Need Positive VBAC Stories please...

[Ethanmum]

All,

My due date is fast approaching and am getting very nervous and anxious about my upcoming birth...I mostly find myself thinking about what would happen when the time comes.

My son was born via c/s after 24 hours of my water breaking, pitocin, epidural and only dilating to 3 cm.. Here I am again 2.5 years later and hoping for a VBAC..

I've hired a doula and doing all the right things but am not sure if the odds are against me since I only dilated to 3cm. Has anyone have this happen and had a successful VBAC...

Thank you all for your feedback/stories...

[BeeBliss]

I'm in the same boat as you. Got a doula and doing everything I can to get that VBAC in the next several days.

At this point, I feel like I have done everything I can to reach my goal. I must realize there may be some aspects of the labor I cannot control and I will need to be at peace with that. With what I can control, I promise to try my hardest to use what I can to my advantage to VBAC.

Every pregnancy and labor will be different so focus on what you can personally achieve. You'll feel less stress by following this mantra and less stress can actually help you bring on labor and progress farther during labor!

Hopefully you'll be hearing from me on a favorable outcome soon!

Good Luck to you!

[MNHall]

My story is a little different, one of induction (of a baby that just wasn't ready at 39.5 weeks when I let my OB convince me that we'd be just fine and I let my excitement take control!) I dilated to 10cm, but pushed for 2 hours with a baby that just wasn't decended.

Fast forward almost 22 months and I went into labor on my own with DD. I did A TON of mental preparation. Lots of positive thinking, talking and surrounded myself with positive stories and people. Any time I felt negative, I usually turned to Ina May's book and read some positive stories. I also hired a Doula which to me was a HUGE confidence booster. Come labor day, I had a quick 5 hour labor and ended up VBAC'ing my daughter!

Continue to surround yourself with the positive. Tell youself that this WILL happen. Don't "hope" it will happen, "know" it will! Picture the moment that your baby is coming out. Think about everything positive surrounding the birth that you dream about. Even if things don't go 100% like you dream, if you keep on dreaming about it, thinking about the positive, you'll be a much better place over these next few weeks and when labor is actually in progress!

Sending you tons of successful VBAC vibes!

[Mom2M]

Yes, your body can do it! I was "late" with my 1st baby and after 2 days of induction with pitocin, I had only dilated 2 cm. They said my body would not dilate and they had to do a c section.

With my 2nd baby, I went for a VBAC and again, he was "late", they induced with pitocin and I think I was so stressed and tense worrying about the possibility of another c section that I wasn't allowing my body to do it's work (plus I was stuck lying in a bed the whole day!)

Anyway, I was only dilated 3-4 cm when they said if nothing happened in the next 1/2 hour, they were doing a c section. My son was born 45 min later.

Your mind has a lot to do with it so go in confident that your body knows how and you are going to have your VBAC.
Try to set up helpful things if possible like the ability to labor as much as you can out of bed. I believe that lying down the whole time was a big factor in my stalled labor.

Happy labor to both of you!

Deb

[SomedayMom]

My first sounds a lot like yours. My water broke at home, I did not go into labor, I was given pitocin, after 24 hours I was 4 cm still.

My second son was a very successful VBAC. I had a very long early labor, 2 days of consistent contractions with no progress. However, when I was admitted to the hospital I was 5 cm and DS2 was born a few hours later. Everything after that point went very quickly and easily.

I didn't have a doula. My OB offered me a c/s at every appointment my last few weeks. And I still did it! You can do it!

[jess152]

http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1169909

I'm always happy to share mine! Mine was a homebirth, but I think you can vbac in the hospital, just say no to the interventions. All the best!

[schreiberwriter]

You can do it! positive thought, visualize an open cervix, tell your baby it's OK to come--all things you can do.

My first was an induction at 41 weeks. Long labor with c-section, dialated 9 cm.

Here's my birth story.

http://www.rachelsramblings.com/2008...18-i-went.html

[Ethanmum]

Thank you all for your positive and inspirational messages. Reading all these really helped me focus on positive thoughts.

I went for my OB appt today hoping for a sweep to give my body a nodge but when she checked me my cervix was completely closed and she also said that the baby hasn't engaged, the head is still floating, at that point I got so depressed....I felt like history was repeating itself. My son never engaged either. I will keep the positive thinking.

[ellairiesmom]

nak

had to share that not every intervention situation is "bad" & after getting my vbac 2 weeks ago-i really believe anything is possible!!! granted-i have the most amazing, patient ob EVER...she let me continue to deliver, 45 hrs AFTER my water broke...as a vbac WITH GD...it just goes to show that your relationship with your provider really matters. if you don't trust them & they don't believe in you, your success is at risk.

here is my post ...
http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1191742

[PTmorgan]

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...974&highlight=

During my VBAC labor I didn't have any fear of uterine rupture - it never even entered my mind.

Good luck and best wishes for a wonderful VBAC. There are lots of successful VBACs out there - far more than the many found here on MDC.

Please trust in your body. I believe that your baby is safe inside you, and that birth happens when the baby is ready. Problems arise when we don't trust in the process. The baby doesn't need to be engaged now, and you don't need to be dilated before birth. Dilation at the end of your pregnancy is not an indication of how fast, ready, or successful your birth will be. In fact, I refused all vaginal exams because I didn't want a number (that has no meaning) floating around in my head.