Has anyone had a successful homebirth after a c-sect?

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

How did it go?

Was it planned?

Did you have to fight your case?

What was the original reason for your c-sect?

Just a few questions really as I would love a homebirth for this one but don't think I'll be getting much support unless it was an 'unplanned' homebirth. Is that a good idea though? I really can't be bothered fighting and arguing my case all the way through this pregnancy TBH.

my friend had an amazing hb after 2 sections..one emergency, one planned because her pelvis was allegedly "too small"

she hired a wonderful doula who gave her confidence before hand and helped to keep her calm/mobile/trying different positions etc in labour, and the top mw was on standby for her...

it was perfect.

go for it!!!

That's reassuring to know, thanks, especially as she was told that her pelvis was too small. That would knocked the confidence out of me. Good on your friend!

I have a 48 hour old baby laying next to me - he was born at home in the birth pool, on Thursday evening - my 4th child - 3rd was a c-section for breech.

He was born two hours and six minutes after my first hint of a twinge, weighing 10lbs 13oz with his arm up over his head.

I have a tiny tear (needing no repair).

The atmosphere was amazing, my wonderful NHS mw attended and had supported my planning of a home birth (have had them before the section) and yes the consultant did not approve it, but I did not need to argue. Saw him just once and told him my choice - for it is YOUR choice - end of.

Mw listened in to baby every 10 mins and checked my pulse and bp a couple of times.

I used TENS then 20 mins gas and air. My children were there for the actual birth, it was calm and gentle, then we all greeted our new family member until the cord had stopped pulsating, then my 5 and 3 year olds cut it. Placenta came away as I stepped out of the pool.

Not a twinge from my scar throughout and a very happy mum and baby through labour - and since.

An amazing birth x

Congratulations! Sounds like a dream birth.

a friend of mine did

her first was a c-section due to failure to progress. she was told her pelvis was too small, but this was later dismissed when she got second opinions and de-briefed with another midwife

as it happens they think her first was a brow presentation and that's why she wasn't progressing

fast forward 5 years and she hired an independent midwife, and had a beautiful 6 hour labour in her front room, in a birth pool, no pain relief... perfect!

Hi, I had a VBAC at home last summer . I'd had an emergency ceasarean 15months prior. Due to pre-eclampsia. The VBAC was amazing, although not the easiest labour, it was back to back and very long. But I loved every minute, it was fantastic in comparison to my section. However everyone has different experiences.

Basically I treaded very carefully with consultant and dropped hints of homebirth VBAC to 'test the waters' with him. I did A LOT of research on-line, books etc etc as soon as I found out, so by the time I was 38 weeks I was very well informed. This is very important. I had a feeling that my consultant wasn't going to stand by me having a hmebirth, but luckily for my 38/39 wk check he was on holiday. I spoke to the midwife at the hospital about what I was wanting and basically needed a consultant to sign my notes off "allowing" (although apparently you can have the birth you want in this country - they can't not allow you) me to have a homebirth. She said she knew one of the consultants who happened to be on would be more 'open' to this so she arranged for him to see me!

I basically explained exactly what I wanted and reasons for it. I compromised on things like having an IV thing in my hand set up just in case. I only live 5 mins from the hospital which I think helped. I can go into more detail if you'd like? But I ended up with an amazing experience, which healed me from the 1st! I had 4 midwives with me at the end when pushed baby out...I couldn't have had better care.

Hi mama, your story is very positive and inspiring, I'm glad you had the birth you wanted and I'm in awe that you managed a back-to-back labour as god only knows I know how painful they are! This was the reason for my c-sect last time, I was days in labour as I just wasn't dilating and the pain in my back was excrutiating, even through the epidural. What I'd like to know is how did you cope with the pain and also anything else you would like to share with me as I would love to hear!

I had hbac, 1st was c section after failed induction, then vbac, then hbac. it was a great experience and everything went fine. I did a whole load of research beforehand, there are risks to consider and I had to be happy with my decision and any consequences. I had to be 'signed off' by the consultant, he told me the risks, i said I still wanted to go ahead, he wrote on my notes and that was it really. I did also have a doula and that gave me the confidence to hbac in the first place really.

