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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

VBAC Experiences?

3 replies

SpeedyBulletTrain · 25/11/2025 16:12

I'm currently expecting our second baby. My first was born by emergency c-section as her heart rate was dropping during labour. I got to 10cm and pushing but she was acynclitic and stuck, she was just under 10lbs which didn't help. Due to a medical condition I can't have ventouse, forceps or an epidural. I had to have my first c-section under general anaesthetic because of my medical condition too, which meant that neither me or my partner were there for her birth. This is the main reason I want a VBAC, I'm still gutted that I missed my daughters birth. I'd also like to avoid the c-section recovery with a 2 year old as well this time.
My consultant doesn't seem very encouraging about my chances of a successful VBAC. He's happy to let me try but he's said he thinks its 60%+ chance of needing another emergency cesarean, which has left me feeling a bit deflated and not in a very positive mindset. I feel like my daughters acynclitic presentation was the main factor in struggling last time, and she was in that position for the last couple of weeks leading to labour, so I'm hoping this baby will be better positioned and that'll ease my concerns. Also hoping this baby is maybe a little smaller.
Just wondering if there is anyone willing to share any stories of successful VBAC? Anything you would recommend doing in the lead up to birth? I've started exercises for positioning and pelvic flexibility but if there's anything specific that I can do to increase my chances of success I will!

OP posts:
Greybeardy · 25/11/2025 20:11

no personal experience, but do obs anaesthetics...couple of thoughts maybe worth exploring if you haven't already... Have you asked the surgeon why they think the chance of a second section is more likely than usual with an attempted vbac? Is it possible that the last section wasn't completely straightforward and the scar is extended (if the baby's head is impacted that can make for a different uterine incision)? Or is it more because being limited by not being able to use the cup/forceps and that sections at fully can be more hairy, that their threshold for advising bailing out of labour would be much higher than usual? Or is there something else completely different that might make things less likely to go smoothly?

Also, guessing it might be your platelets that are the limiting thing in all of this... are they high enough to have a spinal anaesthetic (thresholds are slightly different for spinals/epidurals)/ how important is it to be awake? It may be that a planned section, knowing what the platelets are up to, could be possible with a spinal, but in labour, when it's less likely that a recent enough count is available and it may be a real emergency, another GA might be more likely.

SpeedyBulletTrain · 25/11/2025 21:49

As far as I'm aware it's mostly because we're very limited with interventions, I've been told that basically if something isn't going well they'd take me straight for a c-section. As far as I know my c-section itself was quite straightforward. Yes, it's mainly a platelet disorder that's limiting my options! But it's a platelet function disorder rather than a problem with platelet count. My obstetrician did discuss the possibilty of a spinal, but my haematology consultant is adamant it's not worth the risk.

OP posts:
C0rner · 27/11/2025 20:06

I had a successful VBAC after an emergency section in similar circumstances. My first was 9lb 6oz. Got to 10cm via induction but she didn't want to move down into the birth canal due to poor positioning (position had been fine during pregnancy).

With my second, I paid more attention to positioning/bouncing on a ball etc. However, I was also conscious there was an element of luck so abandoned the antenatal yoga and pirates I'd done the first time around 😅I actually think it was getting to 10cm the first time that was most helpful, my body clearly thought it had done it before so had a stereotypically quick second birth. Baby was about a lb smaller. I had a low threshold for a c-section though - if baby had been awkward again or needed inducing, I would have gone straight to it.

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