC, would it be like going through labour and delivery for the first time?

fruitful - never laboured with dd so this one - if all goes well will be first labour and vbac iykwim. dd was born early by caesar.

Fruitful - not unhelpful at all. I can't understand why there are so few (or indeed any at all) women out there who have had cause to regret a natural birth after third/fourth degree tear. May start thread to see if I can smoke anyone out.

Uwila - I heard that, up to the point you got to last time, its like a 2nd labour and then its back to being your first! So up to 5cm it'll be like a 2nd labour and then after that its your first...

I was afraid of that

Emergency section the first time as breech although the hospital were very supportive and had encouraged me to try for a normal delivery.ds2 I was very keen for a section but hospital consultant v.keen for me to have VBAC and ended up with forceps but not too bad,ds3 was a vb with only gas and air,once again I mooted the idea of elective section but all staff very discouraging and I am so glad that they persuaded me as the satisfaction of doing it all on my own was brilliant.

Uwila - I only got to around 8cm first time. Second time around, once labour established (had several days of very strong braxton hicks), first stage was comparatively quick and easy for me. For what it's worth, I would suggest that you do concentrate on techniques for helping second stage - changing position, moving around, that sort of thing, since like me, you'll be a beginner.

Traumatic first birth lasting 30+ hours with DS1 OP ( no one knew or told me ) and refusing to be pushed out. Little pain relief until end.

Exactly the same situation, 30+ hours labour with DS2 OP however this time mananged to push him out. Difference - epidural and great midwife !!

I was exhausted and not sure how I would have felt if I had to have another emergengcy section. I got very lucky, if I do it again then I might go and get my pelvis xrayed - don't trust it.

What is "OP"?

And what is the pupose of having your pelvis x rayed?

OP - basically means baby is wrong way round - back to spine which makes it harder to push out. OP deliveries tend to be longer and harder than normal deliveries and unusual to manage to push the baby out. Some babies start OP and then turn round the right way or can be turned with a ventouse.

Both by boys were OP but one picked up on that which I think is a bit of a concern and I certainly would be nervous about another natural delivery. Gosh it sounds like I have made my mind up, DP came home and told me that he had just seen 3 boys on the tube with their dad and wanted another lad.

So why would one have her pelvis xrayed? To see if the baby is OP? (I've learned so many new acronyms on this site! )

On another subject, does anyone know if it is possible to detect if the baby is wrapped up in the cord before labour? Is there an ulrasound / x-ray that can show the position of the cord. After DDs birth, I was told that there is no way of knowing this before birth. But, frankly, I interpreted that as "we aren't in the habit of finding that out before there's a problem". Just don't really believe that there is not a medical imaging system that can show where the cord is.

I was uncertain for ages whether or not to go for a VBAC. Dd labour was a drawn out affair - after 12 hours of proper labour (and 3 days of labour pains) I got to 7cm and stopped, then contractions stopped and I had an anterior lip so couldn't try and push. I was exhausted, the baby was back2 back and after 2 hours on syntosonal & an epidural no more progress had been made so they put me out of my misery. Ds was also back to back to back. Although progress was slow, dilation continued, baby turned and in the end it was a very straight forward delivery and I felt great for having done it and for being able to go home the next day, and drive, and lift dd etc etc

Agree with Fruitful's last post. With ds I was fully dilated but I just couldn't get him out, even with a ventouse. That's when they took me to theatre (he had the cord round his neck which was pulling him back!).
With dd I found that stage much, much easier. My only difficulty came with the final push and getting the head out - the one thing I hadn't managed to do before.

DS1 - back to back presentation at 36 weeks, I had a heavy epidural and couldn't feel a thing so couldn't push properly and ended up with episiotomy, ventouse and tear. (4 hours first stage, 4 hours second stage)

DS2 - emergency section at 31 weeks due to placenta praevia. (No labour)

DD - all ready to opt for another section if she was breech as thought, but it turned out that she wasn't and had a very quick labour of only 1 1/2 hours first stage, 1/2 hour second stage. No time for an epidural, gas and air made me cross so I gave up on it - so no pain relief really and just a slight tear along the old scar but not a bad one (no stitches).

Uwila, don't know if anyone answered your question about the shaking with epidural but I had it too. Some people begin to shiver rather violently with an epidural. I found it to be quite unpleasant. I think they used demoral (sp?) to stop it, but they took their bl*y time about it!

i had emergency section first time at 33 weeks and was determined the next time would be different. unfortunatly it wasnt and after days of labour pains, being told i wasnt in labout, baby in distress, threat of being inuduced blah blah blah i broke down and requested a second section!

