Must avoid natural birth post sections....but is labour pending?

[HappyHugs]

I've had 2 previous sections so have to have a planned one this time. I'm just 35 wks and have no date yet but suspect something might happening before then. I had a show followed by mild but v regular contractions on sat for about an hour which were monitored on machine, slight increase in bp and hospital kept me in.
Anyway everything settled and I got home on Sunday. more regular, period like contractions last night but didn't last more than an hour. I have had steroids to help baby's lungs develop but my concern is that if this is slow labour and it suddenly speeds up I might not realise in time to get to hospital, have epidural take effect in time for section. Could I end up delivering baby, rupturing scar, risking internal bleed etc?! Never had this with previous pregnancies. Neither me nor hospital can be sure it's not braxton hicks, internal on sat showed no cervical changes but they don't want to keep checking in case it sparks more contractions. Still having irregular tightenings, lower back pain, and very tingly, leaky boobs. Anyone had any similar experience? Sorry so long!

If you are at all worried call the labour ward and ask their advice.

Women do regularly VBAC (in fact after 2 or even 3 caesareans it is possible) and the chance of rupture is very small, unless there's something additional about your history we don't know. Just letting you know this to reassure you that if you did go in to labour a rupture is a very, very, very unlikely outcome.

Thanks for the reassurance Sqiggley, I didn't realise vbac was even an option after 2 sections. Feel better already!

We had a VBAC after 2 sections in our unit last month- its not encouraged but fine- the risks are still small , just higher than with one LSCS. If you labour quickly as squiggley said (must also be an obstetrician, or a midwife) then things usually will be fine- all the contractions are working in that case to dilate and not stress the scar. I have had 2 LSCS and a normal as my second, which was a good and quick delivery but the third being breech meant that I needed another. Now I am pregnant with the fourth , but after a gap of 9 years and will need to plan a section but would not fret if I went into labour before that date and secretly would prefer that. The difference would be that the reasons for my sections were because of either the condition or position of the baby , not my pelvis or ability to have contractions etc, and the only normal I had was with the biggest but most normal baby; so I am ' tried and tested'. Much will depend on the reasons for the previous sections. However generally speaking rapid labours usually mean healthy babies and none of us fret too much about BBA ( born before arrival) other than the mother and father are usually completely freaked out!
Good luck

Hi, I am hoping for a vba2c. I saw the senior midwife a couple of weeks ago, it's positively encouraged to try a vb here - although obv guess this depends on reason for previous cs. Has it not been mentioned to you at all? She also told me that the risk of rupture doesn't increase after 2cs but only after 3.

Do you live a long way from the hospital? If not I would try not to worry. Chances are that you'll get there in time, and if you don't, the risk of rupture is really very small. If you still feel things may be happening why not get in touch with your MW? That is what they're there for after all.

when i had dc3 a year ago, obstetrician told me guidelines had recently changed and that they were actively encouraging women with 2 sections to have a vbac - ironic given that with dc2 i'd had to fight to be allowed to try vbac as at that time the advice was 1 section = future section