Anyone have advice for a successful VBAC?

[GardenStream]

I am planning on a VBAC. I found the doctor, the hospital, and I have DH support. I want to know from BTDT moms what I can do on my own to help my chances of having a successful VBAC. Was there anything you did that you really think helped?

[JessicaS]

You're in Germany.

That's a great advantage right there.

[GardenStream]

I wish! I'll only be in Germany for about one more month. We had the first one over here and REALLY wanted to get the second one out over here, but it took about 2 months longer than planned to conceive this one .

I actually never even considered a VBAC until I talked to my OB over here. When I told her it was normal in the US to be forced into a c-section after having one that way, she looked at me like I was crazy. She is the one who told me there was absolutely no reason for me to have a surgical birth again.

I really wish I could bring her back with me!

[woodstar]

For me, mental preparation was the key. Well, besides finding the right care provider. That was #1.

Believe and understand that birth is a natural and normal event. I had to meditate on that thought everyday. Telling myself that it was possible for me to birth my baby without intervention really put my mind at ease and gave me the confidence i needed to birth my baby. When labor got tough, I didn't automatically think, "i need someone to get this baby out!"...but instead i realized that i had to push my baby out if i was ready for it to be over

Trust your body...let your body go into labor when it is ready and labor alone with your instincts for as long as you can. That is my humble opinion.

hth!

[danotoyou2]

What allowed me to have a VBAC: staying away from the hospital.

Look into homebirth. Even if you decide it's not for you, talk to others who have done it and give it a fair chance.

[Electra375]

Once I realized I wanted a vbac, it had to be away from the routine procedures and protocols that took me down the road of interventions to the 1st c/s. That meant a home birth w an experienced VBAC lay midwife.

EFM continuously only b/c your a vbac prevents movement in labor by the mother and thus prevents mama from moving baby down and out. Being told I have to stay still b/c moving throws the monitor off the baby happened w my first birth and thus he never moved down well.

IVs complicate matters for the mother's health.

Not being able to eat in a long labor wears a mother out and then she has zero nutrients left for the hardest part - - pushing.

Being told what I can and can't do based on malpractice insurance dictating patient care will keep me from having a baby in any hospital given I've had 2 c/s.

[courtenay_e]

Eat VERY WELL. Get a VERY balanced diet with plenty of protein. Exercise daily. YEs, daily (I know it's hard with a toddler, but make the time, even bring the toddler with you!). Take a Bradley Class. Get a doula who is accustomed to supporting VBAC (and has successful ones under her belt) and if you DO choose hospital birth (with the understanding that hospital VBACs are less likely to be successful because of the lawyer based protocols that the staff must follow), make sure your doula is accustomed to attending births at THAT hospital. Make sure that you speak to your local ICAN chapter and your local homebirth midwives. Find out who THEY recommend (collectively) to attend your VBAC insofar as a practitioner and hospital. Get regular chiropractic care and use proper body dynamics to be sure as you can that baby is in the optimal position for birth. Know you CAN do it!

[roadfamily6now]

What type of care are you getting? Military?

If so I have found that the military is quite VBAC friendly.
I would also seek out a midwife before I would use an OB.

Good Luck

[TanyaS]

I would plan an HBAC. If you have to birth in a hospital, do not do it without a doula and the most natural birth friendly OB and hospital you can find. I would not be above paying out of pocket to avoid an unnecessary surgery, and I am by no means well off financially.

Read as much as you can!

[GardenStream]

Originally Posted by roadfamily6now

What type of care are you getting? Military?

If so I have found that the military is quite VBAC friendly.
I would also seek out a midwife before I would use an OB.

Good Luck

No, we're not military. We are just seeing a regular doctor over here. I'm actually fairly confident about the hospital I have chosen. There are only 2 doctors allowed to deliver there and it was set up specifically for the purpose of allowing the local Amish women to birth. It's really small. I think they only do about 300 births a year and have a 98% success rate for their VBACs and they do about 50 a year. DH is only agreeing to a VBAC because the hospital guarantees an OR ready and waiting during every VBAC in case of rupture. He would NEVER go for a home birth.

I have been considering a doula. I have searched the mothering and dona database, but I cannot find anyone in the area we're moving to. There has to be someone there, but I think I'll just have to wait and ask around once I get there.

Thanks again for all the advice. I feel like I'm at a huge disadvantage when moving 6 months into the pregnancy. I need everything I can get to feel prepared to take this on!

[Fay]

You dh sounds just like mine 1 year ago. Now my dh brags about my VBAC and can't understand why his co-workers automatically sign up for repeat elective c/s.

Find a doula w/VBAC experience, preferably one who has had a VBAC herself. A doula will support you and dh through your fears. Yoga and other relaxation techniques will help you through a natural labor and give you confidence (I joke that my 68.5 hour VBAC labor was a yoga marathon). Labor at home for as long as possible, take lots of showers, it really helps w/labor. Good nutrition and exercise increase your chances of a natural delivery. Refuse as many medical interventions as possible, because once you accept one intervention, it's a slippery slope straight down to the OR.

[thorn]

the top things on my list physically would be

EXERCISE - 30 minutes a day, get out there and walk, swim, run, whatever you like to do.

