hbac and a little nervous

[coltynsmom]

Hello everyone. My first child was born c-section after I was 2 weeks "over-due" and the pit swelled my cervix shut. The OB claimed she had never seen a cervix do that and my body just must not have been able to give birth...funny i know. That is why we opted for a home birth this time but I am getting a lot of "well if you needed a c-section last time what makes you think you won't need one this time?" I fully believe that the pit threw my body off course which in turn cause a bunch of other interventions. I am otherwise a very healthy woman with no high blood pressure nor am i over/underweight.

I guess I just need some reassurance that hbac is very possible and that medical intervention can through off the natural and healthy course of labor/ childbirth.

[cathicog]

I have never heard of pit swelling a cervix shut. But what I *have* seen are moms who are induced, whose cervixes are just not ready yet, and the moms are kept in the bed, so they can't get up, move around and help thier bodies and thier babies birth well. I would think it was the hospital procedures themselves which caused your section. Without that interference, and by listening to your body, you will probably have a much easier birth, and a safer one, at home. You go, girl!

[*Christa*]

I've never heard of pit swelling shut the cervix either, but you can do it. Who is saying "well if you needed a c-section last time what makes you think you won't need one this time?" I hope not a hb midwife. Interview some hb midwives & I bet you'll feel reassured.

[isabchi]

Originally Posted by cathicog

I have never heard of pit swelling a cervix shut. But what I *have* seen are moms who are induced, whose cervixes are just not ready yet, and the moms are kept in the bed, so they can't get up, move around and help thier bodies and thier babies birth well. I would think it was the hospital procedures themselves which caused your section. Without that interference, and by listening to your body, you will probably have a much easier birth, and a safer one, at home. You go, girl!

From another mama.

[ShwarmaQueen]

Your body was uniquely designed to give birth. You can do it.

From another HBAC mamma.

[AustinMom]

If you have any belief in a "higher power" or "creator" believe that he didn't give you a faulty body. You were designed a woman by someone much greater than you, and in that, he didn't misshape your body to not do what it is supposed to do.

It really bothers me when a lot of my "christian" friends say things like "I was never going to go into labor" "I can't have vaginal birth" "I can only have cs" "my pelvis is misshapen, I can't birth". Bull ****. I am a Christian myself, and feel that the God I serve would in no way build a woman this way.

You can do this!!! Trust your baby, trust your body. I struggle with the same things as my mom had 5 cs with us kids and I had to have one with my son (he was acynclitic) and now prego again, am planning a HB.

Happy Birthing!!

[coltynsmom]

thank you ladies. my family and friends are the ones asking the question. I have found a hb midwife and she is certain that i will be able to birth at home. I just wanted a little more reassurance:-)

[onyxravnos]

you totally can! listen to your mw not your family, they mean well but they don't know about birth and they don't understand the need to have a baby vaginally.

if you need more help hire a doula! i totally recommend doulas esp for vbacs!

[ACsMom]

Another hbac here. I had pit the first time b/c I was "overdue" - but the baby just wasn't ready. Had the whole cascade of interventions, no surprise it ended in a c-section. This time will be different! Trust your body - sounds like you have a good midwife - you will be fine!

[gabeyho]

I don't see why you have a thing to worry about. My first was a c-sec, second was a HBAC, I have two natural hospital VBAC's and am planning a UBAC. There has never been any indication that a c-sec affected my body's ability to birth, and birth well. Listen to your mw, i gnore the careless OB and well-meaning but uninformed family.

Good luck!

[MamaMelis]

I hear ya Mama!

I had a similar experience with pit and a swollen cervix ~ I blame hospital procedure.....with ruptured membranes and being GBS positive (on that damned clock ) without labors onset I consented to pit~ which proceeded to give me such intense contrax they were pushing my babies ascylintic presented head down into my cervix, which led to swelling at 8 cm.....and a CS.

I went on to have a wonderful VBAC the following year (with NO pit! ), a wonderfully cooperative cervix, 4 pushes and a vaginal birth!

This go round, like you, we are having a homebirth.

You can do it. Trust your body. THe process is so very sweet, and I promise you you will feel a joy like no other when your trust in your body and your faith in its ability to birth are restored.

I will be rooting for you!

[ErinsJuneBug]

of COURSE it was the interventions!

I got a lot of "Just have a normal vaginal birth in the hospital and THEN have a homebirth with your next so you know your body is capable of giving birth."

Really? Because i DID give birth in a hospital with my first and ended up with an awful experince, c-section and pp infection. No thanks.

You're going to do great!!!!

From ANOTHER HBAC mama!! (love seeing so many of us)

[coltynsmom]

wow i totally don't know what i would do with out you gals. thank you so much for your support and confidence. it has put in stone what i have known in my heart that my body was made to birth and do it well. THANKS!!

[jackiev0626]

I'm in the same boat as you. I didn't have the cervix swollen shut problem, but with my 1st, I was on pit, and ended with a c-section due to "failure to progress". We're planning a HBAC with this baby, and I am very excited, but also scared. It is discouraging when you hear of other moms who attempted a home birth and couldn't take the pain, so they ended up going to the hospital for an epi. So, just know that you're not alone! And we CAN do this!

[pampered_mom]

If I could do it (twice), why not you? My last one was at 41+5 and both babies were just a couple of ounces shy of my son the cp told me was too big for me to birth vaginally. You have a supportive care provider which is key. As for the comments you've been getting? I'd ignore them (easier said than done I know).

[cathicog]

I don't have any statistics in hand(maybe I should find some, huh?) but based on my experiences with others i have trained with, about 30% of the clients we have seen have been VBACs...there usually isn't any other way than homebirth for most women who would like to avoid surgery again... But that's not a Bad choice.... Homebirth Rocks!

[jess152]

Another HBAC mama here! My c/s wasn't for the same reason as your's, but I still questioned and second-guessed myself, wondering if the doctors were right and it would never happen for me vaginally.

Here's a link to my birth story. http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1167230

I got to a point in my pregnancy where I'd read so many positive V/HBAC stories that I just realized the odds of success were overwhelmingly in my favour and I didn't give much thought to it not working out that way. We are built to do this, and the number of women who truly can't is tremendously small, but that number is skewed by our high national c/s rate.

[clintonhillmama]

yet another hbac here!! my son was a c/s after SROM, pit and then a long pushing phase - he was compound. but the 2.5 hrs of pushing + a fever (probably from the epi) proved too much for the hospital.

second labor started the same way as the first, SROM and no ctx for hours. then, all of a sudden, i was in labor. another long pushing phase (compound, again!), but i did it! it was such an amazing experience!

you can do it! we're all cheering you on!!!

[MiaMama]

The biggest risk factor for needing a c-section is being in the hospital.
Homebirth midwives usually have c-section rates around 2-6%. Yours should be able to tell you their exact numbers. I have seen hospital rates from 25-70%!!! (average in the US is about 30 something %).

A tiny few women really get lifesaving c-sections, but the vast majority of women who end up with c-sections could have had a different outcome in a different setting.