VBAC vs. scheduled repeat c-section - pros/cons - Page 2

[BeccaBooky]

My first child was an emergency c-section due to failure to progress, although I thought we could have tried a bit longer. I had pushed for 2 hours and his head was wedged in the birth canal, and they said I wasn't getting anywhere. My second child was thus a scheduled c-section, as the doctor strongly recommended it. He stressed the dangers of VBAC when I suggested trying a natural birth. I am trying for baby #3, and would love to try VBAC, as I despised undergoing surgery; I had a hard time recovering, in fact, I still touch my scar very cautiously nearly six years later. I have read stories of a uterus rupturing during attempted VBACs, and don't know if I am simply being selfish in wanting a natural birth. What do you think?

[SweetPea17]

Originally Posted by BeccaBooky 

My first child was an emergency c-section due to failure to progress, although I thought we could have tried a bit longer. I had pushed for 2 hours and his head was wedged in the birth canal, and they said I wasn't getting anywhere. My second child was thus a scheduled c-section, as the doctor strongly recommended it. He stressed the dangers of VBAC when I suggested trying a natural birth. I am trying for baby #3, and would love to try VBAC, as I despised undergoing surgery; I had a hard time recovering, in fact, I still touch my scar very cautiously nearly six years later. I have read stories of a uterus rupturing during attempted VBACs, and don't know if I am simply being selfish in wanting a natural birth. What do you think?

My first C-section was also an emergency due to failure to progress and CPD, which I now know was a misdiagnosis. DS was 8lbs 14oz with a 14.5" head. I didn't have any other options for the 3 subsequent births, so all of them were scheduled repeat. Alas, I got my VBAC just a week ago.....after 4 cesareans! And DS was 9lbs2oz with a 15" head!

IMO it isn't a selfish act to want a VBAC. The risk of UR is very low, but you have to do the research and be confident that it's right for you. We prayed about it, researched it, and felt at total peace with our decision to do VBAC, even after 4 c/s. It wasn't so much that the c/s recovery was bad, but it was the risk of damage done to my body by yet another surgery that made us look into having a vbac. Of course I dreaded getting the spinal every time, and recovery was hard because of nauseau and being tender where the scar was. Recovering from a vaginal birth is very different and definitely not as long as recovering from a c/s.

My vbac was and still is a very healing experience for me. I now know what I'm capable of, and I'm so glad I was able to do it. I just wish I had the option sooner than what I did b/c I feel like I missed out on bonding with my other kids.

[labortrials]

I'm glad that you're feeling better about the prospect of a VBAC.  However, if you need to schedule that c/s for emotional reasons, don't beat yourself up.  I'm a huge VBAC/HBAC/VBAmC/HBAmC and UC fan.  But I imagine that I'd be thinking long and hard about scheduling a c/s if I had been through what you endured.

I'd start really digging deep and asking yourself the tough questions - what happened in that birth that lead to the emergency c/s.  Anything that could be prevented next time around?  That might help you feel better about the VBAC if you can identify things that wouldn't likely repeat or wouldn't need to repeat.

These things might include: induction, AROM, augmentation, epidural, restricted movement, restricted food/drink, etc.

If you think you might have more than 2 kids, then I really do encourage the VBAC.  Additional cesareans become more risky for moms, but OBs are more likely to push RCS on you.  Most OBs in my town don't support VBAmC.

Recovery from my c/s was super easy peasy - almost 'what's the big deal' easy.  Going through the 2nd was scary; recovery sucked. <shudder>

[soccerchic21]

I found this online. When I started seeing my providers for my VBAC I was given a sheet going over the risks of a repeat cesarean as compared to VBAC so I could make an informed decision. They made me sign a sheet as to weather I wanted a repeat cesarean or a trial of labor (I chose TOL and had a successful VBAC in January)

The sheet had risks of VBAC as lower than the risks of a repeat cesarean. :)

[mamabyrdie]

I just want to say that your experience was mine to a "T" - posterior baby, passed meconium, failed attempt at vacuum extraction, epidural didn't work, needed general anesthesia.  What you describe is the thing I hated most bout my son's birth - that I missed it!  and the entire day after I was so drugged I don't remember much.  I apparently nursed him, made phone calls, etc., but I have no recollection of it.  I woke up in my room panicked because he wasn't there and I didn't know where he was.  So sad.

I am 34 weeks with #2 and planning a vbac.  In the end, I chose a vbac because I wanted to bet on hope vs. fear.  I am willing to place my bet on my greatest hope, which is that I will have the natural birth I so desire, vs. on my biggest fear is that it will all end the same way, with an emergency c-section.  I am totally at peace with my first birth, sucked though it did!, and I know that all I can do is keep the faith and do what I can to situate myself for that success.  Good luck with your decision!

[MaddieMay]

My first was a true emergency c/s.  My second was a VBAC attempt that ended in RCS.  The RCS was terrible-worse than my first in many ways, complete with a post-op infection.  If I had just scheduled a RCS, I could have had the baby at my local hospital with my wonderful OB.  Instead, I was at a large hospital with a different OB (who wasn't awful, just not *my* OB). With that said, I'd VBAC again in a heartbeat and plan to VBA2C for the next baby. 

[babyjonesmama]

Wow - cool that this thread was just resurrected. I guess it's a good time and place to tell the story of dd's birth 9 days ago!

We tried for a VBAC - didn't get it. But I tried. We did lots of preparation, working with our doula, working through our emotions and fears and everything. I had been dilated to a 4 and 90% effaced for about a week, so I was rightly concerned that when labor did start it would go fast.  I woke up at 12:30 last Sunday morning with strong, fast contractions. We called our doula and hospital and was told to call an ambulance because it was going to fast. But we drove to the hospital, got there and I was dilated to 6, within an hour or so dilated to 10 and pushing. I pushed for two hours. I did request an epidural and/or IV pain meds, but because things were going so fast I ended up laboring completely naturally for those 5 hours or so that I was in the hospital before the surgery. They told me that they had never given an epidural to someone who was already pushing, but they were willing to try it but they had too much trouble getting in an IV. It took 8 attempts and like an hour and a half or something crazy before that was in, and it needed to be in before the anesthesiologist would come and start the process. By the time it was in and the anesthesiologist was there, baby was starting to have some serious decels, she had to have the scalp monitor placed for her heart rate. I was having insane back labor at that point and just couldn't do it any more. And baby was not descending at all. I think she only descended like 1 cm. So we went for a c-section which at that point was done quite urgently. Turns out she was OP, just like my son. She was also presenting with transverse shoulders - meaning they were coming through straight instead of at an angle like they are supposed to. She also had her left arm stuck behind her back.

The care team at the hospital was all well aware of my circumstances and everyone went out of their way to help us avoid a repeat of our previous birth. They allowed our doula in the OR with us. And while I didn't have general anesthesia, I wasn't really completely awake because the epidural was making my blood pressure so low, and they were giving me another med to combat that, and I was basically fading in and out of consciousness. But I did know that she had been born, and I did get to see her, although I was only half awake.

Overall the birth was much better, healing in a way to know that at least I didn't ever have an unnecessary c-section. Sorry this is short, have to help get everyone ready for dinner.

[Ms. B. Sprout]

Congrats on your new baby!

Big hugs about your section -- I also had a "failed" VBAC for OP presentation.

I hope your incision is healing nicely and that you are enjoying your new baby!