Any VBAC stories- positive or negative

[BabyG123]

What it says really. Just want some insight. My first will only be 1 when I have the next.

Thanks

I don’t have a personal story (I’m sure there will be lots to follow though) - just wondered whether you had already talked it through with an obstetrician and your midwife? 1 year would be considered a fairly short gap and you may be advised that your risk of VBAC complications is higher because of that. Could go on but I think you’re more keen on personal experiences! Good luck with your decision either way :)

@TenThousandSpoons0 thank you for the reply. I have a over the phone appointment this week but hoping for stories and opinions to gather more info and questions as I have no idea where to start 🤣

I have had two successful VBACs and am hoping to have a third with thi time.
The first time I was anxious. I had sweeps from 38 weeks and my waters broke at 40+3. The labour was quick. Pains started at around midnight. I had a bath, went into hospital for 4am and she was born by 10am.
DC3 I was induced at 39 weeks due to high BP. Again. Contractions got going at about 6pm she was born 1am.
Both times I stayed very mobile, stood up thoughout. I was adamant that despite the fact they needed to constantly monitor baby, I was going to be active and vertical and I believe this really helped.
It was lovely to be mobile straight away to enjoy my babies and I could get that skin to skin time and bf straight away which I couldn't do with my EMCS.

Oh, my gap from EMCS to first VBAC was 18 months.

@Grumpy19 thank you, what a good outcome. Thank you for the mobile advice too!

@Grumpy19 and I ask why your first was a c section?

Mine got stuck and had reduced movements but I had a anterior placenta and I think this is why the movements were reduced as I feel this baby a lot more and only 18w

I had a successful one, although further apart than you. The success is often based on the reason for your EMCS in the first place. If it was for positioning rather than failure to progress, that bodes well. I had a good recovery from EMCS but I was still up and about quicker after the VBAC, even though I had a bad tear that required stitching in theatre.

However, I think you need to ask some questions specifically about the length of time since your last birth as I believe that can affect the advice you are given.

Hi OP,

There's 10.5 months between my two.
My first was an EMCS, failure to progress and I was in labour for 3 days, spiked a temperature and babies heart rate dropped a little. I think in those 3 days of (absolute agony!) contractions I only got to 3cm.

I am terrible with pain though, and I think a lot of things that happened probably didn't help me to dilate.

With the second baby the consultants actually did still try to push me for a VBAC!
I said I didn't want one, but I eventually agreed that if I went into active labour I would try for a VBAC, but if it was progressing the way my son did I would want a C section.

We booked in a Csection date anyway, but unfortunately for baby decided to come early!

Again, after 2 days of consistent contractions I was only 1cm. The contractions were unbearable. The consultant tried to convince me to go for VBAC but as I didn't want to end up with an EMCS I said no and so we had a lovely calm C-section which I don't regret!

So I think it depends on what your previous experience was like, the reason for you c section and what you'd like to do.

I think the consultants would still consider a VBAC for you if they did for me with a smaller gap.

Good luck OP

Reason for EMCS was failure to progress. I got to 9cm but babies heart beat dropped of the chart and wouldn't recover so they dashed me off. He was also back to back which I think slowed things down.
Just because you labour slowly/ have failure to progress once doesn't mean it will happen the next time.

I had an emcs first time after a week of labour including the drip and only made it to 7cm. DS was too big to descend.
I decided I wanted a c section for my second and booked one for 39 weeks.
I then had huge second thoughts the week before and was a nervous wreck, labour started a few day after and was progressing quite quickly and I decided to give labour a go. I had a normal virginal delivery took 12 hours in hospital. I went in earlier than I would have liked at 3cm because of the previous c section. I wasn’t very active in labour and stayed on the bed. DD was a pound smaller than DS, if she’d been any bigger I would have struggled.

If a vbac do they let you go to due date or early?

I can ask this Thursday if noones knows

Thanks ladies-

I had reduced movements so they induced me at 37 weeks and it failed so had to go to c section. He Also Measured big.

