VBACers - how long were you allowed to labour for?

[isobelle]

Please can you give me some idea of how long and whether you had to insist to continue rather than emcs?

Thanks

I had my first contraction (that I noticed) at around 4am and a bloody show a few hours later. It went on, they were very 5 mins by about 4pm, I knew I was in active labour at around 9 or 10pm, transition at midnight and fully dilated at 1am. Baby got distressed on the home stretch so emcs at just before 3am. I was the first to suggest emcs.

I have no idea if the hospital would have not let me labour that long as I didn't go to the hospital until things got serious, by which time I was 10cm.

My consultant had said she didn't want me labouring for hours at home and then going in and having it continue for ages longer. She wanted me to use my judgment and go in if I felt no progress was being made. They did want to set time limits on stages: so rough progress of 1cm per hour once in active labour and pushing for an hour. But I said we'd have to look at all the circumstances not just the time, and all the HCPs (MWs and doctors) were happy with that. They were great, actually.

Depends on your hospital I think.
My hospital was very pro vbac.
My labour began at 5am & I went into hospital at about 11pm where I was only 2cm.The monitored me once when I arrived,then admitted me but didn't monitor me again as I wasn't in established labour although was contracting.
I was the one begging for a section although they were encouraging me to carry on.I knew it was going nowhere though like my previous,so all in all over 30hrs of contractions but no real progress.

But as I say my hospital are very pro vbac...water birth.no cfm etc.
Maybe ask your midwife?

I wanted a VBAC with my 2nd DS. I had to be induced at 10 days overdue as I had hypertension.
Broke waters early afternoon and hooked onto the drip by 5/6 pm. Despite increasing the dose of syntocin regularly never progressed (like my 1st DS) and had a C-section at 5am.

Hospital I went to very pro VBAC and C-section only suggested when I failed to progress.

I was given 8 hours from when my waters went but no one expected me to have had the baby in less than 8 hours. I had her in 3 1/2!

• Started contractions at midnight
• 3cms at 6am
• Hospital/MWLU at 1030 and into pool
• Out of pool at 1330 hrs
• 8cms at 1400 hrs
• Started gas and air
• About 1600 told contractions weren't getting anywhere and they 'had' to transfer me to surgical unit for syntocin (sp?)
• Ambulance arrived 1800 hrs (long story)
• Told had to have epidural first, no anaethetist though
• By around 2300 hrs I was feeling urge to push, but she had maneouvered herself into a dodgy position and was quite distressed so was told action would be taken

-0100 she appeared with forceps!

So really I was only given about 14 hours odd of contractions, and looking back I should have pushed harder to stay and be left to my own devices as 1st labours can be hard. Oh well, you live and learn and we're both here and fine!

3 days after waters broke and alot of fighting with them later!

I just wasn't dilating and they were all for the C-section. They ended up giving me a tiny amount of the drip to get me going (between 2-4, whatever that means, is safe if you've had a C-sec)and a mobile epidural as I was exhausted and ready to give up. Both worked wonders in that situation and she was born naturally just 6ish hours later (and no pain).

Just keep asking them 'is the baby in distess'? Is their and immediate medical reason I need a c-section or can you give me the time I need'? and they will get bored of you and leave you alone!

10 hours' labour for me. Got in hospital at 7 am (I was scheduled for a planned c section) but I was already 4 cm dilated (without any heavy contractions, just some discomfort). They basically asked me if I wanted to 'see how it goes' and let labour progress naturally, so I laboured for 10 hours more or less.

I still ended up with an emergency c sec as I got to 10 cm and pushed for 1.5 hours and baby was not descending at all. He was never in distress, and the hospital really let me get on with it, but in the end my 'urge to push' died down and baby's head was just not descending. I don't know why. He didn't want to come out maybe!

I don't think that our hospital had a 'time limit' as such, it was more of a case that they let you get on with it if everything is OK. If there are any complications, then they would be more 'ready' for a c sec.

I couldn't have a bath/water birth because of previous c sec, but I don't know if it's the same in all hospitals.

I was considered high risk and monitored a lot of the time but it didn't bother me.

And I feel very good about having tried - people say to me 'what a shame' but I don't mind at all. It was a very positive labour and a very positive birth.