Anyone here stuck with having a C/S

[kerrybennysmama]

Just curious.... I had a CS with my first, not planned, basically chose my provider unwisely, had no doula, water broke, no labor, failed to progress and you know how the story goes.

My second I changed providers, hired a doula, had a great experience and felt empowered, but despite our best efforts couldnt get the baby in the right position and I ended up with another CS.

So now I am pregnant with my third with not a lot of time between pregnancies so I am thinking I will probably have another CS due to concerns about uterine rupture. I dont even know if people try to VBAC after two previous C/S. Anyway I think I will be okay even if I have another CS for I learned to see having a CS as still birthing even if its not my first choice.

Although I will be excited to read the natural birth stories that will come from the other mamas on the board.

[MrsReady2bMama]

Hi there!

I had a c/s with my first. She was breech, so I agreed with my dr.'s recommendation to go ahead with a c/s. I agree wholeheartedly with you - I certainly still feel like I birthed my daughter! And I was lucky enough that my water broke a week before my scheduled date -- it was always important to me that my child "choose" their own birthday.

I will probably go on the advice of my dr. this time around too, whichever that may be. The kids will be pretty much exactly 2 years apart, so I could see her recommending a c/s. We will see how I feel as it approaches.

Just wanted you to know you're not alone with a possible c/s on MDC!

~ Gina

[mollusk]

i had a CS with ds, for his birth it apparently saved his little life and so i've never looked back with regret.
but dh and i have been chatting about vbac vs CS...thurs i go for my 1st apt with a new doctor. i will be curious to what she has to say but if CS is pushed i would like to go into labor naturally and then be taken. i have no interest in a planned date, i would at least like the baby to let me know he or she is ready. dh strongly agrees. is this an unrealistic request?

we are interested in vbac.
the birthing center in our area i heard does not support vbacs, but i will have to do more research on it. i would waaay rather have a midwife for my apts and esp if i'm not having a section.

but i'd like to feel like dh and i felt like we had the chance to chose our birth pref and not feel pressured by a surgeon, yk?
i'll be curious to see how quickly it is brought up by her.....we'll see thursday

[ShwarmaQueen]

Originally Posted by kerrybennysmama

I dont even know if people try to VBAC after two previous C/S.

Plenty of mammas go on to have VBA2C. Just hang around the VBAC forum and read the birthstories! Just FYI, the risk of rupture is just a tiny bit higher for VBA2C, still much lower than complications from a c/s. You still have time to research and consider!

[Charlize]

Not from your DDC, but thought I would add my two cents for what it's worth. (I'm kinda in the same perdicament as you.)

With DD1, I had a natural vaginal birth due to pre-eclampsia. I had to have an emergency surgery afterwards due to excessive tearing. Mind you, DD was only 5 lbs, 2 oz. With DD2, my new OB thought she was going to be quite a bit bigger and felt a C/S was the way to go. I was completely agreeable on this decision, btw. My C/S went great. I am having baby #3 in mid October. I went for an u/s at 7 weeks. During that time, my OB noticed a uterine scar. She told me VBAC may be an option, but a scar is something that must be watched closely. She is very supportive of VBACs, so if you find the right OB/MW, you might get your VBAC afterall. She also went on to say it is recommended by the OB and GYN association (I think that's who) that the hospital has a staff that can be immediately available in the event a VBAC does not go as planned.

I wouldn't fret too much at this point. Let your OB/MW know your feelings. Then take things one step at a time. In the end, everyone involved will know what's best/safest. And remember, if you don't feel comfortable with something, never be afraid to speak up!

Good luck to you

[mommato5]

Do what you gotta do! In the end, your babies are still coming from your body and being birthed. Having a c/section doesn't make you less of a mom.

This is my way of an attempted pep talk while exhausted.

[kerrybennysmama]

Thanks for all the encouragement. I am going to chill for a while and see how things go. I will research my options, talk to my previous doula and maybwe just through it out there causually to my OB. I would like to go into labor on my own and even labor for awhile even if its determined that a CS in the bes in the end.

[Victorian patch]

Usually in my country after one c/s you can have a natural birth. But when already have 2 c/s women know that with the 3rd one is going to be a c/s.

Some Girls feels comfortable with the c/s, I was horrible, all the experiences are personal.

My first birth was a c/s too, my amniotic liquid was over so it was an emergency c/s, don't know what is to be nervous or feeling any of the usual symptoms.

Now I'm wishing having a natural Birth this time, my Doctor is absolutely in the natural way, but he was honestly with me and remind me that I am a high risk pregnancy with my references with the pregnancy before, but we are going to try to get to the natural way.

[sahmama_12]

VBA2C is totally possible... many factors but it may be worth seeking out a VBAC friendly provider to make sure if you get a c-section it is necessary... the recovery time is a bit easier on your body.

Mollusk: I don't think your expectation is unrealistic. It is better for the baby if labour begins first. You might want to find a doctor who's willing to give you a true TOL depending on your individual situation as your pregnancy progresses. It is proven babies have less breathing problems when a c/s is done after labour has been started spontenously.

