Successful VBAC experiences

[maybeitsbecauseimalndr]

My second baby is due in just over 2 weeks. I have a 3 year old and whilst I had planned for a very natural vaginal birth the first time round, I ended up having to have an emergency C section due to meconium in my waters.

As my second birth approaches I have started to feel increasingly nervous about my planned VBAC. Multiple conversations with consultants about the risk of rupture have started to make me nervous and whilst the risk of rupture is 1 in every 200/300 VBACs the constant conversation around it has started to worry me and make me focus on the fear of this rather than the positives.

Is anybody able to share any successful VBAC stories - perhaps with a similar timeframe between births. Feeling like I need to reframe things and reinstall my confidence in myself and that everything will be ok.

I had a 3 year 1 week age gap between my first planned cesarean (tricky breech position) and then my vbac. I went into labour spontaneously at 30+6 (actually had both an induction and a cesarean booked in for the following week). It was precipitous labour and pretty shocking, I had a morphine injection and baby had shoulder dystocia, but the midwives and doctors were great, and my recovery was incredible! I really suffered after my cesarean with mobility and pain for a long time, after the vbac, I was just a little sore. It was the best choice for us, especially my hyperactive first born.

Good luck!

I had a vbac 22 months after an emergency c section. It was brilliant. I did loads of hypnobirthing stuff to get me in the right mindset- but always tempered with the fact that if necessary it would be another C - and I spoke to a doula and really thought about how I felt about all the aspects of the situation. I collected positive birth stories from all my friends and Mumsnet (everyone wants to share the horror stories but you just need good ones!) and I spoke to the midwives who were very supportive. My recovery was a lot faster than with the C-section and I felt like an Amazon after it! A couple of years later I had another emergency C-section but I used lots of the hypnobirthing techniques to keep me calm and all the reflection and processing I did between 1 and 2 was useful for my mental health.

Good luck, OP, whatever happens.

I attempted a VBAC and ended up with a 2nd emergency Caesarean. there was 18months between the births. The caesarean went well.-

I had a successful VBAC 26 months after the EMCS that delivered my first child.

It was tough as I early stages of labour that lasted lasted a few days. But in the end it was an amazing experience and much easier recover than the section.

It will be like giving birth for the first time in most cases. I've been assured next time round will be much faster.

Don't go / call hospital until you're at the point you absolutely need to. More dilated you are before reaching hospital, the better your chances.

16 months on from VBAC, I'm 8W pregnant, I've been advised that I'll still be handled as a VBAC.

Thank you for sharing a positive experience!