Anyone else planning a VBAC?

[abigboydidit]

Hi -

I started a thread in childbirth about my wavering confidence re VBAC & wondered if there was anyone else out there going through this? Thought it might be nice to share experiences and offer support. I would love to hear from others in a similar position

Sort of - but I think I've decided on vbac if all is well. I had an elcs with dd as she was breech and was gutted at missing out on the experience of labour and of holding my baby straight after she was born. I went into hospital feeling healthy and came out feeling thoroughly ill and pretty traumatised - which I know can happen with normal births too... I'm trying to not get my hopes up though as all sorts of things may lead to another elcs so in my head I'm preparing myself for another one, then it will be a bonus if I get to go into labour. In your situation I don't know how I'd feel.

I'm in a similar position. Desperate for a vbac, my wbac has been agreed, but I'm shitting myself.

Well, I am just back from my consultant appt and seems I am fully signed up to VBAC now too. Like you Bunty, reality is now giving me a sense of terror so I think I may have to hit amazon to purchase some VBAC hypnobirthing CDs or something

I may have to do the same abigboy. I know it's safe, safer than repeat cs, but I still worry about the infinitesimal risks :(

Oddly it's not so much the proper risks that are playing on my mind as the practicalities of labour. When the hormone drip was discussed today I started to feel tears in my eyes - and I have a guarantee I wont get that! I just worry that I will push for a VBAC against the advice of the all knowing oracle that is my bloody mother-in-law, put myself and my husband through the stress of reliving DS's birth (not to mention having to cobble together emergency childcare for DS) to then not progress and end up with an EMCS, when recovery from ELCS should have been easier. How was your previous labour? Actually - that was a bit nosey of me! Don't feel you have to answer that. I suppose I was just interested to see where your anxieties lie!

Oh - just noticed you're a WBAC Bunty - is that at home? You are brave . Am not allowed into the water birth part of our maternity unit as it is in the MW led unit and I have to have consultant led care

Hi, just to say I'm a planned VBAC. My due date was yesterday. I'd really recommend the Maggie Howell VBAC CDs plus the 'Effective birth planning' (or something like that!) book. It's helped me relax loads about the whole thing. My greatest fear too is that it will all go the same way as the last time and I'll end up with another EMCS - with a harder recovery than an ELCS which I could have opted for in the first place. What's going to happen is that they're talking about inducing at term + 12. I feel it was induction that set me on the wrong track last time so I'm thinking if I get that far I might just opt for the ELCS rather than go through induction again. But I haven't fully decided - if I'm being truthful I'm really rooting for a natural kick-off!

Hi, I'm 31 weeks now and also planning a vbac. Also hopefully a wbac in the MW-led unit - I somehow managed to persuade them to let me go on MW-led care. DD1 was EMCS for undiagnosed breech so I'm paranoidly poking this one to try and work out which way up it is!

That also weighs on my mind, abigboy My all-knowing oracle is my mother, though, but I can see her point. We live 250 miles away from any family, so from a practicality point of view, a elcs would be miles easier. It's just not for me!

My DS's birth was, to put it mildly, horrendous. I also worry about putting DH and DM though another traumatic labour - he got stuck with his head transverse, and there was no way to get him out aside from a EMCS. I do wonder if I'd been allowed to labour upright if he'd have turned himself, but too late to do anything about that now! It was 36 hours from my first contraction, 12 hours from arriving at hospital that he finally arrived.

When we arrived at hospital, he was having late decels, so they strongly advised cfm, and refused my water birth. CFM meant I was contained to the bed, which severely hindered my labour, and my ability to cope with the pain. Had diamorphine, pethidine, and finally an epidural. Had to endur the clip on his head, and blood samples from his scalp - the blood samples were awful. I blacked out during one before my epidural was sited, and came round to find my husband and mother in tears because it was so hard for them to watch me in that much pain. :( Not nice.

I am worried about the whole scenario happening again. Also worried about possibility of induction, as though I feel she'll be early, my induction is scheduled for 5 days after due date, and he was a spontaneous 42 weeker. I will be put on the drip. Going to chat with midwife and inquire about maybe an elcs if I go over as not too keen on the idea of induction with a CS scar.

My hospital has a high risk pool on the consultant unit, but not sure if I'll be there or the MW led unit - either way as the CS is my only adverse risk factor they're happy for me to go for it as long as everything else on admission is good! They have an underwater doppler, and also mobile CFM if I'm not in the pool. I have covered every eventuality. Also I'm MW led care - I'm with one 2 one midwives on the Wirral, booked into Arrowe Park, and I only saw a consultant because I wanted the waterbirth in hospital. One 2 one would have been happy for me to have a home wbac - my husband not so much!

If you really want a wbac, I would fight for it. I've heard of women saying they'll have a homebirth if they can't have a wbac in hospital, and the consultants agreeing to wbac in hospital so that they're at least there.

Thanks for the links georgee. My MW told me success rate for VB after induction in 60% but is 70% for VBAC so I can understand your reluctance to be induced. I think we will all be supporting each other to try to jiggle our little one's out as our dates approach!

Askja DS was breech for a while and I used a lot of the techniques on the spinning babies (I think its called?) website which worked partly - though he was still OP .

