C-Section or Vbac

[Rose96]

Hello. I'm currently pregnant again with my rainbow baby.

My first birth ended in a emergency csection due to baby heart rate. When speaking to the consultant about my first birth I did get to 10cm it was just the last part that baby wasnt happy. My 2nd baby was born at 18 weeks following an induction.

Now I need to decide how this baby is coming out. Consultant says I'm an ideal candidate for a csection but just would like other people's experience on what they choose.

Thanks 😊

I was really set on VBAC because I didn’t want the C-section recovery with a toddler and I was due very late August so wanted the best chance of a September baby. However, my second baby was breech for most of the pregnancy so I got to the point where I accepted I’d be having a section. Then at 37 weeks she flipped so I unexpectedly went into the consultant appointment with options. After discussing it, I decided to book a section for after my due date so if things started naturally I’d go for VBAC, otherwise have a section. In the end, I went into labour a few hours before but just had the section. A planned section is much better than an emergency and the recovery was actually fine! I know people who’ve gone for both options and they’ve all been happy with their choice so I think it really is just personal preference.

Hello!

Much like you, I got to 10cm with my first and then needed an EMCS. It was an awful recovery. Although it was also an induction and ended up lasting 5 days…. I swore I’d never have another induction.

But then I did end up having a VBAC induction with my second last month, and luckily it went very quickly and smoothly, and recovery was insanely quick. I’m so glad I went for a VBAC as initially I was leaning toward a planned c section.

It’s a very personal decision. Has your consultant said you’d make a good VBAC candidate, too?

I would get on the list for an elective in any event. If you go into natural labour before fair enough but as you get closer to your due date you have that booked in so can opt for the elective.

I have heard people say c section recovery is awful but then I have heard some say it wasn’t too bad. Vbac providing no trauma has the best recovery in my experience but heavy on the no trauma.

VBAC, most definitely, having had both myself. Recovery was so much faster! I had booked an elective CS for baby No. 2, but she ended up arriving naturally two days beforehand.

Personally with your history I’d play safe and go for the section as suggested by your consultant.
I’ve had two. You already know what to expect recovery wise. An elcs is much calmer and controlled than an emcs. DH was able to cut the cord, I had skin to skin straight away and breast fed in the recovery room.

Section

First was an EMCS due to failure to progress so it was calm and my recovery was straightforward although took a number of weeks.
Second C Sec was booked in for due date but I was more than happy to try for VBAC if I went into labour prior to that date, which I did at 37 weeks. VBAC was a walk in the park compared to first birth and I felt recovered in days.
I'm not having a third but if I was it would be VBAC without a doubt.

I had EMCS under GA, VBAC, failed VBAC leading to EMCS under GA, and planned ELCS that ended up being yet another EMCS. The VBAC was the best delivery and I wish all of my births could have gone that way.

ive Had 3 labours. The worst by far was my first with episiotomy vaginal delivery. They sewed me up wonky, I had an extra hole, refused to do anything about it as I wasn’t able to say I was done having kids. Sex and tampons and sitting on a bike etc hurt till I’d given birth again and that baby ripped it and I healed correctly. Second again I had terrible care and basically gave birth on the corridor because they told me I wasn’t in labour and they were too busy. But because I essentially gave birth alone without medical interventions it was by far the least painful delivery and the fasted recovery. My last baby I got to 10 then had an emergency c section. It was as traumatic as my first labour the quality of care was just shit. I e been left with long term damage from the attempt at vaginal delivery before the section where complications were missed because I was being told to stop making such a big deal and there was nothing wrong. There was and now I have to use a catheter to piss because they would believe me when I said the pain was wrong. The section itself was not great but compared to the horror of my first the recovery wasn’t so bad.

in a world where I was confident I’d get good maternity and labour care I’d prefer natural labour. In the world I live in with the care I know I will receive I will never have another vaginal delivery and will oppt for planned section. Any risk to my baby that would be exacerbated by overstretched staff and mistakes in labour I’m not risking