A little background first: I had a c/s in Feb 2008 for "failure to progress" but also my daughter was 9lbs. 9oz. and posterior. Suffice to say I labored naturally on my own to 7cm then got terrified of transitional labor and opted for the epi. This slowed down my contractions and being on my back started the major back labor pain from hell! After 7 hours of that and no progress I opted for the surgery but I was also very unsupported and uneducated too.
Fast forward to now: 34 weeks pregnant, I had to switch OBs once already because I live in a rural town and my rural doctor won't do VBACs. The local hospital 15 min. away has a ban in place but won't refuse to do them as long as you arrive more than 4cm dilated and sign a waiver. I decided I'd rather go to the self-proclaimed pro-vbac hospital which is 50 min. away from me and I established care with an OB there who came highly recommended by three friends (one who labored and delivered without drugs and no interventions, one who labored with an epi and no other interventions and one who had 2 c/s, first for FTP and second was scheduled). So there are a variety of experiences at this hospital and with this one doc but everyone says they love her. She agreed to a vbac and said she would try anything I want. Trial of labor no matter how big we think the baby is etc.
Well, today I went for my 34 week appointment and she had just finished a surgery beforehand. She measured me and said I am measuring normal, 34 weeks fundal height. In the next breath she tells me this is going to be a big baby anyway and that she will need to do an ultrasound closer to my due date probably 38 weeks and that we would "go from there". She got all serious and said, "A 10lber is a definite no". I was floored and angry that she would reverse what she had previously told me. Now, maybe I haven't shown her that I am uber committed to having a VBAC and that I want my TOL regardless of what the u/s might say. In the beginning, when I first met her that was not my state of mind. I told her if we thought I was going to have an even larger baby I may want to schedule a RCS. But, that's not the case and I'm not as big and haven't gained as much weight this time as the first time. I also just plain feel better with this pregnancy, have more support, a doula etc.
But, I'm so worried about delivering with this OB and at this huge impersonal hospital that I'm starting to think about a home birth though that scares me too. My doula is also a midwife so that's how I would feel comfortable at home. My only concern really is rupturing outside of a hospital and then being 15 min. away from only a basic rural hospital at that. Ugh! Please help me figure out what to do. Any advice appreciated.
Fast forward to now: 34 weeks pregnant, I had to switch OBs once already because I live in a rural town and my rural doctor won't do VBACs. The local hospital 15 min. away has a ban in place but won't refuse to do them as long as you arrive more than 4cm dilated and sign a waiver. I decided I'd rather go to the self-proclaimed pro-vbac hospital which is 50 min. away from me and I established care with an OB there who came highly recommended by three friends (one who labored and delivered without drugs and no interventions, one who labored with an epi and no other interventions and one who had 2 c/s, first for FTP and second was scheduled). So there are a variety of experiences at this hospital and with this one doc but everyone says they love her. She agreed to a vbac and said she would try anything I want. Trial of labor no matter how big we think the baby is etc.
Well, today I went for my 34 week appointment and she had just finished a surgery beforehand. She measured me and said I am measuring normal, 34 weeks fundal height. In the next breath she tells me this is going to be a big baby anyway and that she will need to do an ultrasound closer to my due date probably 38 weeks and that we would "go from there". She got all serious and said, "A 10lber is a definite no". I was floored and angry that she would reverse what she had previously told me. Now, maybe I haven't shown her that I am uber committed to having a VBAC and that I want my TOL regardless of what the u/s might say. In the beginning, when I first met her that was not my state of mind. I told her if we thought I was going to have an even larger baby I may want to schedule a RCS. But, that's not the case and I'm not as big and haven't gained as much weight this time as the first time. I also just plain feel better with this pregnancy, have more support, a doula etc.
But, I'm so worried about delivering with this OB and at this huge impersonal hospital that I'm starting to think about a home birth though that scares me too. My doula is also a midwife so that's how I would feel comfortable at home. My only concern really is rupturing outside of a hospital and then being 15 min. away from only a basic rural hospital at that. Ugh! Please help me figure out what to do. Any advice appreciated.
: granted he also had a big head (15.5 in) but I'm pretty sure he was just in a funky position plus I was flat on my back with an epi.
