About to VBAC, next week hopefully, can i have some positive stories please?!

[unyummy]

I'm due next week and going for a vbac after an emc, have had positive encouragement from the hospital, "allowed" intermittent monitoring and pool in early labour but not for birth.. I had a section last time as i was dilated but baby's head at wrong angle (maybe due to epidural and being bed ridden) and they couldn't get her with forceps.

So it should be feasible and i feel quite calm and positive. I've been reading vbac books with birth stories and monitoring threads on here, but the most recent one is bad vbac stories which i obviously didnt read - that would be crazy, right? Any recent, happy, uplifting, tales please??

Hi! I gave birth to my daughter 16 days ago and had a successful VBAC. My first birth was an emergency section due to placental abruption and haemorrhaging, after 18 hours of labour. It couldn't have been a more different experience this time.

I went overdue and had my waters broken. The contractions started immediately and came thick and fast. 4 hours and 23 minutes later I was holding my baby daughter I didn't have any drugs, just entonox and TENS. I found the pushing bit quite strange but once I managed to concentrate on what I was doing I did pretty well and my 2nd stage was a respectable 43 minutes. I can't tell you how much better the recovery has been- even with the stitches I was up and about and back to normal very quickly. I also felt on top of the world for managing to do it all on my own this time. I had to have constant monitoring but I didn't find it as intrusive as I'd expected and the MWs were creative with allowing me different positions.

Good luck! I hope you have a good experience.

Good luck! Another positive story here. First birth emergency CS due to her getting "stuck". Had been in labour for 12 hours before the CS.

Second time pains started 5am, pushing, more pain, baby born in time for an early lunch! Was an amazing experience. The emotion when the baby actually comes out cannot be described. Only sad part was realising in hindsight how awful dd1's birth and how much I missed out on by having to have a CS.

Also having VBAC in Oct so reading these with interest. Well done Caro and KERALA sounds v positive.

Sorry unyummy, forgot to say best of luck with the VBAC!

another positive story for you - I had my much wanted VBAC 3 weeks ago. 1st baby was elc due to breech.

Midwife was great, agreed to intermittent monitoring, so I did a lot of walking around, bouncing on the ball etc. Was slow to progress however & the consultants came in and threatened to give me a c-section if I hadn't progressed further in the next 4 hours. Midwife broke my waters, and an hour and a half later she was born! I went from 3cm to fully dilated in just over an hour. Pushing was 11 mins! I don't know what came over me but I just felt really in control and determined and thought 'right, I'm going to get you out NOW'.

I am so glad I did it and am really proud of myself. Somehow managed with just TENS (highly recommend) and gas & air, & recovery is so much quicker (I did tear & had to have stitches which wasn't nice but still much quicker recovery than c-section). Agree with Kerala about the emotion of giving birth - not that the first birth wasn't emotional and amazing when she came out, but this was different.

Good luck

Yes please keep these coming, I'm in the same boat as unymummy, due on Tuesday!

Lovely stories so far

this is a great thread - I'll be trying to vbac soon as well (am 36 weeks now). Seeing the consultant on Monday to ask about not having contiual fetal monitoring and being able to move around etc. Those of you who managed this, did you have to fight for it? I don't know whether to go in all guns blazing and insist or whether to try to negociate.

hangingbelly - I had intermittent monitoring, it was the MW that said it then when the consultant came in, he didn't look happy but couldn't say anything as MW and I had already agreed!

Technically my VBAC wasn't successful as it ended in another EMCS BUT I found it a very positive experience and helped me to resolve a lot of the issues I had after my first EMCS! Just thought I'd mention that so that you know if things don't go to 'plan', it doesn't necessarily mean you'll feel awful about it.

Good luck to those waiting for their VBAC

Hangingbelly I said in every appointment that I was concerned about being tied to the bed - it really did depend who I got as to what their reaction was, and they said that would pretty much be the case when I went into labour.