That sounds awful Bunty. Is there any way you could refuse the drip? My consultant was so helpful today and wrote a stage by stage plan with/for me so there could be no ambiguity if there was a staff handover. In my mind I am happy to try for VBAC (also live in the middle of nowhere with no family support) but not for it to drag out (especially as apparently the risks of CS are higher once you're beyond 7co dilated? check me! One consultation and am a bloody expert! ). I just don't think it would be fair on my DH or DS for that matter. As for the WBAC it is a no go and to be honest, the facilities are so limited that even if I got into the MW suite there's no guarantee it would be available for me to use. Plus, if am honest I am more nervous than last time so would find close proximity of medical staff quite reassuring

Ah that's really useful info about the 60/70% rates abigboydidit, I hadn't come across that one. They've said my likelihood of doing it is more than 70% because I got to 9cm last time but that will be if it kicks off naturally I should think. A bit like Bunting I'm sure the lack of ability to be mobile during labour because of monitoring put DD in a terrible position to be born in, and then I got stuck at that 9cm point for hours.

Like you support for childcare is dicey - PILs 2+ hours away once they get themselves together. There are friends that can help but it really depends on the time of day and whether they themselves have help. I can see why people want the assurance of knowing exactly when it will happen.

However. This is the last time I will give birth (I am 41 and we don't have room in our house for more!). I feel positive despite my last experience that my body is designed to do this. I feel that it's got the idea much more than last time - more tightenings, more niggling pains - so I'm hopeful. I know that I responded to contractions last time with panic, basically. This time I feel much more prepared to go 'with' the whole experience rather than against it. Those VBAC CDs have really contributed to this attitude. I'll keep you posted as to how it all goes. Last date I can give birth is 7 December, so not all that much time to wait!

Wow - really close then georgee. Good luck! It sounds like you have the right frame of mind which seems to be half the battle. I got a hand-me-down CD for natal hypnotherapy from a very kind MN-er so have been listening to that this afternoon with a bit more focus! Not sure if I should splurge on a the VBAC one too?

Oh - and my MW is lovely but can talk mince so hopefully the 60% bit was one of her more lucid moments (she did say it in front of the consultant and she didn't correct her so...)

Sounds awful bunty. Hope things go better for you this time.
Feeling down today after seeing MW as baby's still not head-down (I know it's early yet...) and my bp is up a bit (I got pre-e at 39 weeks with the last one). Probably worrying about nothing...

Thanks, askja - me, too!

abigboy the drip is the only way (and apparently the only 'safe' way) to induce labour - the pessary is too violent. Hence my leaning toward a section if we get to that stage. :( The MW unit and consultant unit are literally doors away from each other at my hospital, so I'm covered in case I do need intervention

Askja do try the spinning babies website. It worked for DS! And my cousin swears that reflexology got her baby to turn so that might be an option too?

Hadn't realised re drip Bunty. I know the pessaries were blummin agony so you're not mising out! My sister had the drip with her 2nd baby when things started to slow down and had a fairly normal birth experience. She did have an epidural just before they rigged her up though! Am like you and have ELCS as my plan B at several points during my birth plan. Guess you just have to be pragmatic about it and take things as they come. My consultant said that as long as it's carried out while you're less than 7cm dilated, the CS should still be fairly straightforward. Am clutching that straw!!

I'm 10 weeks but planning a HBVAC (not sure if that,s right - home birth) Have told my midwife and waiting for them to try and talk me out of it

I got to 9.5cm last time after days of labour with a back to back baby so think I would do better at home. They took me in theatre for forceps, saw I wasn't fully dilated and decided, whilst we're here... I was too fed up to argue by this point.

Thanks abigboy - I have had a look and started doing my daily inversion! I am only 31 weeks so there's lots of time yet for baby to get in the right place. I just worry as I'm fairly small she'll run out of room to turn quite soon.

HairyButtMonkey good for you on planning a HBVAC (HBAC?). DD1 would have been at home if things hadn't got complicated and I'm still very tempted this time, but not quite brave enough atm.

Try not to stress Askja (easier said than done I know!). With DS he was soooo late to turn and I was wearing this crazy support brace thingy which totally didn't help. In the end I felt him turn as I was walking one day and it was the most hideous sensation! I actually reached out to grab my bump as it felt like the baby was about to fall out. Wishful thinking it seems..

Just bumping in case any more prospective VBAC-ers want to join!

I had vbac at home 9 weeks ago! baby born in pool and alll went really well. abigboy, I have the hypnobirthing book and CD which I can send you if you pm me your address, I won't be needing them again!

Oh! That's so kind thedicewoman. And wonderful to hear about your home water birth. Congratulations!

Just found this thread and am so pleased. I am only 10weeks with dc2 and had an horrendous ecs with Ds. I just can't go through the labour or recovery I had again. I got to 9cms with no pain relief at all as was totally neglected when in labour so, so far my me says nobody will talk me out of vbac. Watching this thread with huge interest. I'm sure that experience is the reason I am already so, so anxious about this pregnancy. I'm toying with the idea of an early, private scan.
Will check out the links on here to find some good material to hopefully keep me sane.

Oh - welcome! I have found the facebook group (links in other thread) really supportive and some inspiring stories too!

Thought I would do a cheeky bump in case anyone else wanted to join?

Any chance you could paste the links on this thread. Having trouble finding them?? Thank you ever so