26 weeks preparing for VBAC ... suggestions?

[singitcallie]

I am 26 weeks and my husband and I have just decided to try for a VBAC.
I had my daughter 19 months ago via CS, due to fetal distress. I couldnt get past a 5 and was on poticin for several hours. I have been listening to the little voice in my heart that says.. you can do this.. you can have a baby vaginally. Our hospital in our hometown does not allow vbacs, so we are using a midwife clinic an hour away.
My family isnt very supportive and keep reminding us of the "risks" But everything that I read just encourages me that I CAN do this.

I am looking for suggestions on how to deal with the pain.. on how to prepare for this birth, and any other helpful advice that I can get. How did you have your vbacs? Did anyone do it naturally.. and if so how? Did you ever feel like giving up? Were you scared? How did you overcome and experience the amazing birth?
I greatly appreciate your help.

[Fay]

I had my wonderful unmedicated VBAC with an unsupportive family 3 years ago. Prenatal yoga and birth hypnosis CDs helped me through my very long labor. I also hired a supportive doula who had personal and professional VBAC experience. I was surprised that natural childbirth, even with a 3 day long labor and posterior baby, was easier, less scary and less painful for me than my failed induction & c/s recovery (my first baby also went into distress, I'm pretty sure that it was because of the interventions). I was full of doubts about my decision to go for a VBAC right up until the moment my baby came squirting out of me.

The best VBAC book that I've ever seen is "Natural Childbirth After Cesarean" by Crawford and Walters -- check your library, it's out of print now. The book is very encouraging while also realistic, and offers many practical ideas that truly work.

[shenanegans]

I am in week 24 now and planning for my hbac in July. For me I am just trying to work through any fears and issues I have about my last birth to try and go into this birth with a clear and open mind. I started a journal and I read the book "birthing from within" which has a lot of exercises for working through fears or unresolved issues. Yoga and good nutrition can help, also drinking red raspberry leaf and nettle tea. Good for strengthening the uterus. good luck!

[MNHall]

Wonderful!!!!!

My c/s was for an unnessary induction at 39 1/2 weeks! I got to 10cm, baby still high, pushed for 2 hours and my OB pulled the time card on me...thinking I had no other choice, I said okay to the c/s.

My VBAC, I went into labor on my own, things went pretty quickly actually. I was completely natural until 90 minutes until pushing when this new OB starting talking about time again. I got very very nervous and flashes of my c/s because of pushing for 2 hours came into my head. I panicked and agreed to the epidural at this point because the OB said he could help rotate her head (she was facing sideways at this point), so he could help her come down. Finally 2 1/2 hours after I started pushing, I had my baby born via vbac, with the epidural placed just about an hour earlier (90 minutes into the pushing phase).

So, while I didn't do it completely natural, now that I know I'm one that just may need to push longer, found myself a provider that will not pull a time card on me, next time I know what to expect and I WILL go 110% natural.

During my time that I was natural I'd say the BIGGEST thing that helped me was a support system that knew what was going on. A doula! And she was able to clue my DH (who did not do a lot of reading and educating on childbirth) in on what was to come, what to expect, what I needed, that things were normal. And the other biggest thing was to educate myself! READ, READ, READ. Classes I'm sure would have helped me a ton too, but I was about 32 weeks when I decided I "needed" to go natural! Then 34 weeks when I said, yes, this is what i want! So, I only had a few weeks to prepare. Even though I had been reading about it for a couple months, I didn't think it would necessarily be what I did.

Anyway, I highly recommend a doula and that you just educate yourself on it as much as possible!

[mollikins]

As far as preparation goes, I have done the following:

1) read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Birthing from Within (both for general information about the normal childbirth process, as well as great birth stories).

2) seen a chiropractor to rule out pelvic/spinal misalignment as a contributing factor

3) read a lot of research articles on VBAC and asked tons of questions of my OB.

4) practicing hypno birthing at home, as well as some techniques from Birthing from Within, to help with pain management

5) daily walking (now that the weather is getting better)

6) regular stretching and strengthening exercises for hips/back/trunk (given to me by my chiropractor, my back pain has vanished since I started doing them!)