I had 2 midwives during labour (on different shifts), and both agreed to monitoring every now and again without me having to really fight for it. I think the midwives prefer this anyway tbh as it speeds things along if you can move about, it's the consultants who tend to push for constant monitoring, but as they're mainly not around...

i got my vbac 3.5 months ago after induction due to pre eclampsia last time. had a three day induction marathon the 1st time but this time i managed to go into labour the night before planned section. when i got into hospital i was 3cm dilated. MW let me walk about, get on ball etc and then was only constantly monitored after things were really kicking in. got a bit stuck at 8cm (had only got to 6cm 1st time) and doc threatened drip if things didn't progress. well 20 mins later i got to 10 twas the fear of the drip that did it! 10 mins of pushing and the sense of euphoria when ds2 was born was amazing. labour had lasted 12 hours which felt quick after the extravaganza we went through last time. got a juicy tear but was pushing like an ox as really didn't want surgery again. in hind sight i really should have relaxed a bit there .
i had been quite open to the idea of planned section if needed but was so pleased to have done it both ways in the end as prob stopping at two children.
good luck with your new baby and whatever kind of birth you have!

Please don't forget that you expect to birth a baby anytime between 37 and 42 weeks, as defined by the World Health Organisation. Try not to fixate on one particular day at 40 wks.

I had my VBAC at 42+1 scan edd (or 40+6 lmp edd) after refusing induction.

Stay strong

Ha i'm literally sipping rasberry leaf as i read this too - keep em coming ladies this is so encouraging for me and fellow due v-bacers..

Re CFM, if you have a consultant meeting at 34 weeks just keep stating your case and say that you have read up on the whole thing, i got a registrar who kept repeating that i needed CFM like a machine, i just said i didnt want that as i wanted a succesful vbac, repeatedly, until he gave up and got a consultant who said it was fine for me to have intermittent monitoring and to use the pool. It really helped having read the vbac book that AIMS produce (see their website) which has lots of objective statistics about vbac.

Good tip about the CFM unyummy

Also wanted to say though that CFM doesn't have to be a problem - my hospital has long wires for monitoring & are happy for me to be mobile.

As for me, the bits of monitoring I've had suggest to me that I might find it reassuring and helpful, which hopefully will help labour to progress. Will report back on that one!

I had my fabulous VBAC 8 weeks ago.

DD1 was 2 weeks late, was induced, waters artifically broken and then an epidural. I wasn't dilating past 4cm, and so had an EMC.

DD2 - 2.5 weeks early, (the same afternoon I had an appt with a consultant telling me I would be very unlikely to have a VBAC ).

Contractions started that evening at around 7pm, I stayed at home without pain relief till 11.30pm, and then dashed to hospital where I was given gas and air. I was 4cm dilated, and then got to 10cm very quickly (2am).

DD born very soon after (2.05am) in 3 pushes, no tearing, no stitches. The feeling of pushing her out of me was amazing and it was great for DH to witness her coming into the world in that way.

I was up and about the same day, felt fine and had to remind myself I had only recently given birth and should rest more.

Congratulations vanimal!

Can I ask whether you had continuous monitoring, and if so any tips?

I'm watching this thread with interest. I'm only 29 weeks, and decision over VBAC won't happen until after a scan at 36 weeks but I really want one.

As for CFM - I think that is part of the reason I had an emcs during my induction as they wouldn't let me move around because they kept losing the heartbeat. I could feel DD was well and truly stuck and was desperate to move! If I can avoid it by any means this time around I will!

Good luck unyummy

I didn't know then what I know now so when I had my VBAC I was given CFM, and ended up with spinal and forceps. Proof that CFM does not improve outcomes for baby but does increase risk of further intervention to mother.

Would stay at home if there was ever a next time

I had to have CFM (or at least I didn't argue with the MWs and consultants about their protocol). As it was I actually didn't mind being strapped to the monitor and found it very relaxing. The MWs were creative in finding me some good positions to labour in and I think the fact I was so relaxed helped me to progress really quickly. I hated having a cannula inserted though, although I did need it later.

thanks to whoever suggested AIMS. Ive just been reading this and it's comforting stuff.

look up foxytocin's birth story from last September - she had a home, water, vbac before the midwives arrived. It's the most inspiring birth story I've ever read!

that article from aIMS is amazing, thank you. I'm going to print it off to bring with me when I see the consultant next week.

Well I tried for a VBAC and although I did end up with another section,following concerns about my scar,I was SO glad I had tried.I felt great with all the labour hormones,and the section was calm and I knew what to expect so it was far less frightening.I had hoped a vaginal birth would heal some of the emotional trauma of my first section,but actually just having tried and having a lovely calm time did that,even though it wasn't a vaginal birth,so whatever happens you will be better prepared and it will be great.

Thank you hellymelly. It's really inspiring to know that. If I do need to go to theatre I will take that with me!