Vbac?

[raindaisie]

Any mamas planning for a VBAC?

I had a C/S with DD -- water broke at 40w1d, next morning took castor oil and had acupuncture in hopes of starting labor, but nothing happened. That night, I was given pitocin to start labor. The next day I was told I needed a c/s for "failure to progress." I'm a lot more informed on the topic now, and I'm hoping to advocate for a low-intervention birth. I truly feel as if my c/s was unnecessary. I wish I had been more educated at the time. This time I'm planning on having a dear midwife friend be my doula. We have to have a hospital birth b/c of finances, though I desperately wish we could have an HBAC. I'm working with a midwife I adore, and have some plans to do things differently this time around. Eat healthier, don't accept everything my C.P. tells me as fact, etc. I value my care providers opinion, but last time I didn't know that they couldn't FORCE me to do anything I didn't want to.

What are other ladies doing to prepare for their VBAC?

[Mamatoabunch]

I will be having my 9th VBAC.

[gwerydd]

I am planning my 2nd VBAC. My son was an HBAC. I had severe pre-e with my daughter. She was born at 35 weeks because my bp had spiked to 212/121. I was nervous when I was pregnant with my son but I had a beautiful, uneventful home VBAC.

[slseiswirth]

I am planning my second VBAC. I had a c/s with my first DS because he was breech. I had a wonderful VBAC with DS #2 and with this one we are planning a homebirth. Good luck! You can do it!

[Meg08]

I'm planning a HBAC.

I had a C/S with DD. Spontaneous labour, got fully dilated, but the on-call OB got nervous and (long story short) ended up with a horrible in-hospital experience and was sectioned for breech. I believe it to be completely unnecessary and I still have lots of issues with it that I am actively working though. This time we'll try to avoid the hospital.

As for preparing for the VBAC. I've been randomly reading whatever I could get my hands on since DD was born and my comfort level is where it should be with that decision. I have the midwife I think suits me best (although, she is leaving the country 2 days after my due date, so that's making me a bit nervous!). DH is on board with most of my decisions (a few prenatal ones left to duke out, but nothing too serious). I have a really good support network too (friends). We will be keeping our intentions to home birth from our family, and anyone who might object. I do not want to deal with anyone close to me thinking I'm foolish with my decisions. I realized that last time when carrying a breech.

[littleteapot]

This will be my 2nd VBAC. My cesarean was for my second child, and was both forced and unnecessary. After that experience, I think the only way I'd submit to even being in a hospital is in the event that both my child and I are at mortal risk by a natural birth process.

[tashantx]

this will be my 2nd vbac! Hoping for a birth center waterbirth!

[JustVanessa]

This will be my second vbac as well. My first vbac was 43 hours, so here is hoping this one comes a little quicker

[dabblersupreme]

i had an unplanned c/s after 24+ hours of intervention-free labor with my son (now 2.5). i am only 5 weeks along and it's barely sunk in, but i really should get to contacting a midwife! i do NOT wish to use the same MW practice i used with my son, and i actually read a lot on VBACS and phone-interviewed the 4 MF potentials in my area a year or so ago, but now that this is real i am feeling gunshy about getting it going. i think i like being in my own bubble about this right now, and i definitely fear having the "safety of a HBAC" (what i really want) conversation with well-meaning but misinformed family/friends/coworkers. ah well - being armed with a provider i'm happy with is the first step, right?

good to meet you all
efrat

[elisheva]

This will be my third VBAC. I was induced at 37.5 weeks for high bp with my son and labor never started. They talked me into a c/s after pulling the big-baby card.

Got educated and had two subsequent births at home in the water. Both times my water broke well before. With ds2 it was broken for 36 hrs before labor started - 41 before he was born. With dd it broke 18 hrs before labor started - 23 hrs before she was born).

[JustVanessa]

After speaking to a midwife friend, my c/s with my first was actually unavoidable. I was 37 weeks and I had pre-e and HELLPS. My liver was failing. Ds ended up being forhead presenting so he went into distress.

[dabblersupreme]

justvanessa, that makes me feel better knowing you had a successful VBAC after a medically necessary c/s. mine was too by most accounts (large posterior baby who wasn't getting anywhere after 3.5 hours of pushing, and water FULL of meconium when they finally broke them for me after hours of pushing), which makes me a little nervous to think that could all happen again. i am meeting with my new midwife tomorrow and will see how it goes!

[JustVanessa]

My vbac was very long and ds2 was posterior as well, he ended up being vaccummed out, I just couldn't push anymore. But it still was way easier than a c/s and I am definately going to be vbacing again.

[dabblersupreme]

i met with my front-runner midwife yesterday and feel really good about it. she thinks my chances are really good, as i dilated fully last time, and has some ideas for making my conditionas as optimal as possible. i am excited and nervous to plan a HBAC. i am keeping our news private for a while (very few friends and family know yet), and i like it being my little secret because i really don't want to deal with all the "well meaning" naysayers out there.

oh, and i found out that NY state law dictates that my insurance has to reimburse a homebirth midwife, even if she's out of network! i thought i would have to pay out of pocket, but this sounds promising, indeed. it will probably mean a lot of red tape and arguments with the insurance company, but still!

