2x csers...petrified now!!

[LarissaRose]

When i was 17 i became pregnant with my first child. I had a perfect pregnancy and turned 18. At 42 weeks i went into labor and we headed to the hospital after about 6 hours. This was on christmas day 2007. At the hospital i was put on monitoring for assesment for induction. I was strapped to the bed with all the monitors etc. The doctor came in and said she had to check my cervix. She then "accidentally" broke my waters. I know she auctually meant to do it because of the smirk and the sarcasm in her voice as she said OPPS when they broke. Here i was told i was 6 and a half cm's dialated.

I was taken to a delivery room and told to get on the bed as i had to be monitored. We were also told we couldnt use cellphones in the room so my mum asked the nurse to ring my midwife. I got into the room at 10.30am and by 1pm i was asking to push...all this time i was told i couldnt get off the bed as i had to have continuious monitoring but was never told why. I was told they couldnt get ahold of my midwife.

At 1.10pm thy told me to stop being stupid and i couldnt push as there was no way id be dialated enough to push. The nurse went and got pethidine, i never asked for it but was given it without being checked. Within a minute of being given it my babys heart rate went nuts and then stopped and then went irratic. The emergency button was pushed and about 20 doctors and nurses came in, i was checked and found that baby was crowning but they said, even though i was pushing they had to do a cser.

I was wheeled fully nakd on the bed down the hallway. I remember seeing other familys down the end of the hall watching me. I was screaming in the pain. I was put under, i fought all the way. I was petrified. And 2hours later i woke up in recovery. I was given a crash cser and spent the next 6weeks almost on my seath bed, trying to look after a newborn. My cser was severly botched and i ended up having a laporoscopy to clean out the terrible infections i had caught. I became terribly depressed and not happy.

Fast foward a bit and my husband and i decide to start trying for another baby. After 6months we find out im pregnant with twins. I was rushed into surgery for another laporoscopy as one of my babies was ectopic. Thankfully the other twin survived the surgery and i continued on with my pregnancy as planned. I began planning a VBAC as i was still so traumatised and depressed about having a cser with my first. At 34 weeks i went into labor and was having severe contractions. I managed to hold off for 5 days before my waters broke. Up untill this point i was still having a VBAC. When my waters broke and still my cervix wasnt dialating the doctors and nurses came to discuss options with me. Well, thats what they called it. I feel as though i was pushed and pressured into having a cser. I cried from that point on. I had the cser and my baby was rushed straight to the neonatal unit and spent a week in there. Shes 13months now and still suffers the effects of being prem.

All of this and the attitudes of doctors and nurses aswell as some midwives has me soo upset. My husband and i desperatley want more children but i am absolutley petrified that i will be pressured and made to feel guilty for doing what i want. I know that the first two times i would have succesfully given birth vaginally to my children. The reasons i was given csers both times are not reasons. I feel both times they just didnt want to deal with a teenager in labor.

Do any of you feel the same or have similar stories. I have done some research but no matter how many facts and figers are out there i feel as though i will be fighting with everyone all the way to have a VBA2C. I am only 22, im fit and healthy what more could they want. I still feel as though its my choice, its just hard to stick to my guns about having a natural birth when you have sooo many people against you.

[MountainMamaGC]

Have you considered going under the care of a midwife next time around? I had an elective C-section with my DD and I never want to do that again. I am going to be under the care of a midwife. She has done VBACs and also has hospital privileges if I want to go the hospital route. I am 90% sure I want a home birth though. I have crohn's disease and have a slightly higher risk of complications after birth, so I do not want to deal with an OB as I feel they will bring this up the entire time to pressure me into another elective c-section.

You dont have to be pregnant to start interviewing midwifes. Start talking to some and find one that you trust.

I understand the trepidation. I have it too. I feel like I was duped.

[Lisa1970]

I have had very traumatic births myself. I wish I had better advice. ((((hugs)))) just wanted you to know you are not alone.

[labortrials]

I'd say your chances of a VBA2C are pretty good if you make it to term since your 1st was crowning before you were put under.  If you hadn't been medically over-managed that first time then you'd probably not even be here wondering what to do.  In some areas VBA2C is treated as a viable choice; in other places VBA2C is not presented as an option.

In my case, I was told no doc would 'allow' me to VBA2C.  That was ok b/c HBA2C was an option for me.  I was planning on continuing care with my OB until the 20week u/s and then dropping obstetric care altogether.  My midwife has encouraged me to keep a relationship open with an OB just in case I need to transfer.  I changed OBs at 31 weeks and it's been pretty rough for me b/c he thinks VBA2C is a bad idea and not a necessary risk.  But he was willing to take me, and if I show up at the hospital, he'll be there for me (which is more than I can say about my last OB).

Honestly, I think your best bet for a stress-free physiologic birth is at home, but that's really just MY opinion and very much clouded by my view of local OB practices and hospital protocols in my town.

I believe that a history of uterine infection is linked to increased risk for uterine rupture, but you'll want to look into that yourself.  I've had 2 c/s, a curetage (my 3rd loss caused me to hemhorrhage), and a hysteroscopic myomectomy (to remove adenomyosis - caused by the 1st c/s - and fix my uterus so I could maintain pregnancy again).  Some people would not be ok pursuing a VBA2C with those other surgical interventions in their medical history. 

Get copies of your surgical reports.  They can contain some helpful information.  Like my last surgical report said minimal scarring.  That made me feel better!  My 1st c/s report said that baby was at 0 station when everyone quit on me.  My midwife says babies 'stuck' at 0 station can be birthed normally.  That also gives me hope!!

http://www.childbirthconnection.com has great information for weighing the risks and benefits of VBAC/RCS.