vbac chances of success?

[paz1]

had an emcs for dd1 after a last minute discovery that she was breech and didn't really have any labour to speak of....early contractions but no dilation at all. could anyone tell me whether not having been in labour before affects the chances of a vbac being a success?

i had ds1 as a section when his heart rate dropped after induction. had vague contractions beforehand but nothing to write home about and didnt dilate. had ds2 naturally, much to my delight.
i'm presuming that's the sort of answer you want to hear?! are you planning a vbac then?

I have read that you actually have a better chance if your cs was for a non-recurring reason (like breech presentation). So women like me who dilated all the way but then had a stuck baby have less of a chance because the assumption is that I might have a duff pelvis.

I suspect that your odds are probably more or less the same as someone having her first baby. Anyway, the rough stats that get quoted is an approx 70% chance of success which is not too bad.

Not exactly planning a vbac - still feeling a bit terrified by the thought of it - but moving slowly in that direction despite feeling in my gut that i should have an elective c section..... First time round was pretty traumatic as emcs was also due to fetal distress which they discovered when they got her out was due to cord being round neck four times and one leg also stuck in it. we were told we were lucky things turned out ok. Probably sounds dumb but am really worried about something going wrong and not being so lucky this time. Also worried that if i go down the vbac route (which i am under a lot of pressure to do) despite being terrified and bursting into tears every time a midwife tries to talk to me about it....i will end up with a c section anyway which would then be an emergency one and so even more risky than just opting for planned.

I know what you mean - I was concerned about it, but I had the advantage (if you can call it that) of knowing that he was distressed because of the induction. Every time they tried to induce (three times) his heart rate dropped and the crash team were called in. So I was basically going to dig my heels in if induction was offered to me and refuse it.
The fact that DD1 was breech doesn't necessarily mean you would have breech again does it?
However, you sound as if this isn't really a road you want to go down, and you have to listen to yourself. I was very positive about it, but had I been as scared about it as you are I think I would have elected for a CS again. Your calm and happiness is the most important thing here, you know what's best for you, and it's unfair of the medical professionals to put this pressure on you. If you can sit there and imagine yourself having decided once and for all to have an elective - how does that make you feel? If it makes you sigh with relief, then that's probably what you should do.

it kind of does make me sigh with relief to be honest. but i am quite worried about the risks as theyve been presented to me...perhaps rather unfairly presented...? the last midwife i saw told me there was a risk of my fallopian tube being stitched into the scar and making me infertile....and the consultant told me i couldnt have any more kids after this if i have a section...and another midwife at the vbac clinic told me her natural birth had made her understand what it was to be a woman and a mother! nice and impartial advice then.... am i just being a big wuss?

No I really don't think you are. I wonder if you could ask to see another consultant for a different opinion? My consultant told me you can have 3 sections generally. They were fine that I wanted to go for a VBAC, but would I think also have been fine if I'd gone the other way - isn't it mad what different care you get dependent on the area?
The midwife preying on your emotions in that way is really quite out of order imo. And they made you cry! Blummin heck, they may wholeheartedly believe in it, but they have to accept that other people may have other views and fears, and be a bit less gung ho about it.
The restriction on growing our family did inform my decision quite a lot - I felt that I had to give it a good shot, to give us the option of the 3 or 4 that we may ultimately like to have. However, I did tell myself that if at any point it was looking like we should section I would go for it and I wouldn't let myself feel bad about it at all. They would, I would have thought, keep a closer eye on you and would be quicker to offer that option. In that case it may not be the quick-whip-her-into-theatre emcs, but the calmer, spinal block, fully awake cs.

Thanks for being so nice Trixel. I feel like your advice has been much more helpful than the advice ive been given at my appointments! I agree with the concern about limiting size of family and that is something I need to factor into the decision. I feel it would be lovely to have three kids which would mean another c section somewhere down the line. But what if I change my mind and want to have an even bigger family...I will have closed off my options. And you are right about the emcs this time - it might well be less rushed and more controlled if am being monitored closely. So I think I still need to do some thinking and ask some more questions before I make a decision one way or another. Thanks again...

You're very welcome. It's your decision in the end and no-one else's. You mustnt beat yourself up about it whatever it is - and if you do try for VBAC, allow yourself the option to unashamedly go for the cs after all if circumstances change.
You'll be grand, I'm sure. Would love to know what you decide. Good luck!!!

paz1, i just wanted you to know that you're not alone, i am facing the same dilemma at the moment, and feel that no one at the hospital understands my fears over a worse outcome this time.
however, i have not met such unconstructive advice as you seem to have been given , am
i feel that the decision is totally in their hands; each week i am told that a decision will be made the next week but nothing so far.

I hope it all works out for you and you get a birth you feel calm and happy with. good luck.

I've just had my booking in appt with MW and was discussing VBAC v elective c-section with her today. She told me it was entirely up to me and I would be offered an elective c-section at 38 weeks if that was what I wanted. I'm not sure how I feel, all I know is that I don't want the same birth as with DD which was getting fully dilated, doing all the hard work and DD getting stuck and then surgery.
I hate the term 'failure to progress' but that was what my labour was classified as. No fetal distress or cord complications.
Paz1 I can't believe how unhelpful your consultant and MW have been. Why the F would they stitch a fallopian tube in with your scar? I know accidents can happen but really and truly what was that MW thinking in telling you that. I had a laparotomy with my ectopic pregnancy and when they sewed me up after emcs they 'tidied' me up !!! and left my remaining fallopian tube in the correct place I hasten to add!
MW told me 3 c-sections were 'allowed' but 4 occasionally so I wouldn't worry too much about it limiting your family. You have to decide what would be best for you and your family.
GL

I know! So unhelpful. It would be quite funny if it wasnt such a big decision to have to be making on the basis of such skewed advice. Thanks for the info about the number of repeat c-sections. Helpful to know what other people are being told. Good luck with your decision too and hope all goes well.