[Daisytattoo]

I am in the same situation.

Baby #1: 9 days overdue, 9.6 pounds and in frank breech position. No way was I pushing her out! Also, I had not dilated AT ALL and had not one single braxton hicks contraction!

C/S went very well, went home 2 days later feeling great!

Baby #2: Elected C/S on the recommendation of 2 doctors. Found out that this baby was also in breech position so I likely would have chosen one anyway due to that. (Yes, I know you can naturally deliver a breech baby--but considering I had never labored before and had the previous C/S I don't think pushing a breech baby out would have been a wise decision). I had her 2 weeks early at 8.2 pounds. Had a horrible experience with multiple complications afterward.

Baby #3: As much as I would LOVE to naturally birth this baby I am very scared of uterine rupture. If I had given birth naturally before (or even attempted laboring before) then I'd consider it. But since I have never even had one single contraction it scares me to think of what may happen during delivery.

I am also scared of experiencing the same complications as with my last C/S. We are preparing to move this year and will likely be in another state at a much larger hospital so I am hoping that the care will be much better as well. My doctor was great, but honestly the nurses almost killed me (literally!) by giving me too much medication.

I'm trying not to worry too much about it right now! I'll have time to worry about that later!

[MamaMonica]

Moved to Birth and Beyond.

[Storm Bride]

My story's not a happy one. I tried for a VBA3C almost a year and a half ago, and my son was stillborn. He died during labour. However, we don't know why. We do know that my uterus didn't rupture - it was in great shape until they cut it again.

I'm having another c-section. It's going to be my fifth. I try not to think about it too much. I'm having it because a) that was the deal with dh, before he'd agree to another baby - he went through hell wondering if I'd be okay and seeing me holding our dead son, b) after the way things went last time, I'm pretty sure I'd have CPS and the police in my face again if I tried to avoid another c/s by birthing at home, c) my pregnancies with dh have all been post-dates, and the babies have been big, so "care" providers get into a flap and fighting during pregnancy gets old fast, and c) at least a c/s is over quickly, so I don't have to put up with abusive hospital crap as long as I would if I tried to labour for a VBAmC there.

I'm not happy about it. I do feel stuck. My recoveries haven't all been the same, and after the nerve damage from having ds2 (probably permanent - he's 3.5), I'm truly terrified of what will happen to my body this time. However, they broke me. I don't have any fight left. The ironic thing is that everybody and their dog thinks I'm doing this because it's "best for the baby" - and I don't think that at all. I think, for a variety of reasons, that it's best for the rest of my family - dh and my already living children. I don't think it's best (or even good) for me or for baby-under-construction.

[spu]

oh mama, your experiences are exactly like mine... and my third pregnancy was a vba2c. Here's what happened...

my first was just as you described... I was pg with twins seeing a perinatologist. Wonderful for the pregnancy since I almost lost them at 18w... but despite my agreement for an induction, my long long labor ended in a c.

for my second pregnancy, I started off seeing the same peri, but he was too adamant about another c, so I switched to a mw practice at a different smaller hospital. took a private bradley class, hired the instructor as our doula, labored naturally, did everything right.. At almost 42w, DS was just stuck - 10 lbs 3 oz, posterior, asynclitic, and wedged in there... started showing signs of unresponsiveness to stimulus, so we ended in another c.

for my third pregnancy, which was completely unplanned (I became pg 5 mos after my recent c...), I went back to the same mw practice, and built my concerns for a 3rd c... I spent most of my visits with one of two mw's who really got to know me and my concerns, and they were very encouraging along the way. At my 38w appt, I had an u/s to guestimate the size which was showing up at 8 lbs 1 oz. My cervix was about 2-3 cm and soft and squishy, so I asked for a sweep since I went so late last time around... lo and behold, DS came that night, after 35 minutes of pushing.

I can say, though, that all throughout my third pregnancy, when faced with the pros and cons of a repeat c versus a vba2c, I still worried that major surgery would lend more complications that were scary to me, and if surgery was not necessary, I didn't want to choose it. I decided I would labor naturally and remain open to plan b should anything begin to arise... it's so hard to know what to do when you're reading so much and worrying so much. I had an ifm with the volume turned to ver low, which was very reassuring, as it can detect subtleties that I wouldn't even notice and I could turn inward and allow my body to do what it wanted without looking at a machine or listening to loud noises or nurses faces watching the box instead of me...

funny thing was, though, while driving to the hospital at 1:30 am, in transition for sure, I said one way or another, this baby would be born by 9 am...

and keep reminding yourself that every pregnancy is different, and your next will have a completely different story as well.

and you're absolutely right - having a c is having a birth. you still birthed your baby. You gave birth. You can still have a beautiful birth with a c. Make a birth plan to include wonderful things you'd like as part of your c experience. It helps so much. Special music. Special blankets, notes, memories, pictures... have the anesthes. narrate what's going on, ask for your arms free, ask to hold the baby before they do all the stuff... make it personal and special to you.