7) practicing techniques from spinningbabies.com to help baby get into a good position (last c-section was partly due to poor presentation)

8) discussing a flexible birth plan with DH, as we will be birthing in a hospital - basically things I want and don't want re:labor and delivery, and may need him to help me advocate for.

I think that's it! Good luck with your VBAC prep!

[singitcallie]

Thank you so much for your thoughts and support. I greatly appreciate it.
The more information that I read the more excited and empowered I feel. Its a wonderful feeling!

[cairomama]

I did Hypnobabies for my unmedicated VBAC. It was very easy, quick and intense. I was never scared and never felt like giving up. I think the program worked great for me.

http://www.hypnobabies.com

The Homestudy course is $150

I also like the tools that the Pink Kit gives you. I haven't used them in my own births, yet, though, but it is a good one to do because if you do the work you will really understand your body and know what to do/try to help move your body through.

http://www.thepinkkit.com

You can download an electronic version for less than $70.

Also, hire a doula.

My VBAC story:
http://cairomama.blogspot.com/2010/0...ater-long.html

[shellbell76]

I had my VBAC in 8/08 almost an HBAC. I had a hard time finding a back up doctor and didn't know if I was going to be able to HBAC until 36 weeks. I think the most important things I did to prepare were:

-Acupunture
-reading as much as possible (Ina May's Guide , Who's having this baby anyway, Gentle birthing choices, and Henci Goer's Thinking Guide to...? can't remember the rest) Stay away from the horror story books though... You don't want to give any energy to someone else's birth gone wrong. Focus on the positive only.
-I saw a hypnotherapist for the last 20 weeks... I'm not talking about Hypnobirthing or Hypnobabies, but a real therapist/pyschologist. It helped me heal my birth trauma 100%... probably the best thing I did to prepare!
-Nutrition
-Yoga
-Hypnobirthing (Marie Mongan method, I had done the course my previous pregnancy and just re-read the book and did the exercises on my own)
-an amazing doula

Even though we had to be transferred to the hospital after pushing 4 hours, I still had an unmedicated birth. I just needed a little vacuum help and my son was out in 3 pushes in the hospital. VBAC was such an amazing experience. I had felt like my birthing experience had been robbed from me the first time around, in an unneccesary "emergency c-sec" (which actually took 2 hours to prep me for... whoa... some emergency, huh?) And it was very freeing and liberating to know that my body did what it was supposed to. The instant bonding with my baby on my chest was nothing I could prepare myself for... It was everything I could have hoped for and more...

If there is anything you want to talk about or if you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I'd be happy to be there for you, as I had nobody there for me (except my MW and doula, of course). It's nice to have someone who's been there done that to bounce stuff off of

-Michelle

[AustinMom]

In short, congrats on your decision!!! If people keep telling you about the risks of VBAC, tell them the risks of repeat CS, I guarantee you'll win.

I'm HBACing in September, and I've done a lot and asked these same questions. This is what I'm doing and am finding it VERY helpful.

Go to ICAN meetings. They are very important, and it's good to get to talk with people face to face

Be open about your fears. Even if they are sound silly. I'm reading An Easier Childbirth, A Mother's Way to Birthing Naturally, and it's really helped heal from the previous CS and other history with childbirth.

Ina May is great, The Thinking Woman's Guide, The Birth Partner is great too for hubby to read.

Hire a Doula, Hire a Doula, Hire a Doula. Ours is the local ICAN chapter leader, so we got a double bonus on that!If you feel like they are going to "intrude" on your hubby, it's so not true, they support BOTH of you in a way only a labor support professional can. They also compliment the MW very well. We are of course having both, a MW and Doula.

I'm doing Chiropractic, Webster techniques, to help with "openness".

We are doing Hypnobabies. I hear Hypnobirthing is mostly about relaxation, and hynobabies is medical hypnosis. I don't plan on relying on it entirely, but do feel it can be a very useful tool to use if needed. I figure arm yourself with everything you can.

Be prepared with a back up plan if that makes you feel better. Ask your MW which hospital is best to transfer to, take a tour if you want too. Have a birth plan just in case.

Clear all the negativity before labor, and tell people if they can't be supportive, at least don't be discouraging. You as a pregnant woman need support, and compassion, and positive conversations of birth.

Happy Birthing!