Advice please - VBAC positive experiences

[countrylover]

I am nearly 29 weeks and have reasonably certain all along that I wanted an elective c-section.

My last 'labour' was three days long (but barely got to 4cm) only to discover DS had a heart problem (SVT) and needed to be whipped out quick smart. It resulted in a rushed c-section, excessive blood loss for me, an allergic reaction to morphine and most distressingly DS in SCBU for 17 days. Added to that I didn't get to hold or breast feed DS for five days as he had so many tubes etc.

So, as you can imagine I'm shit scared and my thinking was that if I have an elective at least I will be 'in control' this time, I'll know what to expect, I won't have been awake solidly for three days previously and therefore off my head anyway and all will be hunky dory.

I met with the consultant today for what I thought would be a routine discussion and a tick in the box for another c-section.

Oh no, 'fraid not - he said there's no medical reason why I shouldn't try for a VBAC. Which is quite true, my reasons are purely emotional.

So, I need to hear about VBAC's which have gone well or as well as can be expected. Because ultimately in my heart of hearts, that's what I want...a natural birth and the joy of having done it 'on my own' and most importantly to be able to hold my newborn skin on skin within those first precious few seconds. I know there are no guarantees but to hear how it has gone well for others would help me make up my mind.

Bumping for you. Best wishes.

Bumping for you....no advice I'm afraid but in the exact same position - am 35 weeks & have to decide in next two weeks if we will try for VBAC. Scary isnt it! I would love to have a successful VBAC but the thought of trying again & it all going wrong is not appealing.
I like the thought of my body deciding when baby is ready to come out, & all those hormones being given a chance to kickstart as they should. The last consultant I saw put me off by saying I wouldnt be allowed to labour for days like last time (which should be a good thing!) & that they monitor v closely for scar rupture etc, & if you havent dilated to the expected amount by a certain period of time (total time around 8 hours I think) then they call time on the process & do an emergency section. I hate the idea I am on the clock to progress & feel like it's a bit of a countdown to failure - might be because she phrased it so negatively. Apparently stats are around 60-68% of women have a successful VBAC after section & the number would be higher still if it werent for the fact they 'call time' after a period of time as they do. Anyway, this is what they do at my hospital (Royal Free in Hampstead) & I guess different ones have different guidelines.

I had an emergency section with dd1 and was in a dilemma about having an elective c section with dd2. Thank god I didnt I had the most amazing vbac.Pains started around 5am and she was born by lunchtime. It was painful but the feeling when she came out was incredible and made me realise how much I had missed out on by having had a c section the first time. The recovery is so much quicker too.

The fact you laboured abit for the first birth despite having a c section may well make this birth really be like a second birth which (in my experience and others I know)is usually easier than the first.

Hiya i had a VBAC in 2007 with Ds 2(21Mons).I was very nervous due to almost dying with fist Ds now 11yrs after being rushed down to Emergency C Section after being in labour for 3 days also, but they realised last minute he was breech and no way of being born naturally. I was like you wanting a c sec again but was reassured and closely monitored through out pregnancy, I had a trial Labour which went smoothly thank god. I was told if i went over a certain time i would be taken for c section if any problems occurred, but thankfully all was well. I am glad i did it too. I am now expecting again in July and am having regular apts with consultant. Hope this helps x x

I had a fantastic VBAC (it was also a home waterbirth) last September. It was the best bloody experience of my life and I would do it again tomorrow.

I'll go and find my birth story and post it on this thread for you.

here it is.

Good luck, if you prepare your body and mind, all will be well.

I was terrified before but I am so glad I did it.

I still had epidural as it was so long but I could feel a lot and I pushed him out and it was AMAZING.

I also had a VBAC and again it was the most positive experience for me. I had a sweep on the Friday but consultant said my cervix wasn't long enough (?) so was booked in for an elective on the Tuesday as I didnt want to be induced (bad experience for me 1st time round, which is why i think i ended up having a section in the 1st place!)Saturday morning i had my show and sunday went into labour.
Even tho is was awfully painful I was so glad i was able to do it naturally (well with a little help from gas and air and an epi) as i really didn't want to go thru another section, and found it such a wonderful experience. When i had the section 1st time, I personally, really felt I had been robbed of the experience of giving birth naturally so was determined as hell to do, and am so glad I did. It really is a wonderful experience and I'm hoping for the same this time aswell.

Superjump - I must admit I'm put off by the consultant saying the same thing, that failure to progress within a certain amount of time will result in a c-section anyway. It doesn't fill me with much hope given that I spent three days to get to 4cm in what I would call labour and they would call pre-labour. It felt like labour to me as I had contractions every ten minutes for 72 hours. I'm hardly a candidate for routine progression of labour.

Iliketomoveit - your VBAC sounds like my ideal scenario and I'm so pleased for you. It sounds amazing! Just out of interest what were your reasons for the original c-section if you don't mind me asking? It's just that I'm not convinced that my body is designed to labour that quickly given my past experience. Also, did you have to fight to have a home birth? The consultant said he would advise against it for VBAC's. Finally I thought you had to be monitored all the time so how did they do that when you were in the pool - did you have to keep getting out?

Thanks to everyone else for their positive stories and if there are any more then keep them coming...

Hi i'm in the same situation as you countrylover and i'm 30 weeks. I did get to 9cm with ds but it had taken around 36 hours, then he became distressed and my cervix started to swell up. I would really like a vbac but am worried that if i don't progress quickly enough that i will be whipped off to theatre. I have been told that i will have to be continually monitored which also worries me because with ds i had an epidural on day2 after my induction so i was flat on my back. Im convinced that lying flat caused ds to get in the wrong postion so my cervix swelled up. My mw has told me that when i get to hospital that i insist that they let me move around and get up between monitoring. Or even asked to be monitored in a sitting postion rather than flat on my back. So fingers crossed!

bumping for any more happy VBAC's?

Hi I don't know if you girls have seen the long running support for imminent VBACers thread in childbirth? here. On the 1st or 2nd page there is a list of good information resources for VBAC and lots of peoples experiences along the way. For myself I have a VBAC in October, it was induced and a ventouse but for me a very positive experience and wiped away a lot of the hang ups I had from my previous cs.
Wishing you all the best of luck for your births

Fantastic - thanks x