To vbac or not to vbac

[brushlaptop]

First baby was c section due to being in breech position. Never planned to have a c section but had a positive experience. I'm not deciding on whether to vbac or not. Primary concern is recovery time whilst looking after my 1st who will be 22 months then. Does anyone have any positive/negative experiences of vbac?

Thanks so much for the vbac stories. I'm due October and my DS will be 22 months then. I think I will give it a go, worst case scenario I'll end up with another c section. Thanks for the link below I will give it a read!

I'm due early Nov @brushlaptop feels forever away but it will soon be here for us both let me know how you get on x

@mrssunshinexxx congratulations, yes it will go quickly! I will do ☺️☺️☺️ xx

@brushlaptop you too! Hope we both get a smooth birth x

@KingsArmy this does really scare me to be honest. The risks of previous scar rupture are 1 in 200 so 0.5% so very rare but obviously the consequences should that happen are horrendous. People are worried about a blood clot risk for the AstraZeneca vaccine of 1 in 100,000.

@brushlaptop

Yes, I felt concerned by that level of risk too and it was a major factor behind my decision to opt for the elective.

In my discussion with the consultant I was advised that of the 0.5% affected by scar rupture during VBAC approximately 1/3 of babies in that situation would die and a further 1/3 would suffer injury. That was too significant a risk for me.

With a section the risk was more on me as opposed to the baby and I was more comfortable with that risk profile.

I'm not saying I was right (I don't think there is a "right" answer in this scenario) I think it's an individual choice which set of risks you feel most comfortable taking.

@Sunshinegirl82 do you know if the chance of rupture goes up with the smaller the gap since the last section?

@mrssunshinexxx

The RCOG guidance identifies that a short gap between deliveries (less than 12 months) may increase the risk of uterine rupture.

If you have a fairly short gap it might be worth discussing your personal risks further with your consultant?

@Sunshinegirl82 yeah I definitely will there will only be 15/16 month gap and I wouldn't say it's healed the best still quite numb/ sore

It's such a big decision isn't it? I just wanted to chime in with my experience - for once, it's a super positive birth story.

Emergency section with number 1 due to failed labour.

Number 2 was on the way and my heart really wanted a VBAC. I wanted that lovely birth experience, perhaps even a water birth! But actually, when it came to it, what put me most at ease was familiarity. I elected for a second section and it was beautiful! Such a calm, easy experience. Total head v heart situation but I now look back on my 2nd's birth and feel a sense of joy rather than the sheer horror of the experience with number 1.

Good luck whatever you decide but elective sections really can be lovely :)

I’m in a similar situation to you OP.

Unplanned section with my DD for failure to progress. I’m pregnant again, due in Dec when DD will be 19 months. Thought about a vbac but going to go for a planned section this time. Things I thought about were:

Vbac could result in a tear or episiotomy.
Vbac could result in another section anyway.
My recovery from my first section was fine.
My OH will have a month off work to help afterwards. My mam can also help out.
DD was 9lbs when she was born at 39+5. If I went for a vbac I don’t think it’s possible to be induced so I could go two weeks over and have a 10 pounder. We tend to have big babies in my family.

Good luck with everything, hope it all goes well for you!

I'm in a similar scenario as you Koolandorthegang, and will be doing the same. I think it's almost an easier choice when you laboured the first time round, I don't have a feeling of "what if" or curiosity about what it's like. It was shit (for me) and I have no desire to put my body through that again when I'll probably end up with another section- iirc the rates for a successful VBAC fall if your first went to c-section due to failure to progress. I can totally see how I might feel differently if I was in OP's position though.

A vaginal birth doesn't always equal a straightforward recovery, as some of my friends experienced. At least with a planned section we can plan childcare, DH's leave and help from relatives around a date so I have support in the weeks after.

It's such a tough decision isn't it!

On the one hand, my c section first time round was due to baby being breech so no choice (failed EVC- genuinely don't do this only 50:50 chance it works and it really hurts 😂) and have no idea how my labour would have gone, it may have progresses it may not have. Also, the thought of not picking my son up for 6 weeks is very sad 😢

But at the same time, I know how a c section works, had a positive experience with it last time bar the recovery (which I guess will always be hard) and you avoid uterine rupture which has devastating consequences 😢

I was picking up my older DS well before 6 weeks to be honest! And we did a lot of cuddling on the sofa initially.

It's one of those situations where there is no perfect answer and you'll never know if things would have gone better or worse if you'd gone down a different path!

I was super keen to avoid another emergency section (highest risk to us both, all the downsides of Labour but without the (hopefully!) quicker recovery, not able to put support at home in place in the same way due to uncertain timings etc) and the only way to do that was an elective.

My first section was due to failure to progress so I felt there was a reasonably high chance of the VBAC failing. There really is no perfect answer so to be honest I'd just chat it through with your consultant, think about the practicalities and then go with your instinct.