Positive birth stories involving acupuncture, RRL, etc...OR just tell me it will all be ok!

[sharr610]

Hi ladies!

I'm almost 36 weeks, working on a VBAC. My first birth was an attempted home birth. I went to 43 weeks (at least 3 weeks were prodormal labor) when my then 11lb posterior son just wouldn't descend and we transferred to the hospital and into the cascade of interventions. I got to 9cm, but after the epi, there was no way to help him turn/move down at that point and I ended up in a c/s.

I'm doing EVERYTHING I can this pg to make sure what happened last time doesn't happen again. I've been doing acupunture and chiro since 20 weeks. I'm drinking lots of RRL tea, I'm walking lots and lots. I'm "doing all the right things" according to my midwife, but honestly, I'm just freaked that its all going to go wrong again. I was told the same thing last time, but look what happened...

This time, I can HB up to 42 weeks. If it doesn't happen by then, she has a great OB who has offered to take me on and try a foley cath induction in the hospital, which is really nice. BUT, I want my homebirth, darnit!!!! I'm so afraid I won't be able to come a week earlier.

As of now, babe is much smaller, well positioned, and things are looking great with my health all around. My life is different, I'm now a SAHM and much more in touch with whats going on with my body. I know I can do a HBAC, but my fears are, does my body know.

So hit me with your, "I came much earlier," "I had a great healing VBAC," "Acupuncture and/or RRL saved the day" stories so that I know that our bodies can be different the second time around and that I know I'm not spending a fortune on supplements and services for nothing.

I keep telling myself that this babe will have her own story and to let go of the last one, but when the only other experience you have is all you have to base it on, it gets hard to do.

Thanks so much in advance!

[RedOakMomma]

I was just talking about this in the lazy uterus thread!

1st labor: twins, lazy uterus (for real), and labor that stalled for 12+ hours when my water broke. Labored for several hours, pushed for three hours, and in all that time pushing I didn't feel like my uterus was doing much. I felt like I pushed the baby out completely...never got a contraction that felt like it was functional for pushing. Yows.

2nd labor: drank tons of RRL during the 3rd trimester, and drank A LOT of concentrated RRL tea once my water broke. I did stall (at home) for 9 or so hours, but then labor hit and it hit HARD. My body totally took over. Transition was all of two contractions, and on the second contraction my uterus pushed my baby to crowning. He was born 15 minutes later after several pushes.

Totally different labor experiences. Amazingly different.

Good luck!

ETA: Oh, and second baby was much earlier, but weighed more. 1.5 weeks early, 8.5 pounds. The twins had actually gone past a 40-week due date.

[sharr610]

Thanks so much!! Exactly the kind of thing I was looking for!!!