HBAC stories needed

[AngelaB]

I have just been to the second OB and still do not feel comfortable birthing my child in a hospital. I keep thinking that someone will try and pull a fast one on me. I am researching home birth and I must admit I am scared of that as well. I am not feeling confident in my ability to do this at home but I think that if something were to go wrong, it would most likely happen at the hospital.
I talked to the second OB (who is an hour away) and he said that however I wanted to have my baby was fine. He said that he would leave me alone unless there was an emergency. I told him that I would not come to the hospital until I was good and ready. He said that he was fine with that. He doesnt do routine epesiotomies and has experience with vaginal breech births also. So I should feel reassured but I dont ,not the way I was hoping.
The first OB wanted to give me an epidural the minute I walked in the door and he had to make sure I heard a horror story before he said he would support any decision I would make. The second doctor is more liberal and so is the college town where I would be laboring. But I just dont know. I dont think I have explored all the options.
I am also on the medical card and midwives only partialy are covered. And it depends on if the midwife takes the medical card. We could pay for it but I am nervous about the midwife being tainted by; the medical world.
Any words of wisdom are welcomed.
by the way if i choose to birth naturaly in a hospital and i have uterine instability, it will still take about 10 to 30 minutes to get the baby out by c in either facility. So having the baby at home wont really make the risk of things taking longer any greater.
AngelaB

[Mommy22B]

I just wanted to mention that we are on Medicaid and they wont cover my midwife. She is great about payment and is only charging $900. We are going to pay it from my dh's school grant this january. So don't worry too much about cost until you talk to a midwife. They are usually really flexible.
Good luck whatever you choose!
beth

[langdonslady]

I had a HBAC with a homebirth midwife who was not a CNM (had them the first time and was led down the garden path to induction, epi, and section) November 2007, and it was the best decision I ever made. The "pro-VBAC" OB I was seeing til I walked away never to return at 6 months, was very positive about VBAC at first, and by 6 months, was saying how she couldn't let me go a day past 40 weeks because of the terrible risk of rupture (I am sure she believed that) and so on and so forth. I knew I wasn't submitting myself to induction on a VBAC, or induction ever again unless there was something dire enough that it would be a last-ditch effort to avoid another section... but usually situations that dire are contraindicated for induction anyway.

So I hired my great homebirth midwife to whom a VBAC was just another vaginal birth (she had done many) and never looked back. Slept through early labor (or tried) and held off calling the mw till the wee hours of morning, and she said she'd be there around 10:30, expecting me to take a while as this was my first spontaneous labor. I roasted a turkey, labored standing and bending over with knees fanned through contractions. Had a labor pool that wasn't ready til I really needed it, which was a good thing because using one too early can slow progression or so they say.

I was the one who decided when, where, and how I labored and birthed, and the midwives were respectfully supportive and I "went within". He was born 10 lbs 2 oz. with nuchal hand and "en caul" (membranes never broke til after his head emerged still in the sac, even!) and although I can't say it was painless, nothing ever got as bad as only getting to 4 cm on the Pitocin had been the first time.

I birthed hands and knees at the foot of the bed, holding onto the cedar chest, and was first to pick him up, and carried him to the bed and got in with him. I never had the "birth high" I was expecting, and that was disappointing, but I think all my endorphins got used up in the very hard and fast involuntary pushing... it was like projectile vomiting in that the urge overtook me and all I could do was get my conscious mind out of the way and let the body do what it had to do. I think I had what Michel Odent called "fetal ejection reflex" going on.
He was born at 1:41 pm, and I had started active labor that morning, so all in all a fairly quick birth.

Last thing of distinction: I froze my placenta and had portions whirred up raw in the blender with spicy V-8 to mask the taste. I did this to see if it would indeed prevent or cure mood swings and fatigue, and it surpassed my wildest expectations, to the point that I still have a very old frozen chunk in the freezer, probably useless by now as it is not a deepfreeze, but I couldn't part with it. Probably will bury it beneath some planting that means a lot this Spring.

So that makes me the Top Crazy in most people's lists, but it was so helpful I always tell people because finding firsthand info about it is hard unless those who try it tell about it.
HBAC was the best decision ever! Placentophagy was awesome too and I would never skip it postpartum again. Wish I had known to do it first time around, but oh well.
The lasting gift of HBAC is that I get to be thrilled about his birthday every year for the rest of my life. I was on cloud nine for his first birthday, in contrast to DD's, in which I tried to focus entirely in her being one and forget entirely that it hadn't been a birth.
Hope to read your story when the time comes!

[catemom]

Thanks for this thread, I need to hear some great HBAC stories as well!

[octanebeetle27]

I also had a wonderful HBAC! I had several days of annoying prodromal labor and then it was about 14 hours from the time the "real deal" started until my baby was born. I expected it to be much faster given this was my second vaginal birth BUT it was totally bearable and a great experience. I absolutely loved being in my own home and not having anyone bug me about ANYTHING. Any worries I had about having an HBAC flew out the window once I had to concentrate on my labor. I labored wherever felt good and however I wanted(I swayed and vocalized a lot which I don't think I could have done with a stranger--nurse--in the room). I had a little path I stayed on--would labor on the toilet, next to my bed (never laying down--did not like that!), or in the fishy pool we set up outside my bedroom. It was all VERY calm and quiet (besides my noises). "Peaceful" would be a good way to describe my experience. And when it was all over, my family went to bed at the normal time we always do and woke the next morning with the older two kids back to their routine. Yeah, after having that experience, I wouldn't go to the hospital unless I absolutely had to.

