Please tell me your VBAC stories!

[AlwaysonEtsy]

I am feeling so anxious about this decision.

I am 37 weeks, had a scan today and baby is on 91st centile (7ib 11oz). I know they are not always accurate, but my dd was 8ib 10oz and was elective CS due to being breech. She’s is 3y8m now.
I have been offered an elective and whilst my head is saying that...my heart is saying VBAC. I don’t want to be induced.
I have to make a decision next week so please tell me your experiences if you have been in a similar situation.

Of course, baby could come on it’s own in the meantime and take the decision out of my hands please

Aside from the terrible grammar

I attempted a vbac for my second. Theoretically I had a good chance as I'd got to 10cm with my first and pushed for 4hrs but she'd got stuck (back to back but head was transverse), I laboured spontaneously and there were 4 and a half years between babies.

I was in labour for 38hrs and had a repeat emcs. It was brilliant though. The staff knew I was a bit traumatised so looked after me. I laughed and smiled throughout, was up within 2hrs and showering and needed no painkillers. I was back doing the school run 4 days later.

It was in no way a failure. I'd had an emcs before so knew what it felt like and could plan for what I wanted knowing what could happen.

Wow @ShowOfHands you were up 2 hours after a section ?!

@ShowOfHands that’s great - although I’d didn’t think they let you labour that long for a vbac???!

I was up a couple of hours after both of my sections. I had full feeling back in recovery. I went home 12hrs after one of them!

They were pretty content to let me labour with monitoring.

I had 3 VBACs.
or did I have a VBAC, a VBAVBAC and a VBAVBAVBAC?🤣

which one do you want to hear?

I had an emcs for ds after I got to 7 cm and no further because he was too big to exit. I chose an elcs second time. It was booked for 39+1. I had a VBAC at 38+6 because I started off in labour and it felt different to first time and progressed much quicker. I was an active labour of about 12 hours with 2 hours pushing. No intervention apart from an episiotomy, which took just as much time to heal and was as painful as the cs scar. I preferred the VBAC but would have happily changed my mind and had a cs half way through. I think I said I’d had enough and wanted my elcs instead but they said it was too late and she was almost out.
I wouldn’t be induced as I had the drip in my first labour and it was hell even with the epidural. I was constantly monitored and in the bed but I was comfortable on the bed and didn’t want to get off and move around.
If I have a 3rd I would VBAC again

I had a perfect VBAC for my second child. First baby was an emcs as i got to 9 cm but he was back to back and his head was slightly turned.

Second baby, born in Januarythis year, I started contracting around 3am, stayed at home using hypno birthing and sorting my eldest out off to childcare, put the bins out etc and had her at 10.45 that night. I used the pool as I declined additional monitoring and chose midwife led rather than consultant led, had gas and air for a bit and then had her squatting on the bed as she was a bit stuck. No stitches, no bruising no intervention. I recovered so quickly, I honestly felt amazing compared to the csection recovery. I felt my midwife really made the difference and I was clear in my birth preferences notes what I wanted regarding intervention and at what point.

Do what you feel is best, armed with Alll the information.

Loving these stories thank you so much! I think you’re all amazing whichever way your babies arrived.

Errrm all of them @ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba how many children do you have?

@AlwaysonEtsy

🤣
we have 7!
DS4 was footling breech so ELSC.
I had a MC with next pg so with youngest 3 my age (35 with DS5, 37 with DD & 39 with DS6), previous number of pg and the fact that I'd had an ELSC meant they treated me like a ticking timebomb.

from start of labour they were all born within 12 hours (all carried to term + some days). with DS6 I didn't pack my bags until I'd had contractions for 2 hours and was sure that was it🤣

with DD I had no stitches so it was the best birth because I had zero pain after she was born. I was high on being pain free!
(she was 8lb 3oz, smallest of all, the boys were both 9lb 14oz, the biggest)

all of them were quite straightforward, but with my youngest (looking back) I wish they'd reassured me much earlier that baby is definitely coming and I should stop worrying about being sent home.
I guess they just don't have that much experience with 7th child being born so the contractions (length & frequency) being a bit unusual unnerved them.

happy to answer any particular questions, but that's the gist

I went private for both mine and wonder if that had any impact on the advice I was given.

