HBAC & fear of complications

[TonyaW]

I am pretty early in my pregnancy but I am planning a HBAC. Although, I am feeling scared right now after reading a couple of posts that sounded like HB would have been detrimental and that one probably was to the baby. I feel like nothing turned out right for me last time. I wanted to birth at a birthing center and had to be transferred due to posterior presentation and failure to progress and then babies heart rate dropped after they started pushing pitocin. So i am about 30 minutes from the hospital. Am I too far, could I be really taking a serious chance?

I sure would love to hear from others about HB and if they had any serious complications in or out of hospital. I guess I want to get an idea of how well HB turns out for others.

[goldingoddess]

Hi there, I had a wonderful homebirth last summer. Both me and baby were happy and healthy throughout. A lot of the time, the 'reason' that babes go into distress, like yours did, is because of the pitocin. It raises their blood pressure as well as yours. At a homebirth you would never have gotten pitocin.

A good midwife knows how to detect signs of fetal distress well before you hit a danger zone where a 30 minute drive to the hospital is going to put you in jeopardy.

Really what is important is that you are giving birth where you feel most comfortable and safe. If being at home makes you uncomfortable, then you may end up as a hospital transfer because of the emotional aspects tied up around feeling safe and comfortable and not having labor progress well.

Go with what feels right to you not with what you 'think' you should do. Best of luck in whatever decision you make. And also, remember the BMJ study that shows that homebirth has the same or better neonatal and maternal mortality rates as in hospitals.

Sorry if this is incoherent...it's been a long day!

[Mamatoabunch]

I have had seven awesome HBAC, 6 in fact unassisted. We have lived 45 minutes or so away from hospital w/ almost all, never less than 30ish. Never had any complications that required transport or extra care at home, all as smooth as could be.

[brinalicious]

I am planning my second HBAC in October. Our first HBAC went very well and there were no complications at all, just a lot of pain . I didn't have my first c/s because of anything that went wrong in labor, and it was also the first time I had ever been in labor. I agree with what the pp said about pitocin causing problems that will be non-issues for you when you are in labor the next time. I also agree that you should plan to birth where you are most comfortable. HB is great, but not for everyone. If you can really process through your apprehensions and fears during your pregnancy, then you may feel totally ready to do it by the time the baby decides to come, or you may decide that you feel the most comfortable in a hospital. In either case, I would really pay attention to what you are thinking and feeling, and maybe try to parse it out a bit. One thing that really helped me deal with some very bitter feelings I had after my c/s was reading the book "Birthing From Within." There are a lot of activities and suggestions in it that really helped me heal from the emotional trauma of my c/s and embrace the fact that my next birth was a totally separate event. I totally credit that book with helping me to "let go" of my fears, and subsequently, to have a great natural birth the next time. I hope that helps. Congratulations on your pregnancy!!!

[liberal_chick]

I had an HBAC in March and had shadow care with an OB (he didn't know about the HBAC). The OB talked a lot about how it would take them at least 20 minutes to set up for an after hours c-section, even if you were birthing in the hospital (of course he was trying to convince me this was a good reason for an induction, but I digress). If there were complications, your midwife could always call to let them know you were coming.

I second the recommendation for "Birthing from Within." It was a really great thing to read going into the HBAC.

[womenswisdom]

There are risks with staying home, there are risks with being in the hospital. You need to decide which risks you feel most comfortable taking and in which setting you believe you will have the safest and best experience for you and your baby. A midwife can help answer questions about specific complications and how she would handle them at home or when she would recommend transport. For me, educating myself about the potential complications and weighing those occuring in the homebirth setting against what was likely to happen in a hospital birth helped me to decide. HTH.

[leavemealone]

I didn't really have much fear during my first VBAC (was in a hospital) but I did during my second VBAC (at home). I just had a nagging feeling that my third labor would be "different". Not really that something bad would happen, but that it wouldn't be as good as my second labor. I actually had the crazy thought of scheduling a c-section for my third child. In the end, it was pretty bad for me and it makes me reconsider having another child. I am not sure why I had the additional fears and I do still have them. Perhaps I was clueless the first time around? Or that I didn't give myself time to think about them? I am not sure, but do know that it is normal to have some fears, especially of the unknown.

[Bassgirl]

I just had a VBAC which started as an attempted HBAC. My midwife suspected a problem after about 24 hours of labor and we transferred BEFORE it became an emergency. It turned out to be no problem at all - bladder spasm - but it could have been something serious. I was confident that she would monitor me for problems and she did, and I was so glad to have her help. I was able to VBAC but if I needed a C-section I would have gotten it in time. Good luck!

[aiyasmama]

It sounds like we had very similar first birth experiences. I also was in a birth center but after 12 hours stuck at 4cm with a posterior baby we transferred to the hospital, where the pitocin stressed the baby but did nothing to dilate me, and we had a c/s. The entire experience was incredibly traumatic. I am planning to HBAC because I think everything could have turned out very differently if I had been in my home environment with a midwife I trusted. I believe my complications were iatrogenic and unlikely to occur this time. (I'm also very happy that this baby is anterior!) I would be much more worried about going to the hospital because I think it would be a set-up for a repeat c/s. However, I am very lucky to only be 10-15 minutes from the hospital and I think that is part of my comfort level as well. Hopefully I will be posting a positive HBAC story in a couple weeks.

[HappyMommy2]

Ask your mw to describe every possible complication, and exactly what you and she would do in that situation. That will go a long way to losing the fear.

Then, trust yourself and your body! Proudly announcing your HBAC is a wonderful feeling. Holding your precious non-drugged baby in your own bed can't be beat.