Standard C-section vs vbac question

[BiscuitLover3678]

First baby was an emergency section. She was a back to back baby and had really poor progression in labour. Tbh I was so exhausted and stressed out as I’d been in early labour for days. I actually liked the beginning of labour! Hypnobirthing helped me and I liked knowing the baby was ‘ready’. But it ended so awfully that the C-section was the nicest bit. It was so calm and ordered and I finally felt calm and safe when it was happening.

Now I’m not sure what to do. A part of me thinks I should try again because then I’ll never know and always wonder. I know a few people who had sections then went on to have wonderful vbacs and I do feel bad never knowing the feeling or experience. What is it even like to push? I’ll never know as I never got that far.
But induction scares me. Forceps TERRIFY me. Vaginal examinations cause me pain and anxiety. Do I just book in a c section? I know recovery can be tough, but honestly the idea of forceps recover scares me so much more.

I think I was born lacking that desire to experience the whole thing. I had a section for my first so il never know what it’s like to push or even feel a contraction but I’m 100% okay with that. I don’t feel like anything is missing from my life by not knowing. It completely depends on you though if that’s something you think will bother you in years to come if you haven’t given it another try. Personally I’d take the (most likely) straightforward birth and just enjoy having a nice experience without any of the drama of last time but it’s such a personal decision and I don’t have experience of a vbac to be able to say if that would have been better but I’m 99.9999% sure it couldn’t have been any better than my amazing experience last time 😂

I've had a CS and a VBAC. In your case, I think you need to weigh up how traumatised you will be if it all goes wrong and you need an assisted birth, compared to how much you'll feel you missed out. That sounds like an obvious choice but I got very, very depressed from feeling like a failure because of a lot of factors that were down to the CS.

FWIW I don't know now which I'd pick if I had a 3rd DC and had no medical factors to consider. Probably another VBAC just to get that shorter recovery time as everything went fine last time (with a lot of help from the medical team e.g. jungle juice to get fully dilated as I had a back to back baby, epidural didn't work, and at the end they prepped me for ventouse by doing an episiotomy but then I got her out). If it hadn't gone fine I'd probably feel differently.

I had VBAC followed by a second natural delivery. Personally I'd try and give birth naturally if you can, just because recovery is quicker and it gives you a different perspective on labour. Not a better perspective, just a different one.

I’ve had both and insisted on a natural birth. I had to be assessed by two consultants and agree to C-section if needed -

I had wonderful midwives and everything was fine - felt much better in myself afterwards as you get the rush of hormones. Felt like I could run a marathon.

What’s the jungle juice?

I can't remember its proper name. Oxytocin? Pitocin? I think it's called one of those. They use it as an IV drip to get labour moving when it's not progressing fast enough and it causes extremely strong, painful contractions.

I was told wouldn't be induced after a cesarean, as it includes the risk of something rupturing. I was happy to try for vbac if ot happened naturally, but things didn't work out that way.

That’s what I’m worried about and I don’t like the idea of epidural because of assisted delivery

What happened in the end? Did you book in a C-section after a certain date?

My first baby was exactly the same scenario, back to back, ‘failure to progress’, emergency section after 44 hours labour. Second baby I took my midwife’s advice to let things start naturally. In the end, waters broke one evening, he was distressed overnight, contractions didn’t really get going so I had an elective (spinal block) section the following day on the hospitals advice. Lovely birth, calm and without the complete exhaustion of the lengthy labour with dc1.

Oh just thought I’d add, hospital advised on the morning of dc2’s birth that induction wasn’t an option with dc2. They had to deliver (because of baby’s distress overnight) so section was the only option. Still classed as elective but obviously I would have elected it anyway as he needed out.

Based on what you have said you probably need a good conversation with your medical team (consultant and midwife) and to get a really really clear birth plan in place

I.e. plan for a natural birth with no complications but if X y or Z happen then straight in for C section. No farting around with drips or sweeps <shudder>

Personally id go straight for planned c section but i am a huge fan and so am biased.
Also i would not be condident that even if i drew up a birthing plan like the above it would be followed when i was in labour. My local hospital has a very patchy record and i know several women who had traumatic birth they didnt want as they werent listened to so i think it depends on your hospital as some are excellent

I'm into safety personally. C section would be my choice. But i knew someone who died attempting VBAC so that rather colours by view.

Yes to what total waste of paper said. That's a great idea. I haven't had any sections but my first was similar to biscuit lover, except the epidural worked. I waa scared of forceps and had a great midwife who was calm and helped me harness that fear to push the baby out with an episiotomy, (one last push the drs were outside prepping). My second was intervention free and I did really enjoy the pushing stage, as unlike the first I was on my knees leaning on a soft play style thing. Didn't even feel 'the ring of crowning.

@BiscuitLover3678 I developed ICP, so they don't like you going over 38 weeks or there is an increased risk of stillbirth. I had to have another cesarean because they couldn't try to induce. It wasn't emergency or booked in, I just had to wait in the queue until all the proper emergencies had been dealt with and then it was perfectly orderly. In an ideal world I wanted a vbac, but couldn't take the risk.