Anyone up for a VBAC support thread?

[Chulita]

I'm 34+3 and baby's currently OP. Had an emcs with DD 19 months ago and I'm desperate for a VBAC but there seem to be so many variables and I'm just dreading another OP labour.
Anyone fancy joining?

Chulita, I did a bit of ofp but it is very yawnsome. Usually the first part of labour involves the baby turning into the optimum birthing positions (though not always I know). Ofp exercises make sense as does hypnobirthing and breathing exercises to help you cope in labour. The risk of uterine rupture is low as well - don't worry about your scar unless you've had problems with it.

pinkgrapefruit, you have to judge for yourself if you accept the risks and are willing to go against advice to induce. The page about vbacs here gives a good summary of the risks based on the research. Personally, I think there is a lot of scaremongering about postdate births - no reason why you should not have a very straightforward birth given the chance to labour naturally.

Great post Ummlayla

Chulia Is there anyway to send you details of my collegue. I have an Email and mobile number for you. Sorry I'm not very technical.

Haven't read all thread yet. Had EMCS and then 3 yrs later VBAC.

Felt like a million dollars after birth. Any Q's you have I'll gladly answer later!

Thank you Mitfordsisters I'm sorry I forgot to quote that most of it is from AIMS.org I do recommend their books and website www.aims.org.uk/

ummLayla you could CAT me if you're set up with it, otherwise email me
rosie michell at googlemail dot com

Chulita did your consultant say how they had come to the figure of 70%? Mine never mentioned any figures at all, she just seemed really enthusiastic about going for a VBAC and that most women managed it no bother.

If I wanted to go beyond the 42 weeks, would I just have to speak to my midwife about it or would I have to go in for extra scans, etc?

Also, at my last appointment, my midwife said I could have more than just the 2 sweeps that I had last time - I could pop in midweek and get it done to see if more than one in a week would get things going..... What's the general view on this? I've seen quite a few threads that don't seem keen on sweeps....

And a last thing (for the minute) has anyone had any experience of going to an Accupuncturist to bring things along? We have one locally who some of my friends of friends speak highly of.... I've never had any accupuncture myself and am not sure about the whole process.

G x

No personal experience of acupuncture (ds2 came before my appointment!) but I enjoyed it when not preg.

Whether or not it brings labour on is another matter but it's deeply relaxing....surely it's a good thing!

Some areas you can get it on NHS. Always worth an ask.

Had forceps and episiotomy with second labour. I found both were fine even though I wanted to avoid it. Having a bit of a sting down there was nothing compared to being bed ridden and not being able to stand up with baby after c-sec.

I have a lot of faith in NHs staff and though they were fab.Without their positivity i could have said 'oh do another c-sec'. My bits down below are fine now after 11 months while my scar still tingled for ages with c-sec.

Stats wise mine said 70% too. he also said some were too scared so % could be much higher if women trusted themselves. (easy for bloke to say that!)

Hello

It's a bit early for me to join in (20 wks) but I'm hoping for a VBAC this time round. DD was an undiagnosed breech until I was 6cm dilated when a consent form was waved under my nose and I was rushed into theatre for an emcs.

It wasn't until later that I realised that I could still have had a natural birth. Despite the breech presentation I was dilating quickly (had insisted on being allowed to be upright and mobile even though I was being constantly monitored due to meconium in my waters). But I didn't know enough about it and at the time, tired and in pain, wasn't in a position to argue with the doctors even if I had known more about the choices that should have been available to me.

So far no-one has talked to me about VBAC. People keep telling me you can't have an epidural, does anyone know if that's true or not?

GwennieF - I used acupuncture to bring on my last labour having used it v successfully when TTC. You do need to find someone who knows what they're doing, preferably a practitioner who specialises in fertility/pregnancy. I had a treatment to help get things moving at 2.30 and my waters broke at 8.45! My acupuncturist is in London, I can pass on his details if that's any good to you.

I think 70% is the basic chance of successful VBAC, I've heard it from a couple of people now. My consultant said the same about the 70% being of people who try whereas there are a lot of people who don't try for one.

I've not heard the thing about not having an epidural, I was told I could (won't be having one though cos didn't work last time).

gwennie if you want to go beyond 42wks they generally want you to go in everyday for monitoring. I think post cs we'll have a fight on hands to even get beyond 10 days overdue!

I'm thinking of trying reflexology. If nothing else it'll give me some chill-out time without DD

Thanks for the email ummLayla

I'd like to join please!

I'm 37ish weeks. I had no labour last time and DD delivered by em-cs for transverse, too much fluid and foetal distress two and half years ago.

I have been very glad that all was fine in the end. After all, many women and babies, even now, in this world would not have been so fortunate.

Facing my second birth, I have been trying to think 'realistically': there is a good chance of it going well, all the indications look good and even if I do end up having anbother c-section, most likely DC2 and I will be home and well within a week and that is the most important thing.

However! I've just had a huge melt down after reading yet another amazingly good birth story on my ante-natal thread. It has made me feel that someone on hte thread has to have a 'bad' birth and the more ladies have good ones it's more likely I'll be the unlucky one. Batty, I know.

I'm feeling very vulneralble. ALthough it is the health of me and the baby that is the most important thing, I can't deny any longer that is is not the ONLY important thing. I would so love to have a successful VBAC. I don't want to be scared and in pain as last time (I had a lot of internal bruising due to speed of section and baby's position).

Sorry to be self-indulgent in a first-time post, but it's all just hit me hard and I was very glad to see this thread.

