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Original poster

Anyone with any experience of VBAC?

9 replies

Pontouf · 07/10/2012 18:14

I am currently pregnant with DC2 and feel very strongly that I would like a VBAC. I had a planned Caesarian with DS because he was breech. It will be almost 2 ad a half years since my CS when this baby is due. I feel strongly about trying for a VBAC because I feel that my experience of a CS affected me quite negatively and led to me having trouble establishing breast feeding and contributed to me developing PND. I just felt I had a very passive role in the birth and I continued to feel removed from everything postnatally.

I would like to give myself the best possible chance to achieve a VBAC so I would really like to insist that I am not induced until the last possible moment if it is necessary (as I know this can add to the likelihood of VBAC failure). I would also like to refuse continuous monitoring as I think being able I move around and have an active labour will give me a better chance of success. Has anyone tried insisting on these things and I so have you come up against much resistance? I am
Just a bit worries cos I tend to just roll over when bullies by health care professionals!

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StuntNun · 07/10/2012 18:30

I had a VBAC, the continuous monitoring wasn't too bad, I could still move around the room. Try and avoid induction if you can, I had the syntocin drip with DS2 because they wanted me to have him in four hours and it was all a bit too quick.

Original poster

Pontouf · 07/10/2012 18:37

Do you know the reasoning behind the time limit thing? It doesn't really make sense to me. Why would you have to have a four hour time limit when other people who are having a first vaginal birth don't have that? Can anyone shed any light?

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StuntNun · 07/10/2012 19:05

This was six years ago and they wanted to limit the time in labour to reduce the risk of uterine rupture. I don't think this is a common policy any more and induction in VBAC isn't advised. There's a good bit of info here: www.caesarean.org.uk/articles/VBACOnWhoseTerms.html

Original poster

Pontouf · 07/10/2012 19:07

Thanks stuntnun that looks really helpful

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thedicewoman · 07/10/2012 19:13

There is a great Facebook support group called vbac support group UK, it's a closed group so you need to ask to be added. there are some very knowledgeable and helpful people on there and I would definitely recommend it. Pm me if you can't find it and I will get them to add you.

Original poster

Pontouf · 07/10/2012 19:49

Thanks thedicewoman, I'll check that out. Just want to be armed with as much info as possible - don't want to be dismissed when I try to have the birth I want.

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ballroomblitz · 07/10/2012 22:37

I had a VBAC 6 days ago. I refused induction in favour of a planned elective should I had gone overdue, which would be slightly different from yourself but didn't face any resistance from health professionals. In fact the doctors and midwives were very respectful of my wishes. I do know my hospital like to use just one pessary on vbac women rather than the drip but it wasn't to what I wanted. As it was dd cut it fine and I was ten days overdue and only went into labour the night before my planned cs. If you go overdue could you consider daily monitoring providing placental function is ok?

Continuous monitoring they told me you could still move about with it on but I found it wasn't really the case. Dd was decellerating a bit with contractions so I was happy enough to have continuous monitoring for her safety. Contractions for me where close and strong from the start so I honestly found I couldn't move a lot even if I had wanted to and was pretty stuck to the bed. Some hospitals have wireless monitoring so maybe you could ask about that?

Good luck. I found it such an amazing and empowering experience from my cs.

Original poster

Pontouf · 08/10/2012 19:21

Thanks Ballroom, that's great. I would definitely consent to daily monitoring to check the placenta is ok. I'm very keen to do everything to keep me and baby safe, I just don't want unnecessary medical intervention. I will also consent to intermittent monitoring if they require it and if there are legitimate concerns for the baby, like decelerations for example then i'd be happy to be monitored more closely. My aim is to only have the interventions that are based on my actual situation rather than just because I am a VBAC patient and therefore the policy says x, y and z.

I've done quite a lot of reading up on the subject and feel strongly that the cascade of interventions are much more likely to stop this VBAC being successful rather than my ability to push my baby out! I know I probably sound like a bit of a hippy but this experience is really important to me.

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drcrab · 08/10/2012 19:29

I had a vbac 2 years ago after a planned c section for placenta praevia. There was a gap of 2.7 years between my children.

The time limit to push is 1 hr from the time you get to 10cm. This has to do with limiting scar ruptures. I had 'laboured' for 4 days. I had dc2 with the help of an episiotomy and ventouse but all went ok.
Good luck!!

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