[Mamatoabunch]

Originally Posted by dabblersupreme

oh, and i found out that NY state law dictates that my insurance has to reimburse a homebirth midwife, even if she's out of network! i thought i would have to pay out of pocket, but this sounds promising, indeed. it will probably mean a lot of red tape and arguments with the insurance company, but still!

Same thing here in NM when I had my 4th. It turned out to be rather uncomplicated. Have fun planning your HBAC!

[parismeg]

My first birth was an unplanned c-section due to fetal distress. It was actually a pretty good experience as far as it could have been for having not been planned for. Healing was not that terrible. However, I thought it would be better to have a vaginal birth the 2nd time around. Big mistake!!

I had a VBAC 7 weeks ago and it was the worst experience of my life! I planned for it, read up on it, discussed it with the dr and had full support. I ended up being in labor for 40 hours. I tore and the stitches never dissolved but dried up and began pulling to where I had such excruciating pain that I couldn't even lie still without pain. I had to go to the ER to have them removed. My bladder has prolapsed and I still experience daily pain. I've been to the dr and they told me I have to give myself at least 12 weeks to heal and they will only refer me to a specialist at that point. The doctors and staff at the hospital were great. I don't blame them although I wish they would have just suggested I have the c-section when things weren't progressing.

If I could do it over, I would have a c-section. This has been completely not worth the pain. I am so blessed with my daughter but I never want to go through this again. If I decide to have another child, it will be by c-section again! Carefully consider if it is worth the risk!

[JosieAK]

I am so sorry, Parismeg. :( Bless your heart. What a difficult way to welcome a new baby into the world.   I am so sorry you've been suffering for months with such discomfort. I hope you heal well and soon!

That being said, those are not exactly the typical dangers of a VBAC.  They aren't even typical dangers of a long, stalled out labor.  I had that--42 hours of labor (12 hours at 5 cm).  I had stitches from a second degree tear too, but they healed and disolved well.  It's much more common to hear of difficulties and complications due to c-sections.  I honor your right to share your experience with ladies looking to go down the same path, but from what I can see, what happened to you could have happened to anyone VBAC or no.  And I'm sure you wouldn't recommend that the majority of first time birthing women just go get C-sections to avoid even the struggles you've had.

You can feel good about the start you gave your baby when you passed your unique gut flora on to your baby at birth (full of antibodies and digestive enzymes), helped squeeze and stimulate lungs and other functions through the birth canal, all the other wonderfully designed things that only happen in a vaginal birth situation that I, or even scientists, haven't yet realized yet.  You did something amazing for your baby.

Get well soon, Mama!

[~Nikki~]

This will be my second VBAC.  My first child was born via emergency c-section after 44 hours of pretty terrible labour.  I mean not that labour is ever pleasant, but the entire experience was just awful.  I was made to feel like my body didn't belong to me, like I had no choices, like the whole thing was out of my hands.  I had caved after hour 20ish and gotten an epidural, and at that point labour pretty much stopped.  When the baby went into fetal distress, they moved me into the O.R. and tried to extract her with a vacuum, which failed.  And then the c-section.  I had been there so long that the medication actually wore off during the c-section (ouch?) and recovery was just terrible.  Several months of pain.

Needless to say, I aimed for a vaginal birth the second time around, hah.  No medication, a spectacular nurse who had had a VBAC herself and didn't leave my side, and my son was born after 5 easy, if painful, hours of labour.  It was such a good experience that I'm definitely hoping to do it that way again.

[hilary549]

Thanks to everyone who posted about their vbacs and plans... they were great to read. i too am hoping to vbac this time, my son was a c-section after 5 hours of pushing with no progress... he was forehead presenting too. i am planning a hospital midwife birth, kind of taking the middle road. I didn't find that being at home was as comfortable as i'd hoped, with #1, and the hospital was not as bad as i thought either. plus i don't want my son to be present for labor and birth, i think it would really upset him, and our house is not sound proof in any way.

my plans to try to prepare for this are: 1. get chiropracty, 2. do a yoga birth class, and 3. get a doula. any other suggestions welcome!

[dabblersupreme]

Originally Posted by hilary549 

my plans to try to prepare for this are: 1. get chiropracty, 2. do a yoga birth class, and 3. get a doula. any other suggestions welcome!

we had many hours of pushing coupled with a malpositioned baby, too, that led to our c/s. my plans this time involve chiropracty and investing in a pilates ball to sit on to help orient/position me and baby better. i am wondering how far along i should be before enacting these 2 things .... i'm actually thinking of posting this question in the greater MDC VBAC forum. good luck!