EAT RIGHT - eat your fruits and veggies and protein and whole grains! take a prenatal vitamin and omega 3 supplement every day. take other supplements that may apply to specific health concerns you have (high blood pressure, etc)

RELAX - get enough sleep every night, even if that means going to bed right after dinner. soak in a bath every night (this not only helps with relaxation but with swelling!)

and mentally

IMAGINE - visualize different ways the birth may go. imagine your 'perfect' vbac, and then expand it to include some less than perfect things that might come up and how you would deal with them

FOCUS - get a mantra, something to repeat in your head, something your hubby/doula can say to you in labor to bring you back to center. find things that relax you and figure out a way to make them into a focal point to bring with you to labor

[misseks]

Originally Posted by danotoyou2

What allowed me to have a VBAC: staying away from the hospital.

Look into homebirth. Even if you decide it's not for you, talk to others who have done it and give it a fair chance.

YES! Stay home!

[loudmama]

Where are you moving to?

Hire a doula. Even though some are not listed on the website you looked at, they're out there. I'm not a certified doula (so not on many websites) , but I have attended 35 births, had a VBAC & LOVE working with VBAC moms.

What was the reason for your c-section? Maybe chiropractic might help if your pelvis is out of whack. Related to that, look at info on optimal fetal positioning. I think many babies are in less than favorable birth positions due to the nature of current lifestyles. While less than optimal position of the baby doesn't mean a c-section, it can make for a longer labor, which leads to less patience of the care provider & a tired mama who can't birth as effectively. Sit up & Take notice is a great book.

L

[GardenStream]

Originally Posted by loudmama

Where are you moving to?

Hire a doula. Even though some are not listed on the website you looked at, they're out there. I'm not a certified doula (so not on many websites) , but I have attended 35 births, had a VBAC & LOVE working with VBAC moms.

What was the reason for your c-section? Maybe chiropractic might help if your pelvis is out of whack. Related to that, look at info on optimal fetal positioning. I think many babies are in less than favorable birth positions due to the nature of current lifestyles. While less than optimal position of the baby doesn't mean a c-section, it can make for a longer labor, which leads to less patience of the care provider & a tired mama who can't birth as effectively. Sit up & Take notice is a great book.

L

I am moving to Ohio, and plan on delivering in a tiny little town called Orville. I know someone who lives in that area who had hospital births but refuses intervention (no IV, no monitoring and no drugs). I know she had a doula there so hopefully she can help me out. I think word or mouth is the only way I'll find someone in that area.

The reason for my c-section was placenta calcification. The babies heartbeat would drop every time I had a small contraction. They were so small I couldn't even feel them. I had drugs to stop labor for 24 hours and then we tried to induce with drugs for 12 hours. I had a couple of contractions but nothing really happened. The doctor said it couldn't happen naturally and we had to get the baby out. After he showed DH the placenta and told him that it was half the size it should have been and that there shouldn't have been any of the hard white patches on it. All of this took place in German and we had only been here about 3 months, so we could have misunderstood some of it. I just wish I knew for sure if the c-section was really necessary!

[melove]

I had a VBAC 18 months ago and have another planned in a few months. My VBAC was at a hospital because that is where I felt the most comfortable. My first baby was a frank breech and was born out of state as we were travelling four weeks before his estimated due date. I still wonder if it was necessary but we are both alive and well.

What helped me the most was to learn to trust my body and the midwife and doctors I was working with. I read books, visualized a safe birth, and took care of myself during pregnancy. Birthing Within is a wonderful book for any pregnancy. I encourage you not to read or hear about any risks that might be involved with a VBAC. It will only clutter your mind.

Best of luck with your VBAC. You can do it.

[thorn]

Originally Posted by melove

I encourage you not to read or hear about any risks that might be involved with a VBAC. It will only clutter your mind.

Really? I definitely wanted to be as informed as possible, so I would be able to make decisions about my care as they came up. I wouldn't want to be in labor and have something suggested and then not know what the possible ramifications of agreeing/disagreeing were...

[ajjones]

I haven't VBACed yet, but my next babe (if we are every lucky enough to get pregnant again) will be a UBAC.

Maybe start with reading Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth and also The Birth Book both are fantastic, though not directly about VBAC. I wish every pregnant woman would read at least those two books.

Good luck.

[JanetF]

As Diana Korte says in the "VBAC Companion", if you don't like interventions, stay away from where they're done There are too many variables in introducing more than one caregiver to a birth and going to a hospital introduces LOTS. The vast majority of VBACs occur at home so logically that's the best thing to do. Why wouldn't you?

[courtenay_e]

Yes, I agree with thorn...but understand what the other poster was saying, too, I think. I believe that fully and truely informing oneself about the possible ramifications of a VBAC, understanding what those complications entail, and what options you would have (and all of those options' pros and cons) if they occured are a very important part of ANY birth, and VBACs especially. Know what's what, what you'd be willing to "give up" and what you wouldn't, and WHY, and be able to make an educated decision should something come up. However, once you've done that leg work, focus with every fiber of your being on birthing this baby vaginally, on believing that your body is made to do so, and on having a wonderful VBAC. DWELLING on the scary "what if's" will get you nowhere, however, knowing ahead of time how you would prefer to handle the situation is NEVER a bad idea.