Hemorraging and homebirth

[MommyMatsumoto]

Hello everyone! I was wondering if you all could help me to compile some information. A little about me and the situation... I'm currently ttc my second child and have been researching VBAC and HBAC since my daughter was born via cesarean 2.5 years ago. Today, I was trying to discuss it with my parents (my mother is an OR nurse) and it did not end well. They both kept telling me that I was going to bleed to death and wouldn't make it to the hospital in time to survive. My mother kept telling me about people she knows (mostly anesthesiologists) who told her how dangerous VBACs and TOL is and how they wouldn't let their own wifes do it. Ugh. Without getting into the whole conversation, my parents told me that I was misinformed and that... again... I was going to bleed to death at home.

Please, please, PLEASE give me some information I can share with them about how wrong they are. I know that I'm more likely to bleed to death with a repeat cesarean than I am with an HBAC and I'd like to have some scientific information to back that up.

TIA!

[dannic]

Many MW's are equipped for pph...I know my mw has both pit and methergine. Does the book A Thinking Womans' Guide to a Better Birth have any info in it on this? (I'd look but sis has it).
I'm sure there's info out there, but they may or may not be open to it, KWIM? In which case you may want to set some boundaries so you're not constantly having to argue your choice. GL!
BTW, I pph'd with my last HB and I'm not dead, lol. (How's that for evidence?)

[MommyMatsumoto]

I think you're on point about whether or not they're going to be open to it. For some reason, no matter what evidence I present, it doesn't matter to them (especially to my medically-indoctrinated mother). I have a feeling that they will just not be a part of my next pregnancy/birth and I'm going to have to work through accepting that.

Thank you for sharing your personal story! I'm so glad that you're okay. And I'm going to get Ina May's book. For some reason I haven't read it yet and I know that I should!

[homemademom]

My midwives all carried pitocin for just such an emergency. I did bleed somewhat excessively with my first and the placenta took a long time to come out, but it was all worked out at home.

Does your mom think you're going to bleed out because of uterine rupture or do you have a problem with bleeding in general? I ask because I ACOG just came out with a statement saying that most women should be allowed to attempt VBAC. Here is that statement: http://www.acog.org/from_home/public...07-21-10-1.cfm

[Illiana]

Originally Posted by homemademom

My midwives all carried pitocin for just such an emergency. I did bleed somewhat excessively with my first and the placenta took a long time to come out, but it was all worked out at home.

Does your mom think you're going to bleed out because of uterine rupture or do you have a problem with bleeding in general? I ask because I ACOG just came out with a statement saying that most women should be allowed to attempt VBAC. Here is that statement: http://www.acog.org/from_home/public...07-21-10-1.cfm

I was also going to post this link... I'd print it out and show it to her. Also taking things like sheperds purse tincture will help with PP bleeding. vit K will help the blood to clot faster. though it'd probably help more if you were on a daily dosage rather than just taking it during or after birth.

[MommyMatsumoto]

I did not have a problem with bleeding during or after my c-section so I'm not sure exactly why my mother is hung up on that. That was the only thing she kept mentioning over and over, however. I have shared the ACOG policy update that just came out, but all she keeps saying is, "Well this anesthiologist that I work with used to do TOLACs all of the time and he said that he'd never let his wife do that!" and stuff like that. Also, I think a couple of doctors she works with have told her about patients they had who's uterus ruptured. Everytime she mentions it, I ask her if the women were induced with Cytotec or Pitocin because that would most likely be the reason they ruptured - she doesn't ever ask. It's really frustrating.

[MommyMatsumoto]

I will look into the shepherd's purse tincture and vitamin K, thanks! I've also read that alfalfa and stinging nettle are good for PPH as well. Does anyone have any information about that?

Also, I recently sent my parents an email with the information I put in my most recent blog post at http://www.ibelieveicanvbac.blogspot.com so hopefully it will enlighten them a little bit.

[cathicog]

Shepherds purse, Lady's Mantle, Hemhalt, small piece of placenta swallowed, pit, methergine(for longer acting use),Wombstringe, those are the things I can think of right off hand to stop hemorrhage. And if it's severe, most midwives won't hesitate to transport. There's less chance of severe PPH starting, cuz the labors aren't tinkered with like they are in a hospital. I have only seen one in almost 100 births I have attended as an assistant/doula. The reason more hemorrhages are seen in hospital, I think is primarily the use of oxytocin, and Cytotec, lack of mobility of the mom, and induction of labor. None of these would be occurring at home. But I don't know if your mom would listen to any of it,really...ITA with pp, you might have to more or less shut her out of the future pg, just to have some peace. A HBAC is a very successful way to have a VBAC, and you are more likely to succeed, cuz you are home, where you are comfortable, and nothing is being done to you without your knowledge, consent, and you are in charge. I think 20% of the hbs I have seen have been VBACs. It's about the only way to avoid surgery again...Susun Weed's Wise woman Herbal for the childbearing year might be a good book to read...

[MommyMatsumoto]

Well, I sent my parents an email with various statistics and links to all sorts of information and haven't heard back from them. I'm assuming that they just don't care to believe that I may be correct in what I've been telling them. It looks like they won't be a part of our next pregnancy and birth - so sad.

Thank you all for the information and support. I'm going to look into all of those herbs and the book sounds really interesting too! Thanks again!