Hi all,
Can I get your VBAC experiences please? Bit of a backstory not sure if it's relevant...
I'm pregnant (with a very much surprise baby #5). My first 3 were intervention free, typical births no real problems with the births. Baby 4 was very different, my bump growth all the way through wasn't good (but I've always measured small and had decent sized babies) at just after 40 weeks my midwife referred me for another growth scan and I had some reduced waters. The hospital basically said stay in for an induction as I was overdue already by a few days. This was hell, basically the hospital were understaffed, the tablet did nothing and they kept repeating it for 5 days, they had intended to break my waters on day 2 but staffing issues meant it was a fiasco.
Day 5 I lost it and said I was going home if they didn't do something, my heart rate had been tachi for 5 days through stress and I hadn't dilated, plus had to endure about 282648 bastard cervical examinations (absolutely horrendous as someone who's experienced sexual assault previously but besides the point). My waters were broke due to baby's heartbeat becoming erratic and I was put on the drip. This worked well and labour was progressing but out of nowhere baby's heartrate plummeted, I had to have a crash c section under general anaesthetic due to the urgency and it was horrendous. Literally the worst experience of my life, student midwives crying and the last thing I heard was that they could only find maternal heartbeat. Anyway I came around and baby had been born, she was by some miracle absolutely fine, the consultant couldn't find any reason for what had happened and we were discharged 24 hours later. Consultant did comment that there was no fluid at all around my daughter which was odd as I'd been wearing pads and had no apparent loss.
Of relevance is that my daughter was later diagnosed with Turner Syndrome and only had a 2% chance of being born alive (we were blissfully unaware) and her paediatrician is unsure if the birth issues could maybe be attributed to that.
It'll be over 2.5 years since my section when this baby is due, I really really do not want another c section, but more than that I don't want another induction. I'm scared to go back to the hospital my daughter was born in because of the PTSD, the recovery was the pits and generally it was all just a real shit time. Obviously decision making will be done along with what is recommended as safe by my consultant but could I potentially ask to wait until 40+7 to try and have baby naturally then if it doesn't happen have a planned section rather than go through another induction. I'd really appreciate others experiences.
Sorry this was a really long message, I didn't mean to post this much but it was cathartic writing it down for the first time 🙈