Chocolatejunkie - I think people advise against an epidural because it can slow down labour. Under the protocols of a lot of hosptials, VBAC mums are only given a certain amount of time to labour before they are whisked off for a c-section. They've given me 6-8 hours so I am avoiding epidural like the plague.

BTW, my consultant told me 79% chance of successful VBAC .

Hello LaTrucha!

6-8 hours?! [mind boggling emoticon] What a way to put the pressure on! As and when you go into labour try not to think about the time at all...

79% is brilliant though, and no one has to have a 'bad' birth to bring the stats down, but you knew that ;)

And be as self-indulgent as you like, that's what this thread's here for.

6-8 hours! Holy mother of god - what's the rush? Is that if you've been induced?

Bugger, I saw my MW this morning - I should have asked her about that.

Am starting to get upset about these figures that are being bandied about - I want a percentage chance - how do they come up with them?

Chocolatejunkie have you not had an appointment with your consultant yet? Has your MW not brought up how you want to deliver?

I've never heard about not being able to have an epidural after CS..... But then again - am hardly an expert!

Chocolatejunkie have you not had an appointment with your consultant yet? Has your MW not brought up how you want to deliver?

I've never heard about not being able to have an epidural after CS..... But then again - am hardly an expert!

oops - dunno how that happened

I'd like to join too! Currently 30 + 2, had emcs for DD in December 2007 - went very overdue, my waters broke with meconium in, was advised to be induced by pessary which progressed very slowly and then baby became distressed when drip was introduced - off to theatre! I'm hoping for VBAC this time around and am off for my VBAC 'preparation session' at the hospital tomorrow - wondering what to expect...

Sorry - I seem to have shocked a few people withthe 6-8 hours thing. What I've been told is that once I'm in established labour and 4cm dilated, they'll 'try' labour for 6-8 hours. If it's going really slowly or not progressing well at that point, they'll do a section. If things look to be in full swing and approaching the second stage, they'll let me carry on.

But yes, I agree. I'm going to be thinking 'Relax, relax... but not too much - got to get this baby out!'

Hello!
I hope you don't mind me joining, I have just decided to try VBAC rather than ELCS. The reason I say I hope you don't mind me joining is that I am actually not that dead set on VBAC and would rather have a section than be induced, go massively over, carry on when the doctors are advising section (within reason, I think they can be a bit overkeen sometimes!). My Emergency Section last time was actually an OK experience, whereas being induced (due to waters breaking and meconium in them) and massive amounts of faffing and stressing, plus an internal exam that lasted about 10 minutes (according to DH as I was practically unconscious and hallucinating on gas and air overdose) was the worst bit. I only got to 2cm last time, so my body has not done this before!!!

latrucha are you sure that they mean they will give you a section in 6-8 hours? My hospital has a similar procedure that they will watch you for a certain level of progress, but I asked what the point in that was when most people take longer than 1 hour for 1cm dilation or whatever they were saying, and they were kind of vague and said that they would just assess on an individual basis. I guess it just means that a doctor will assess you (in our hospital anyway) and be more likely to suggest a CS than in normal labour due to lack of progress.
I like the precision of 79%!! That is good odds too! Is that your hospital's statistics? I have a little leaflet which says 70%, this is if you didn't labour before or get fully dilated. According to the same leaflet if you did get fully dilated and have to have a section then your chance is 50%, also if you are induced the chance is 50%. There were some other stats for some other scenarios but I don't have the leaflet here now, I will look it up when I am at home.

Oh and LaTrucha sorry you are feeling vulnerable, and that you had a bad first time experience. Hopefully the close monitoring will mean that [i]if[/i] you did have to have another emergency section it might be calmer and less hurried, and therefore less horrible side effects. Mine was honestly fine and I was out of hospital in just over 24 hours (DS born on Xmas day, and I was desperate to get out!) And try and look on the good birth stories as positive evidence that you can have one too!!

Oh I have also not heard that you can't have an epidural.

Oh I forgot to say, I am 33 weeks.

And...sorry talking to myself here...I x-posted with you LaTrucha that sounds similar re the 6-8 hr thing then....though I agree I don't want to be under any pressure, but I guess it depends on how they do it, I will make sure my birth plan says minimal interventions and examinations, only if really necessary and there seems to be something wrong I think.

latrucha that makes more sense

summerlightning everyone's welcome!

At the hospital I'm going to they offered to induce but I'm refusing. After much internet perusal-age I found that induction is more likely to cause scar rupture than going overdue so I'm not happy with trying that route.

After today though it's all up in the air again, LO turned transverse (again) last night, only got 2.5 weeks for it to turn back (I'm reckoning on giving it til 37 weeks although I was told 36) Today's MW wasn't fazed though and seemed to think it had plenty of time to turn, let's hope she's right!

Thanks for your previous message Chulita. If it's any encouragement, DD turned at 38 weeks - unfortunately for me, the wrong way - but it does prove they can turn really late!

I'm sure this baby made a pretty good attempt to turn transverse at about 35 weeks but decided not to. I did do the things recommended on the Spinning Babies website, but he may have put his head down again anyway.

I hope this posts ok, i've have joined mumsnet specially when i saw your thread, so this is my very 1st post. I just wanted to say I had a vbac in april this year after an emergency c section in 2006, although i did end up with a forcepts delivery as baby's shoulders were stuck i really enjoyed the experience. I recovered so much quicker this time which was so important with a lively toddler, the only bad thing was the piles, no one told me about those!!! good luck with what ever you decide to do but if i ever have another baby i will definately go through the natural birth route again.. saying that though my friend had a planned c section after her emergency one and recovered just as well... right off to the park now, I'm getting nagged!