Do you get the delivery benefits of subsequent pregnancies if your deliveries have mostly been...

[momtoafireteam]

Wasnt that a random question?

I am pregnant with my sixth baby, and yesterday my OB commented that I shouldnt worry about labor because this baby will "most likely just fall out". While I can see how some people would find this offensive, I absolutely did not.

However, I only have one vaginal birth under my belt and my last four children were born by c/s (one set of twins- so 3 c/s's). All three times I have labored before incision (not failed VBAC's, I just went into labor but had to have c/s's for fetal positioning etc) and got to 5, 7, and 4 respectively.

Sooo.....that doesnt really count as giving me the benefits of having lots of labors (shorter labors, easier pushing phases etc) that someone who had actually vaginally birthed all five, would it? Or does the body just catch on anyway and I still might see some positive side effects of it all?

Sorry if this is a silly question.

[Marilyn82]

I actually think thats a great question

I don't really know the answer but I would think it might depend on how long (or if at all) you labored with your other children.

I know they say that if you had a c/s with your first, then your next labor is more like a first labor than a second (cuz I'm in this boat lol), but I'm not sure after that. Hope someone can shed some light

[Storm Bride]

What I've heard several times is that you're like a first (or however many) time mother past the point where you got sectioned. So, if you laboured to full dilation, then got cut (as I did with my first), then you'd labour like a second time mom until dilation, and like a first-time mom for the pushing phase.

So, in your case, you'd labour like a second-time mom, in general. You'd labour like a grand multip to 4, like a fourth time mom to 5, and a like a third-time mom to 7.

I don't know how true this is, but it makes sense to me. Your body has done the work to get to 7 twice (your vaginal birth and one other), the work to get to 5 three times, etc. I can't see all that just being wiped out, because you didn't get all the way to pushing the baby out, yk?

[KaylaBeanie]

No advice since I've never been there, but I just wanted to say that there's an OB out there who is supportive of VBA3C!

[kltroy]

I think your doc is partially right here. The issue is whether your cervix has done the dilation/effacing thing before. You've done it completely once, and partially several other times. So things should move along certainly faster than if you were a first-time mom. Still, I wouldn't hold your breath on that baby "falling out" of you. Labor is labor, and it will take some concentration to work through. Best of luck with your VBAC!