It's one thing to have a few doubts and concerns about birthing at home but if you truly do not feel comfortable with that decision than I don't think you should do it. I would at least talk to a midwife and tell her your concerns and see how you feel afterwards. You might feel more confident if you can find a midwife with whom you feel comfortable with. Check on the tribe board on MDC and see if you can find someone in your area with good recommendations--if there isn't anything then start up a thread. And check on the birthing centers too--I had my prenatal care with a great birthing center team before my c-section (baby was breech). I also would recommend reading Peggy Vincent's book "Baby Catcher" and watching "The Business of Being Born." Get into a homebirth mood and see how you feel!

Good luck!

[barefootpoetry]

My HBAC story is in my siggie! It's WAY too long to post here.

[txgal]

You can read my HBAC birth story here

[azzeps]

barefootpoetry - holy crap that is one heck of a birth story! I was on the edge of my seat! I hope someday I can do that too.

[barefootpoetry]

Originally Posted by azzeps

barefootpoetry - holy crap that is one heck of a birth story! I was on the edge of my seat! I hope someday I can do that too.

Thank you! You CAN do it! Believe me, if I can, anyone can!

[Mooney]

Here's mine.

[isabchi]

Originally Posted by langdonslady

I had a HBAC with a homebirth midwife who was not a CNM (had them the first time and was led down the garden path to induction, epi, and section) November 2007, and it was the best decision I ever made. The "pro-VBAC" OB I was seeing til I walked away never to return at 6 months, was very positive about VBAC at first, and by 6 months, was saying how she couldn't let me go a day past 40 weeks because of the terrible risk of rupture (I am sure she believed that) and so on and so forth. I knew I wasn't submitting myself to induction on a VBAC, or induction ever again unless there was something dire enough that it would be a last-ditch effort to avoid another section... but usually situations that dire are contraindicated for induction anyway.

So I hired my great homebirth midwife to whom a VBAC was just another vaginal birth (she had done many) and never looked back. Slept through early labor (or tried) and held off calling the mw till the wee hours of morning, and she said she'd be there around 10:30, expecting me to take a while as this was my first spontaneous labor. I roasted a turkey, labored standing and bending over with knees fanned through contractions. Had a labor pool that wasn't ready til I really needed it, which was a good thing because using one too early can slow progression or so they say.

I was the one who decided when, where, and how I labored and birthed, and the midwives were respectfully supportive and I "went within". He was born 10 lbs 2 oz. with nuchal hand and "en caul" (membranes never broke til after his head emerged still in the sac, even!) and although I can't say it was painless, nothing ever got as bad as only getting to 4 cm on the Pitocin had been the first time.

I birthed hands and knees at the foot of the bed, holding onto the cedar chest, and was first to pick him up, and carried him to the bed and got in with him. I never had the "birth high" I was expecting, and that was disappointing, but I think all my endorphins got used up in the very hard and fast involuntary pushing... it was like projectile vomiting in that the urge overtook me and all I could do was get my conscious mind out of the way and let the body do what it had to do. I think I had what Michel Odent called "fetal ejection reflex" going on.
He was born at 1:41 pm, and I had started active labor that morning, so all in all a fairly quick birth.

Last thing of distinction: I froze my placenta and had portions whirred up raw in the blender with spicy V-8 to mask the taste. I did this to see if it would indeed prevent or cure mood swings and fatigue, and it surpassed my wildest expectations, to the point that I still have a very old frozen chunk in the freezer, probably useless by now as it is not a deepfreeze, but I couldn't part with it. Probably will bury it beneath some planting that means a lot this Spring.

So that makes me the Top Crazy in most people's lists, but it was so helpful I always tell people because finding firsthand info about it is hard unless those who try it tell about it.
HBAC was the best decision ever! Placentophagy was awesome too and I would never skip it postpartum again. Wish I had known to do it first time around, but oh well.
The lasting gift of HBAC is that I get to be thrilled about his birthday every year for the rest of my life. I was on cloud nine for his first birthday, in contrast to DD's, in which I tried to focus entirely in her being one and forget entirely that it hadn't been a birth.
Hope to read your story when the time comes!

OMG!!! Your story is pretty much as my. :

[chann96]

Another HBAC here. Labor lasted about 30 hours and I swear it felt like I was in transition twice. The first time was about 16 hours before he was born. Then again right before he was born. The first go-round when it wasn't transition the contractions were just as strong and on top of each other as they were in actual transition. My uterus got a real work out.

I had a CPM. She and apprentice midwife were great. Really helped me through the rough spots. It was definitely the best choice for me. I was absolutely exhausted after about 24 hours of labor. I was really feeling down. My apprentice midwife had to go check on another client and brought back some food. I laid on my bed with my husband and ate something and talked with him. We made the decision at that point for me to get a drop of pitocin just to get things moving again. The food really revived me, but I didn't have the energy to labor for another night. I have no doubt whatsoever though that had I been in a hospital I would had another c-section. I wouldn't have been allowed to eat and even with the large amounts of pitocin they would have given me in the hospital I probably would not have had the energy to push out the baby.

In the end he actually came out so fast that he slid onto the floor. LOL Then I was able to climb onto the bed and cuddle with him immediately. My husband and daughter were right there with me. I ate some chicken noodle soup that I had made, got stitched up (as I had a fair bit of tearing), and went to sleep in my own bed with my whole family. It was a long, hard labor and hadn't been ideal, but I am very very happy I chose to have an HBAC.

[JFTB1177]

These are fantastic and much needed as I am almost 40 weeks and planning my own HBAC!!!! Please keep the positive HBAC stories coming, they really are an inspiration and comfort!!!!

Maybe this should be made a sticky???