TBH I don't know how we managed to get through the labour!!! It was totally exhausting, my contractions started on the Monday morning every 10 mins for hours, then kept stopping and starting. Had them every 10-20mins through the night. Kept having baths and using tens machine and bouncing on birthing ball. Late Tuesday morning my midwife was coming to see me anyway, so when she arrived she checked me and said I was 3/4 cms and fully thinned/effaced etc. So in labour. She did a sweep to help things along. Then everything seemed to stop. It was very on/off contractions. I then started getting fierce contractions although never closer than 4mins together through entire labour. My dh had to rub my back with a wooden massager, very hard. The only pain I had was in my lower back and it was v bad. I found rocking on all fours very helpful and using the bath etc. MW checked me 4 hours later and no change did another sweep, got me to try and keep upright throughout contractions (v hard). 4 hrs later no change still This was my worse nightmare coming true. I had feared not dilating. we were telling jokes/laughing/kissing dh etc everything i'd read to help. MW offered to brake waters and I agreed. 4 hours later think about 6cm's? Memory blurry! Anyway it took me 17 1/2 hrs from when MW 1st checked me at 4cm's to get to 10cms By which point I was utterly exhausted and begged them to let me have a sleep. My contractions had stopped so I slept for 30mins. Bearing in mind they only let you have 2 hrs to push for a VBAC. They woke me up and made go for a wee etc. Then I had to start pushing, they had me in alsorts of positions. The contractions started coming but not strong at all, I could barely feel when to push. The baby was still in a bad position. Time was running out and they said they would have to phone paramedics soon as 2 hrs limit would soon be up etc. A MW came and did accupressure on my legs/knees to stimulate contractions and boy did it work I had 4 MW's and my dh on my bed with me holding me up in another odd position, all screaming at me to push. Me screaming back I can't. I heard the paramedics walking up my stairs and from nowhere I found the energy to push him out very quickly in the end!!! 1hr58 mins and got him out no stitches nothing My god it was such a buzz!!

I used a little gas and air but MW's took it off me as it wasn't doing me any good or something? But as enduring as it was I would definately do that over my EMCS experience. I slept for a few hrs afterwards then was up and about in no pain/discomfort at all. I was completely amazed

Have you read any of Ina May's books? If not you must, very encouraging. Also you need to get 'Vaginal Birth After Caesarean', by Helen Churchill and Wendy Savage. Look at the homebirth website and caesarean websites etc. When ru due? I'm due no 3 in Jan so doing it all again hopefully! But I'm hoping for good positioning and quicker labour this time!

Wow! Well done you! Back-to-back is horrible.

I read Ina May all through my last pregnancy, was going for a home birth with birthing pool but chickened out in the last few weeks, I decided I wanted a water birth at the hospital instead. Like you my contractions were coming every 7 minutes for a day or so, never really getting stronger or regular but were sore and kept me from resting.

I never got to the birthing pool as the diamorphine I had made me vomit so much I couldn't lift my head up off the bed, then they wanted to put me on a drip to get my contractions more regular and stronger so I demanded an epi. I think it was a catalogue of errors on mine and the midwives part that ended up with me going down the ecsect route TBH.

If I hadn't had diamorphine I would have been able to move about and get into the pool.

Ditto the epi.

If the midwives had diagnosed and OP baby then positioning and keeping active would have been more of a priority.

I am due early feb and this time I am sticking to GaA and the birthing pool either at home or in hospital. I live about 20-30mins from the only hospital so I am a bit worried about a HB incase anything did go wrong or I couldn't cope with the pain if aother OP baby.

Yes! I had a caesarean with my first baby after failure to progress and lots of mutterings about her head not engaging and so on.

I had dc3 at home in water and it was lovely. I'd strongly recommend a doula if you're planning a home birth - mine made ALL the difference. And dc3 was the same size as dc1 and I didn't even tear.

Doctors will likely tell you some horror stories of uterine rupture. It is a risk, but no more so than any of the other things that can potentially go wrong - and if you're at home, you will likely have a midwife closely observing you which will improve your chances of something like that being spotted early on.

Got my days wrong, contractions started on the Mon morning, gave birth eventually on the Thurs morning!! Was a bloody marathon!

I really believe that if I had been in hospital for my VBAC there is no way it would have ended up as one. I would have had another EMCS I'm sure. I think being at home helped me keep focused and made us all think and use the other ways to help labour progress.

I've heard that a lot about diamorphine I can't believe we don't have any better drugs for use yet. It sounds like the usual cascade of events that you hear about happening. That's it I will be looking at positioning a lot this time. I was lying in a hospital bed for the 4 days prior to labour starting with pregnancy induced hypertension. That was my downfall!~

I'm sure you could have a very positive VBAC at hospital with the knowlegde you now have. 20-30mins is quite far to go if you had an emergency IMO. But you can get your notes signed off for what you will and will not allow. E.g no CFM, no dr's present, only midwives etc etc.

