To VBAC or not - Page 2

[LoveIsla]

Roadfamily6now, that is an ABSURD thing to say. Csections are a carefully controlled surgical incision done under a aesthetic with extensive monitoring of mother and baby. Ruptures are your uterus being shredded by pressure along your old scar, and often through your cervix, bladder and in all directions from your scar. My placenta abrupted because of the rupture and I had one major blood vessel left supporting my uterine tissue. Some ruptures lead to hysterectomy because the uterus cannot be repaired. Spontaneous rupture can happen, but in vbac candidates it overwhelmingly happens after the onset of labor (and typically several hours in which is why monitoring is so important) as the muscle and scar tissue give out under the intense pressure of contractions.

[jr'smom]

A better way to think of it is 99.5% chance of no rupture!  And again, most ruptures are not catastrophic for mother or child.

Sorry, loveisla for your terrible loss. 

I see people have pointed you to some good resources.  There is also a great private facebook page with excellent resources and support for VBACs.  http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/183444955077965/?bookmark_t=group

I've tried for vaginal birth (usually at home) 4 times and ended with c/s four times.  I still cannot let myself "off the hook" to try again.  Even though support is nearly impossible to find, I will not sign up for surgery.  I know my body was made to birth (that's got to where the strong urge comes from.)  Some of my viewpoint comes from a severe hemorrhage after my 3rd c/s.  I never went into labor that time since my midwife dropped me when I was ten days past EDD. I nearly died from the c/s complication. So there are risks both ways and with all I've researched, I believe the risks are less and the benefits are greater with vbacs.  I am trying for a vba4c this spring. Good luck to you!

[Harmony96]

Subbing.

[TheDivineMrsM]

Originally Posted by MichelleZB 

If you're doing it inside a hospital, then perhaps you will feel safe enough. If something goes wrong, they have the staff and equipment to deal with the emergency.

Vaginal birth recovery is (usually) awesome. I'd recommend it if you can get the vaginal birth thing going!

Just make sure it's a VBAC-friendly hospital. I recently had a VBAC birth in a wonderful, supportive hospital, and I know that made the difference. Look up Csection and VBAC rates of hospitals to determine how supportive they really are. 

FWIW, my recovery from my vaginal delivery has been much easier, in all ways, than recovery from my section. Everything from walking to breastfeeding is just better.