VBAC home birth (HBAC)

[MRTvw]

Looking for Home birth are Csection success stories.

I had a C-section with my first and now really wanting a VBAC preferably in the comfort of my own home. Low risk pregnancy other than it being a VBAC.

Why did you have a c sec first time OP?

I had a VBAC at home, slightly different though as I'd had 2 natural births before a planned section for twins.

I had absolutely no problems, it was a wonderful experience and we loved it. However, I lived within 10 minutes of the hospital and had confidence I could do it naturally due to history. I think the reason for your section would play a part here.

@MRTvw would depend on why you had to have a CS first time?

I don't think that would be safe at home. Why would it have to be VBAC? Is there a problem with you pushing? Any birth needing an intervention is not really safe at home in case of complications and I doubt a midwife/obstetrician would be happy to agree to that.

Back to back / really awkward position. Nearly 42 weeks and 10 pound baby. Everything was going well at home but as soon as I went in everything slowed down and I was so exhausted so declined the Pitocin to pick things up again and asked for a C-section instead. Had been 26 hours since my waters broke. So wasn't a super emergency but yeah. I really enjoyed the first part of my Labour

Just to say - I'm looking for stories from people that have attempted a HBAC I'm not looking for advice on whether I should try. Thanks! (my hospital is supportive of whateve decision I make. It's my body and baby)

HBAC is outside of guidance.
Letting you know just so you don't atress around this fact or try jumping through million hoops to get it withing guidance.

That being said, once you confirm you understand the possible bad implications and want to go forward, hospital MUST provide you with a plan to manage your birth.
If someone tries telling you somwthing along the lines of "then you are on your own etc" tell them to put that in writing and watch them squirm.

Btw I had high risk tolac at home that ended in another c section but do not regret qny second of it :)

VBAC = vaginal birth after C-section

It's not the name of a type of assisted birth

Go on the Facebook page VBAC support group Uk, plenty of stories there.

Given these circumstances I would be very surprised if a home VBAC was successful - it would be very risky given history of a large baby, malposition, post dates and a very long/unsuccessful labour. I think it’s very likely your second labour would be similar - second babies tend to be even larger (although not always).

Again, I wasn't asking for opinions.

Well yes but your baby is relying on you to make the safest choices for him/her, and a home VBAC isn’t it. Please look up the very sad story of Kara Keough - her baby suffered shoulder dystocia during a high risk home birth and died.

No, but I’ll give mine anyway, because I think this sounds quite dangerous and your baby is unable to speak.

You literally do not know me or my situation. What a weird response 🤣 thank you for your opinion I will really take it into consideration, stranger on the internet

You’ve just posted your entire situation.

If you’re not after the opinions of ‘strangers on the internet’ why post here at all?

I was booked for HBAC. 3 years after C section for placenta previa. Ended up 40 + 17 and had to go in to deliver with syntocin drip. Had a lovely hospital VBAC in the end. Would have loved to have been at home but took my spare duvet, birthing ball, music and most importantly doula into the hospital, turned lights down in delivery room and made it all as homely as possible

Hope you can collect some more positive stories.

I'm surprised you say hospital is supportive of home birth for vbac. When I had a vbac 5 years ago I was told it was out of the question, and I'm ten mins from hospital too.

I got in a right tizz about it but to be honest birth in consultant suite was fine in the end. I laboured at home for 8 hours then had about 4 hours in hospital before delivery. When it came to it, I couldn't have given a toss where I was. My first labour was a bit like yours, over 24 hours and failure to progress.

Another option is midwife led unit in the same building as consultant led suite so you can be easily transferred.

You need to have a look at home birth advocate kemi on Instagram, her username is kemibirthjoyjohnson. She has endless stories from women that have had all types of home births including VBACs - she also has a super informative podcast with women sharing their experiences and advice!

I tried for a home vbac with dc2 (C section with ds1 was at my request due to exhaustion after 2+ days of labour.) If I recall correctly, the reason it is not recommended is the risk of uterine rupture, which while rare, could be catastrophic at home. I was aware of this, but due to ptsd associated with hospital, I was determined I wasn't going in. My midwife and consultant, while obviously not recommending this option, were as supportive as they could be. As it was, labour progressed beautifully at home but baby's heartbeat started dropping, so I agreed to transfer to hospital. All went fine (although everything slowed down due to the transfer) and I had a vb. However, I didn't want to be there and insisted on being discharged quite late at night, only a few hours after delivery, and ended up sat in the waiting room for over an hour due to a taxi mix up, which wasn't the best experience! With dc3 I went for a planned c section and didn't regret it. (I'm not offering advice, just giving my experience.)

Personally I wouldn't attempt this. I have attempted a high risk homebirth (not a vbac, I had PROM) and it was really stressful. The only person I know who had a HBAC had an independent midwife.

@ThunderSocks

Gosh we're so similar. I have a fear of hospitals too. Unfortunately I live in Japan, and after my husband put me down about not being mentally strong enough to cope induction (no epidural or pain relief of any kind in the hospital) I gave up on day 2 of being induced (I was on the drip) and had a c-section.

I've since found out that vbac almost doesn't exist in Japan. Plus, hospital stays in Japan for giving birth are a minimum of 4 nights and you're physically locked in (my husband and security caught me trying to 'escape' and dragged me back in like a criminal!).

It sounds (well is) mental but I've made it clear to my husband that if we go through with another pregnancy I'm not giving birth in a hospital. We only get me pregnant on the condition that we prepare me and baby are likely to die at home.

I was asked with my second if I wanted a home vbac in 2022. My first was cesarean for breech, id never laboured before. I was terrified of the idea tbh. I had my vbac in hospital at 40+6, spontaneous labour, and with shoulder dystocia (no risk factors for that). Baby girl is great, but my second stage was 11 minutes and she still had to be resuscitated - if there had been a delay in freeing her I dread to think what could have happened.

I'm expecting my third at the moment and am signed up with the home birth team for a VBAC.

My first was an emergency section (similar reasons to you - long labour, back to back, and failure to progress). My second was meant to be an ELCS, but he had other ideas and arrived very rapidly a week ahead of my section date with no time for even an epidural. I found the recovery after that birth easier than my first overall, so wanted to try for another VBAC rather than a section, and because it was so quick and quite early I've decided that planning on being at home is preferable to trying to get to hospital when there's childcare for two kids to arrange!

The home birth midwife has been really supportive, seems not to be worried at all about it being post section - they're a really experienced team in our area which helps. I think so long as you make sure to get a realistic picture of the risks and are willing to change the plan if the pregnancy does become higher risk, it's definitely something to consider.

@soberholic I'm so sorry to hear what you went through, that sounds very traumatic. Support from our loved ones is so important when we're at our most vulnerable 💐

I find it hard to believe now, but I remember telling the consultant that I was prepared for me/the baby to die at home. With hindsight, I think what I really needed was treatment for the ptsd/mental health difficulties I was experiencing. I really struggled with all of the uncertainty around giving birth and feelings of loss of control within a hospital setting. While I was terrified of the hospital, it still wasn't an easy decision to make. I spent most of that pregnancy completely paralysed with anxiety over what to do. Similarly, the decision to have a c section with number 3 was almost as difficult, but was probably my best birth experience (although I couldn't have known this in advance).

I self-diagnosed with Tokophobia (although doctors here agreed as no Post natal depression set in or anything).

Could you have that too?