So we're due a couple of week's apart~!

Carmen- Did you use anything else for pain relief? I had a doula for my first birth but I didn't think she was very good, in fact I remember feeling she was a bit of a nuisance TBH and I just wanted it to be me and DP, so the thought of habing another doula, however brilliant just fels intrusive to me. All I want is DP when I'm in pain.

Mama- yes just a few weeks apart! Have you had your 1st scan yet? I'll be having mine in a fortnight, it can't come soon enough as I suffered a miscarriage in March and I just need the reassurance.

I think the 3 P's should be our mantra: Positioning, Positioning, Positioning!

Yes I had it yesterday due on the 17th Jan! Sorry to hear of your miscarriage, must be quite a stressful time waiting for the scan.

I just like it to be dh with me too, I have thought about a doula but I really like my privacy...esp when mooing like a cow

Maybe we could start an antenatal thread for VBAC support with a few months overlap? Say Due Dec 10- Mar 11 To keep each other motivated/informed etc?

Love you name bythe way

thanks.

Glad it went ok, did you take your DS along with you? I never felt like my dignity went out of the window, I was always very conscious of not allowing anyone to see my bits other than the midwife, especially the doula so privacy is a big thing for me.

I think a support thread would be a good idea, I wouldn't mind it being called VBAC due Jan 2011 as I'm due on the 2nd feb so I could be Jan anyway, to keep things simple.

Ah.. yeah, there's something to be said for having the right doula. It's whatever makes you feel comfortable (although it might be worth reading up on a bit of Bradley technique with your husband!)

The only other thing I used was TENS. I'd have liked to have tried hypnobirthing actually. The more I've seen of people who've done hypnobirthing, the more I wish I'd given it a go.

Oh, I kept really active too. My midwife made me climb stairs and do lunges!

Hi thebreastmilksonme - I've started a thread in antenatal for VBAC support!

Hi, hope you don't mind me joining as I'm due early Feb and wanting a VBAC. Had my first chat with midwife today and feeling really down because :

1. No birthing pool allowed.

1. I will need to be monitored extremely closely - based on my last experience in this hospital means being in bed most the time except going to the toilet.

1. Labour needs to progress every 4 hours, if during the 4 hourly check it doesn't progress, I will be sent straight for an EMCS. Also, I am only allowed to be in labour something like 12 hours (I think she meant less actually).

I forgot about the pushing bit, but gauging from all the other rules, I probably wouldn't be allowed to push more than 10 minutes!!

Very frustrated but at the same time I do realise that they are just minimising the risk of things going wrong.

If you don't mind I'd like more info on the new thread and will keep reading this. Thank you.

there are some amazing stories here. my original reaction, on reading the thread title, was why on earth would you want to risk your life and that of your baby for the benefits of a homebirth. my own opinion is still the same. i would never in a million years put my child and myself in such risk. but the stories here are heartwarming, and very brave imo.

Ladysybil, home birth is actually safer than hospital birth for low risk women.

And VBAC risks are vastly overstated.

so by "very brave" you mean "foolhardy and reckless", ladysybil?

Home birth isn't riskier than hospital birth.

To the OP, a good friend of mine had her second baby last month, a homebirth after a C-sec. She's 37 and quite overweight, too, both of which were used against her the first time to convince her into private care. This time round was smooth, enjoyable, lovely 7lb boy and a great fast recovery.

I don't think anyone who would consider a homebirth would ever be doing it, putting their own and lo's life at risk. People who choose homebirth VBAC do so because that is/seems the safest option for mother and baby. But you have to take each individual case accordingly - it wouldn't be the safest/best option for others e.g a long distance from hospital etc. One of my main reasons for choosing HBAC was because in the hospital by are monitored by a machine, you very rarely have a MW with you throughout your labour. Whereas at home you have 2 MW's and 1 student MW with you throughout. They use intermittant monitoring every 20mins and at this time they check your pulse ask you questions about any pain between contractions etc. I had a MW monitoring me from start to finish. The best way to detect scar rupture is by monitoring the mother as well as the heart rate of LO. The best chance of a VBAC is to have an active, upright labour and feel relaxed and confident about the place of birth. For many this is at home. Women who choose Homebirth VBAC are very well informed, whereas others who judge are not!