Just to answer some of the questions...

1. If you laboured until 5 cm - it is considered a labour so 2nd time around it would be a (much) easier labour. OK you don't know how well you would do in 2nd stage but quite possibly very well as your contractions would be more efficient the 2nd time around.
2. You x-ray a pelvis to see if pelvis is wide enough (not to see what position the baby is in so not sure what Kaz33 expect to find... as her pelvis is clearly wide enough to let babies out!). I have to say some countries do it routinely but it is NOT proven to be a effective way of knowing if your baby would fit! (To be honest I teach antenatal yoga and can tell you that the space you have to deliver a baby varies GREATLY (not joking here) on the position you are in.... semi-recumbant which is what most people do (i.e. on a bed) is not the best position at all!!!!! Squatting and all fours give you much more room.
3. Successfult VBAC after elective section.... of course quite feasible ! My "personal" take on that one is to go into hospital as late as you can as a 1st labour can be longer and you are timed in hospital.... so you are not given (IMO) a fair chance! However I have done a few months ago a superb VBAC with a previous section for breech. We turned up in hopsital she was pushing... they were TOTALLY hands off, no monitoring, no drug, no test.... if we had turned up earlier she would have had the pressure of being told she MUST be monitored (you can decline that but the pressure by medics is sometimes called bullying IYSWIM!) I think a VBAC for someone who has already atempted labour is easier in terms of things progressing faster and mother feeling more confident (however I work with women who were very upset with their first labour, husband was not happy either so they feel they need one to one support, an advocate for them in labour - possibly to avoid repeat intervention without enough information - and the best tips and support to have an easy labour... I feel this is what doulas often provide).

And yes epidurals can leave you quite shaky - so does a precipate (VERY VERY fast) labour.

sorry precipitate

I had an emergency section for first birth - labour was very long and baby stuck - I was fully dilated for 4 hours and baby didn't budge.

Had much desired VBAC for second birth - labour again very long, baby stuck in same position but skilled midwife coaxed it round..was prepped for a possible section but gave birth in the operating theatre assisted by ventouse.then surgical delivery of shoulders as baby too big to deliver otherwise.

Both births have left me with physical problems but I still believe that a theoretical third birth would be another VBAC - my dh on the other hand is pretty sure it would be an elective section.

Message withdrawn

I had an emergency section due to undiagnosed breech baby (was it always breech or turned that day?).

I am quite scared to get pregnant again, because I found the whole thing very shocking. Even though was lucky as fully dilated in 2 hours. It just shocked me to the core! I had that shaking thing, and they gave me morphine too. I was trying to hold baby but kept nodding off. Was scared would drop her.

Would prefer vbac if again as none of that and would be able to move more quickly after. Also scar still sore!! (8 months later) surely it can't be good to keep re-opening it!!

I had an emergency c/s 1st time due to foetal distress, was not in labour at all!

Went for a VBAC 2nd time, but had to be induced by drip. Quite a long labour with epidural, looked like another c/s was imminent as dd2 was also in distress, but luckily had a very quick 2nd stage (8mins) and avoided it.

1st birth 'emergency' c section after induced with pre eclampsia and it took too long/baby started to show signs of distress(also coincided with doctors end of shift!)

2nd was great vbac experience altho I had to be very pushy with doctors about trying for vbac and they tried to dissuade me constantly
no preeclampsia, 6 hour labour, tens machine only, it was a ventouse delivery but because they were worried about bleeding and thought it might have been coming from the scar - in fact I had piles - yuck! I had a episiotomy which was totally easy to deal with and healed beautifully
out of hospital in under 24 hours and able to do everything for myself - fabulous

for me it was a very cathartic experience and I don't think doctors ever appreciated how upsetting my first c section had been for me - in fact I suspect I got pregnant again quickly (8 months later) as a way of wiping out my experience the first time round - my fault I guess for seeing it as a 'test' perhaps. It was incredibly important to me to try my best for a vbac and I am so proud of myself for achieving it; even though it was not really within my power to do anything about it and of course I would have accepted a c section if it was for the best.
ramble ramble
I think my best move was going to the hospital as late as seemed a good idea to leave it as it was pretty clear labout was well established and I gave birth an hour or so after arriving - the previous day i had contractions for a few hours and I suspect had i gone in then it would have been a c section a while later for failure to progress