UPDATE! Post 6 - I got my VBAC!!!!!!

[DMG8]

Last Friday I started having serious back & hip pain along with contractions (starting around 1.5 hours apart and ending the day about 7min apart but never getting more intense and not always consistent).  I sat on my birth ball a lot and took a bath and shower, finally the back pain let up and so did the hip pain.  Saturday and Sunday I had contractions throughout the day but they would stop and start with no real pain, just made me uncomfortable off and on.  I woke up both days with tons of energy and got some serious cleaning done around the house along with walks outside and some shipping.  I felt the baby move down while on the birth ball Sunday evening and since then she feels really low.  Yesterday I had my 39w 2d OB appt and I'm barely 50% effaced (if that) and not dilated - I actually asked to be checked since I was so paranoid after this weekend and I live so far from the hospital where I'll deliver since the local hospital has a VBAC ban.  

Well, I slept GREAT last night and was ready to jump out of bed again today to get more done only to realize the minor period-like cramps I was having while laying in bed are getting a bit stronger and more uncomfortable.  And now my hips are aching again.  

I guess I'm writing this because I'm starting to get paranoid about something going wrong with my scar or something.  I haven't worried about this AT ALL during my pregnancy, I knew VBAC was for me and I still believe it.  However, now I'm scared.  

Are there any signs I should look for, like abnormal pains or anything that might indicate a problem?  

Anyone else have period-like cramping and lots of false labor before their VBAC?  

I'm sick of hearing a healthy baby is the outcome that we're all hoping for because I'll be so upset if I don't get my VBAC.  Yes, of course I want a healthy baby but this is very important to me and I'm starting to get a little freaked out.  After all I've been through to get to this point (with my baby being breech and then having a successful ECV) I just can't imagine getting to the end and having another c-section.  

[Ms. B. Sprout]

It sounds like your body is gearing up! Congratulations!

Many women experience this type of prodromal labor. My dear friend had a VBAC almost 1 year ago, experienced what she thought was not real labor for many days, but then when the intensity picked up she labored for just a few hours before vaginally delivering. She now counts all of that "not real" labor as absolutely real work that her body was doing.

Many, many VBAC birth stories (like these awesome VBA2C stories!) begin with period-like cramping plus irregular ctx, and then things eventually settle into a contraction pattern.

I think it's normal to worry and experience some anxiety this close to the big event. Because you specifically asked -- NOT because it sounds like you have anything bad going on!! -- I will share some links with you about uterine rupture. I recommend you read them, file the info away in the back of your mind, and then work on getting yourself into a positive headspace for laboring without fear.

Uterine rupture on BabyBelly (includes symptoms)

Uterine rupture on Midwife Thinking blog

Good labor vibes to you mama! Sounds like you'll be holding your baby very soon!

[CookAMH]

nak

Sounds great, your body is gearing up. Be encouraged! i hada lot of frustating leadup before my VBAC 3 weeks ago. I did work to do what I could to have baby in a good position and once i did that things kicked in and active labor was 1 hr, pushed 1 hr. One thing we did was rebozo sifting from spinningbabies.com, the night i went into labor. she was posterior and flipped anterior in minutes of doing that.

yes i had cramps like menstrual like cramps in the days leading up. Normal part of pre-labor

[cairomama]

An acupuncturist or chiropractor might help.

Pelvic Floor Release on Spinning Babies, Abdominal Lift and Tuck: Sometimes these things can get things going or get things to stop. Either is good.

http://www.spinningbabies.com/techniques/activities-for-fetal-positioning/pelvic-floor-release

Patience. Just hang in there. It is annoying, but you can do it.

[CookAMH]

How are you doing mama?

[DMG8]

I'm doing GREAT!  I got my VBAC as I hoped.  

After a week of false labor I went into real labor on Thursday, April 28.  At first I thought it was more false labor but by midnight I was sure it wasn't going anywhere and we made the drive to the hospital (80+ miles from home).  Not a fun drive!  We got to the hospital around 2am and I was 3cm, -1 station and 90% effaced with contractions about every 2 minutes so I was admitted.  By 7:30am I was 4cm and asked for my epidural.  When I met the anesthesiologist I told him I wanted a very low dose epi so that I could still feel my feet and move around in the bed, he agreed and said he could come back and dose me again if I needed it, plus I had a pump if needed.  The low dose epi was great, I was able to change position in the bed and could feel contractions but they were much less painful.  I was 5cm at 9am and my doctor broke my water - my doctor was amazing, she wasn't from my OB group but was employed by the hospital and she was absolutely AMAZING and sooooo supportive, I can't say enough about how wonderful she was.  There was meconium in my water but she wasn't worried and just said they'd have a Pedi come down for my delivery just to check the baby out.  At 11:30 I was 7cm & +2 station which was great because the doc was considering internal monitoring but once she saw my progress she said it wasn't necessary and asked if I'd like to try a small amount of pitocin to speed things up - though she was certain I'd have the baby by 5pm.  I agreed because I was exhausted from being up all night and was hoping it would move things along a bit. At 2pm I was whining to my DH about wanting a coke because I was so tired plus I was starting to have some pain from contractions again.  When the nurse came in she said no to my request for a coke (LOL!) and recommended checking me instead.  To my surprise I was 10cm and ready to push!  That explained all the pressure I was having down there.  I pushed for an hour - even with the epi I felt so much pressure and the intense need to push, it was incredible, painful at times but amazing.  At one point I was losing motivation and the doctor had me reach down and feel my DD's head - talk about motivating!  When I saw her come out I just couldn't believe it, it was such an amazing experience.  They laid her on my tummy and she stayed there for quite awhile as I was stitched up, until they asked if I wanted to see how much she weighed.   She was born at 3:04pm weighing 6lb 9oz and 19.5in long.  I was 39w 6d when she was born.  She's now 3 weeks old and over 7lb and doing amazing!

I'm so happy I got my VBAC.   Not only was it a great experience but the recovery has been so much easier than my c-section.  I was up and moving around my room an hour after being stitched up and breastfeeding has been going great.  

Thank you to all the women here who gave great advice and inspired me!  You guys are FANTASTIC! 

Edited by DMG8 - 5/20/11 at 3:38pm

[Monkey Keeper]

Congratulations!  I so happy you got your VBAC :)

[Ms. B. Sprout]

Congratulations!

[alyrie]

YES! Congratulations, mama :) 

[yaboobarb]

yay!

I made this video for ladies like you Momma!

((hugs))

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_9NPLNhKv0

[cairomama]

Congratulations!

[CookAMH]