Homebirth after c section??? any ideas/advice/experience?

[nolongerchunkybutstillapudding]

Hello...

am ttc no 2...(sort of, hard work when your knackered and part co-sleeping!)

had an em cs, without much of a labour, for ds as I had no fluid and his heartrate was plummeting to below 40 with even the earliest contractions... dr's made a point at the time to say that there is no reason I couldn't have a vaginal birth next time but at the time I wasn't REMOTELY interested in the thought of doing all that again...

didn't have a great hospital experience, though I'm sure it was not terrible. feel quite strongly that i would be happier giving birth at home (of course am aware that last time I would have ended up in hosp anyway, had to be induced/have section...)

seem to be getting the response that I'm putting myself and future dc at huge risk by choosing this option, as my scar could rupture?

also I have no real experience of labour, am I an idiot to be thinking of doing it away from all the hard-core painkillers??! my aim last time was to have as natural birth as poss but the most important thing is delivering safely.

dp very supportive of my choice if I go ahead. we live very near the hospital. i could afford an independent midwife or doula and am thinking of this option anyway as I hardly saw the same midwife twice during my pregnancy and a change in shifts during my 'labour' meant a drug to stop contractions (and so the effect on ds's heartrate) was forgotten about for a while, which made me feel that having someone throughout pg and labour would be really good...

apologies for my tendency to ramble! just trying to give some background in case it helps advice!

thanks for any input...

xxx

have you checked out the homebirth website? homebirth.org lots of inspiring stories on there.

someone I know on another forum had a lovely little girl this morning at home, after a c-section first time and she is chuffed to bits lol (she also had no pain relief)]

if there is no reason to suspect the same complications will occur this time then go into it as a compeltely NEW thing. homebirth IS safe, and it's bloody fantastic

thanks thisisyesterday. it's not so much the hb itself, more that it's post c-section... so good to hear abour your friend!

looked at hb website when pg with ds, will re-acquaint myself. ta!

I planned a homebirth after EMCS with DD (he's now 7 months). Sadly it didn't work out as once again I got pre-eclampsia and this time spent an entire month in hospital before having him by planned CS because there was no way I was having another induction (which didn't work first time).

I got a really good book on homebirth, one on VBAC and the VBAC after caesarian hypnobirthing CDs - need to put them on ebay at some point actually.

Didn't get to use the CDs as was whisked off to hospital the day they arrived but have had good reports. But the books were excellent esp the VBAC one - describes all the risks in a fairly no-nonsense way.

Also found reading VBAC birth stories helped me assimilate all the info.

Be aware the midwives will advise against it - I recommend booking an appt with the Director of midwifery at your maternity unit during second trimester to discuss and as long as you can show you have read up on and acknowledge all risks, they have to send a midwife to assist you.

Scar rupture is a reality and has to be taken into account. BUT the chances of it actually happening are remote (less than 1 in 200) so I'd say plan for the possibility and then put it out of your mind. A homebirth with an IM and/or a doula would give you the best possible chance of having a fantastic, straightforward, caesarean-free birth.
There are loads of sites you can go to for info, and these are just a start:
www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/HomebirthAfterCesarean.asp
www.homebirth.org. uk
ican-online.org

BTW the first of the VBAC CDs helps you deal with and put to bed your last caesarian - I did listen to that one once and it really helped me

You might want to join the homebirthUK mailgroup - there are a number of ladies that have had HB after at least 1 CS (I think there's at least 1 lady that's had HBA3C, if not 4C!).

As for pain relief, DD was my first and 9lb 12 - I had her at home (as a footling breech, with IM's) with no chemical pain relief. One of the MWs commented she always had entenox in the car but reckoned it came out on

I'm on that homebirth mail group - there's at least two or maybe three women who have had homebirths after 4 CS.

I booked a HBAC after having a crash section under GA with 1st baby, who was also a planned HB. Unfortunately I didn't progress and ended up having a repeat CS but I would definately still made the same choices again.

IMHO the risk of rupture is tiny - in hospital you will likely be being monitored by a machine and see a MW now and then - at my HBAC attempt I had fab one to one care by a lovely MW - definately the best way to ensure you have no symptoms of rupture- and it was much more pleasant than labouring in hospital would have been.

I found it easier to arrange than I expected, just had a meeting with a supervisor of midwives at the hospital and she sorted it all out, no problem.

Hi

I'm also planning a HBAC here in Holland. I'm looking forward to it!

whomovedmychocolate if you haven't already ebayed your VBAC cd's I'd be very interested in buying them from you!

Good luck to all you ladies preparing for a VBAC.

thanks ladies...

in hospital last time i was monitored by a machine... but it was me that noticed the first massive drop in heartrate as there was no one there with us at the time, so yes, having a dedicated midwife would be nice!

am a bit scared tho having read some statistics. generally confused and pissed off that the c section is going to affect this birth too (assuming I get pg of course...)

appreciate everyone's answers. bit too tired to take it all in, ds has decided sleep is for the weak again...

xx