DC1 ended up with EMCS. I had been low risk but ended up being induced with the drip when my waters went naturally but I failed to progress. They were a big baby with a big head and I’m quite small!

With DC2 my consultant offered to book me in from 12 weeks, partly due to concerns I would have another big baby and go through the same thing. She gave me a 50% chance of having a successful VBAC. I didn’t think they were great odds so kept the booking but agreed if I went into labour before then I’d try and labour naturally. She was adamant she would not induce me.

C section date arrived and no sign of baby. I was disappointed at the time but it was only after the surgery that my doctor told me of a complication that came to light that meant had I tried to labour naturally the only good outcome would have been another EMCS and it was more likely to have ended very badly indeed.

@Jennyfromtheculdesac what was the complication?

The cord was wrapped round his neck multiple times. Monitoring would hopefully have picked up his distress as the labour progressed but can’t be sure how it would have turned out.

Up to that point I often wondered whether I was being a wuss going for a planned CS. That made me realise my feelings were completely irrelevant and all that mattered was a safe delivery for me and the baby and any preference I had for experiencing a natural birth was the least important thing.

Definitely @Jennyfromtheculdesac glad it all went well for you

I went for vbac 18 months after c section.
Waters broke, but didn't progress, and after a drawn out attempt, ended up with another c section.
I am very glad I tried, and was disappointed I didn't get the vbac I wanted, but I knew what to expect with c section so it was OK and I knew there was a good chance of that outcome.

My situation is pretty much the same as @Sosocold was... induced to 4cm then EMCS at 42wks, DS was 4kg. I'm really hoping for a VBAC in August, currently 30wks and consultant has already stated he's not a fan of inducing again when the first one failed. I really don't want a CS as I don't have the support at home (DH can't take paternity) and I'll have a 3yr old to cope with too.x

@Kiki275 I'm definitely worried about the recovery with no help, a 15month old and a husband who works offshore he should get 2 weeks off though so hoping I will be ok

@mrssunshinexxx I hope baby gives enough forewarning to get your husband home on time... also that the weather plays nicely too!x

Me too @Kiki275

@AlwaysonEtsy, this support group on Facebook is worth joining:- vbac support group UK.
All the best!

I had an amazing VBAC last year. I had it agreed in advance that I could use the (alongside) birth centre.

After a couple of days of latent phase my waters broke at 40+1. Went in to be checked and make a plan in case I didn’t labour, had a sweep, immediately started labouring properly, floated about in the pool with gas and air, 5 hours later she was born.

DS (my first) was 8lbs 15oz. She was smaller (8lbs 1oz). My plan had been to decline induction and have an elective at 42 weeks, knowing that induction would increase my likelihood of cesarean anyway.

I had EMCS after a few days in labour as DC1 head got lodged in pelvis in a weird way. I dilated to 9cm. We had feeding issues which I think were partly down to exhaustion.

DC2 vbac was much better, 9 hours build up then he was born about three hours after we got to hospital. He was 9lb5. I'm not delighted about what it did to my genitals but recovery and feeding were much, much better than the CS.

I had a VBAC 2.5 years after an emergency section. I was due to have elective section but asked them to check if I could have my waters broken instead, they did this so I was induced, it took 18 hours but baby came eventually by v bac! My first was 11lb 1 oz (42 weeks), 2nd was 9lb2oz at 40 weeks. Hoping for a 3rd v bac soon! Maybe you can also ask at pre op for them to check you to see if waters being broken is an option? Big babies aren't necessarily harder to birth, position of baby probably has more importance, both mine were back to back and a nightmare. Get some good hypnobirthing stuff to listen to, a good water bottle with straw, a hairband and go for it! :-D

Aw thank you all for your updates!
I have seen midwife and spoken to consultant today. I am going to try for vbac if happens before an elective which they are booking at 40-41 weeks. (I don’t want to be overdue or induced as risk of EMCS increases anyway).
Feel better that I have a plan in place and can work towards it! Best crack on with my hypnobirthing. Wish me luck!!