VBAC- what happens on a labour ward?

[pspw]

Currently considering VBAC for second.

With first I laboured in midwife led unit before being transferred due to prolonged stage 2, and ultimately needed emergency c section for obstructed labour, and unsafe for baby to perform assisted birth.

If I choose VBAC I'll be labouring on the doctor led labour ward this time. How does that work? Are you looked after by one midwife - does an obstetrician only get involved if intervention is needed? Or do obstetricians get involved regardless? My hospital says for a VBAC you'd come in as soon as you have regular contractions (so perhaps in stage 1) and would have continuous fetal monitoring.

I wouldn't be planning on an epidural and would be refusing induction or augmentation of labour with synthetic oxytocin (would opt for c section instead if these were needed - if this is allowed)

Sorry I meant so perhaps in early labour not stage 1

Anyone..?!

One last hopeful bump for this!

Thank you, yes that does help!

Were you happy with how it went, @GlitterWasp?

I had a Vbac after emergency c section. I was induced so already in hospital when my contractions started so can’t comment on when to go in. I was moved to delivery suite and had continuous feta monitoring. I had one midwife with me plus a student, a consultant appeared at the end as baby got a bit stuck but I didn’t need assistance in the end

I had a vbac on a labour ward. I went into the hospital after I had 3 contractions in 10 mins for over an hour. I could have stayed home longer but I wanted to lay claim to the pool room. A consultant did come and see me early on in labour, he was awful tried to tell me I had to have a cannula. I refused to speak to him and my husband asked to speak the PMA midwife as I had already had a lot of contact with them during labour. When she came clear my midwife had briefed her on what had happened as she said “that man won’t be coming back in here again” and she said if I needed a doctor she would get the registrar. I was high risk so had ‘my’ midwife until the pushing stage when I had my midwife, the PMA midwife and apparently a 3rd midwife who I wasn’t aware of. They called for a doctor for a stage 3 as I started to haemorrhage and I had to go to theatre.

I would only consented to CFM if I was able to move around.

My attempted vbac was an induction as well so not sure how much of the extra monitoring was for the vbac and how much was the induction. I had a cannula for the induction drip and I had the monitor on the baby's head. Registrar came in twice, once to put the monitor on the baby's head as the midwife couldn't do it and once because the baby's heartbeat was going too fast. The rest of the time it was just me, dh and a midwife.

Just to clarify I didn’t have a cannula, I didn’t consent to it.

Thanks everyone- this is really helpful.

I need to make a decision (not due until June) but have been thinking about this for last 3 years without being able to pin down what my preference is... I felt like I needed more information about how labour is managed in the doctor led unit.

Find out if your hospital has any PMA (professional midwife advocate, they are senior midwives who support other midwives and advocate for pregnant women) - just ring the ward and ask for one to call you back. They will help talk you through your options. Mine were fantastic, it was pre covid, they gave me a private tour, chatted to me in a labour room as I had anxiety about birth so they wanted me to experience being in the room, came with me to consultant appointments and helped mw to get them to agree with out of guideline use of birthing pool and then oversaw my birth.

The positive birth book was really good and the positive birth hypnobirthing course. They are not linked to each other but have the same name.