I really want to go for vbac this time so these posts are helping

I went over 40+4 (but went into labour at 40+3) with my first VBAC. I did get earlier sweeps from 38 weeks to try to help avoid going over. Midwife has said I'll get early sweeps again this time.
VBAC 2 was born at 39 weeks.

If there’s no other reason to get baby out earlier, then you can go overdue - as much as you’re comfortable with.
Essentially you can choose - I know lots of people who have planned to VBAC if they labour before say 41 weeks, but booked their CS for 41 weeks as a sort of “end date”.
They should be able to talk through your last labour/delivery with you and try to predict to some degree what will be most likely this time. Failed induction isn’t necessarily something that will happen again so that’s good - but you may end up with a big baby again! You do have the option of making a plan but revisiting it later on, say if baby is particularly big at 36-37 weeks or so. You can change your mind either way at any point pretty much.

🙋🏼‍♀️me! I had my VBA2C 5 months ago and it was the most amazing and empowering experience. I had to fight and dig my heels in with the consultant to get them to listen and accept my requests ( which they bent over backwards to do once I threatened to have a home birth haha) I had a sweep at 39 weeks, my request as I had been having stop start contractions for a few nights. Then had a second seeep on the Thursday three hours later with both my big boys home I was contracting strongly, I tried to cook a cake with them to distract me haha didn't work. Went to hospital about 7pm stayed over night on a ward as things slowed down and I was nervous to go home due to my history. In morning I was 5 cm I had requested an examination. They were totally hands off me the whole night and morning. It was great 🙂then I asked for my waters to be broken at 1 pm as things had slowed down a bit. I have to say at this point I had just been going through contractions with deep breathing and my Hypnobirthing music and birthing ball. Then at 5 suddenly baby shifted felt urge to push started transitioning and asked for gas and air. I was 6cm but very pushy then baby passed meconium and I kept telling them the urge to push was unreal, had gone to fully dilated in space of a few minutes hence why baby got shocked. The whole time I managed with gas and air and by 630 baby girl was born with help of forceps as she was a bit distressed. Amazing experience and recovery was great could not have asked for a better delivery. Hope this helps xxxxx

I had EMCS with first baby at 37 weeks after getting to 10cm and his heart rate dropping. He was 14 months when I had my VBAC! I had been given an ECS date (40+1), but wasn't needed. Baby came a few hours before the scheduled section. Hoping for another one now 2 years later. I did tear and need to go to theatre but not related to having had a previous section.

Love these stories. Thank you girls 😘

I have to agree @BabyG123, it is so lovely to read stories of positive VBACs. I have often found myself in the minority when it comes to the VBAC vs ELCS question but I think VBAC can be a wonderful experience and actually (for me) quite an emotionally healing experience after an EMCS.

I was very keen for a vbac and the hospital were very supportive. I was consultant led due to what happened in my first birth. I was allowed to wait for labour until 40+10 days. Then I would have been offered inducti0n.

Unfortunately things went very wrong again and I had to have an emergency section at 40+5. However, it was a lot calmer than my first which was a category 1 crash section!!

I did lots of hypnobirthing practise in preparation for the vbac and it really helped to keep me calm when things didn't got the way I had hoped.

They weren’t going to let me go overdue because we weren’t totally sure of my dates and I had a big baby, for me, the first time.

I've had three successful VBACS following an ELCS due to breech. I needed no assistance during delivery. I was monitored throughout though which wasn't a problem for me. I hated the ELCS recovery though so was relieved when the VBACS were successful.

This is exactly why I'm swaying to vbac.

My recovery was awful from the c section. A very stubborn infection that took 4 weeks to heal closed, was so painful, concerning and also embarrassing as infections do smell!

Not driving for 10 weeks in the end because of infection and I live in the middle of nowhere. 😳

Had my midwife chat all positive and going ahead with vbac. Scan 4 hours later- baby footling breech 🤦🏻‍♀️

Hopefully it'll move 🤪

Aww. Typical. Hopefully baby will move asap! Lots of walking and bouncing on birthing ball if you have one.
Good luck.

I'll defo get bouncing! Thank you!

Good to have a decision :) you’re only 19 weeks or so right? Don’t worry at all about baby’s position until at least 32 weeks - she/he will be changing position all the time :)