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Any other VBAC-ers?

10K views 179 replies 16 participants last post by  NDFanatik 
#1 ·
I'm hoping for a VBA2C this time...this being my last baby, I sure hope I get the vaginal birth I've always wanted this time. With my first, I was a first-time mom and was not informed as well as I should have been. I was in early labour, but let them give me pitocin and break my water to "speed things up", and then the epidural...of course once the water was broken, I was on the clock, and when I'd only dilated 3 cm in 24 hours, they decided I "needed" a c-section. With the second, I devoured information, and was convinced this time I would get my vaginal birth, but it didn't work out. I had a midwife, but I wasn't happy with her support. When I was slow to dilate at home, she talked me into going into the hospital for an epidural to see if that relaxed me enough to dilate. I gave in, and I did dilate fully this time, and even pushed for a couple hours, but the baby moved into a strange position and wouldn't come down any further. I think if I'd been given more time, he would have moved back into position, but at the time, the mw and the OB on call had convinced me I had an infection because my temperature was elevated, and scared me into another c-section.

this time will be in the hospital again--being a VBA2C, and with my blood-clotting issues, and the bleeding I've had through the pregnancy so far, the risk of hemorrhage makes me want to be in the hospital. I wasn't able to get a midwife this time anyways, so homebirth wouldn't have been an option. so far my doctor is very supportive. she has referred me to an OB just to get their opinion on it, so i'm hoping the OB will not give me any problems, though i have a feeling she will (this OB is horrible.) But if that's the case, I'm going to get a referral to a different one, until I find one that supports my choice. I really don't want a third c-section. If I end up with one, I will deal with it, but I will in no way be scheduling one.

Anyone else VBACing? Or anyone who has had a VBAC that has any good advice?
 
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#27 ·
wombatclay thank you so much for sharing that, I think that's kind of the stance I've taken. I'm in Canada and the hospitals here basically allow midwives to take control of the birth, they're using the facility, the OB on-call will check in but that's about it, if I don't want an OB I don't have to have one. I've been given the option to consult with one beforehand though, which is where I'm torn. If something were to happen that would require an OB to step in I would prefer it be the one who did my c/s, but I don't want that to limit my options. I like your preferences, I'm ok with a heplock, I'm ok with intermittent monitoring, I just want to be able to labor and push in whatever way I find most comfortable, not be limited to lying in a bed on my back only. So my next midwife appointment I plan to discuss all of this and see what my chances are that the OB would be ok with that or if I'd be better off keeping an OB out of it unless it was an emergency situation. I like the game idea, that was a way better way to discuss unplanned birthing scenarios than what our prenatal class did, she had us paint a picture, half way through we had to put a black line through it, and that was to teach us to deal with a change in plans and the disappointment, I get it, but I'm not 6, I don't need the analogy of picture. Plus the game gets you thinking about what's important to you personally and what's maybe not so important.
 
#28 ·
I have to warn you that the game can be pretty emotional. This was part of a DONA doula training program and none of us were actually pregnant and even so two of us ended up in tears. Come to think of it, the crying was done my myself and the one other doula-to-be who had had a cesarean so I'm sure that had something to do with it. But it really is a good tool for provoking thought and getting to the real core of what "makes" a good birth.

I was at a VBAC birth class (led by the OB who attended my first VBAC actually) and she asked the group to call out all the things they wanted/needed in their VBAC birth BUT you had to use positive language. That was actually really difficult. I didn't think it would be so hard, but just switching things from "I don't want...." to "I want..." proved to be really tough. But what was really interesting was that we then went through the list as a group and realized that there were ways to get a lot of those "things" even in a cesarean birth. You just had to KNOW that those were things you needed.... like "I want to hold my baby all gooey and messy and smelly and wonderful" is totally do-able but you need to know you want that BEFORE the birth since otherwise you'll be handed a clean little blanket wrapped babe (and knowing L&D nurses, many have said they scrub the c/s babies up and have them ready to go as a way of trying to make c/s mamas feel better... not realizing that many c/s mamas look back on having missed out on the messy baby moment with a lot of regret). So again, there's another "game" to help in birth planning.
 
#30 ·
I was glued to the computer all morning... The Feminist Breeder (http://thefeministbreeder.com/tfbs-live-homebirth-blog-event/) had her baby this morning! I've been following her pregnancy, and she just had an HBAC. This was her second VBAC, first at home. It was very inspirational to watch it unfold this morning, and it couldn't have come at a better time for me. I've been going through a minor freak-out lately, and it was pretty awesome to see a successful HBAC today.
 
#32 ·
TFB was amazing! And the birth is archived for anyone who missed it. There are a few fantastic collections of birth videos, including some that are more or less "just" vbac/hbac. I'm trying to remember the name of the site I used a lot last time... it was helpful since individual birth videos were "rated" so I could find the most appropriate ones for my kiddos to watch too (ratings included nudity, which isn't a big deal for us, but also rated how noisy a mama was or how bloody the birth was... and at the time my 4yo hated hearing other people cry/moan and my 2yo was deathly afraid of people with blood on them so knowing ahead of time what was in a video really helped introduce ideas like moaning or bleeding gradually). Until I remember the name:

http://wonderfullymadebelliesandbabies.blogspot.com/2008/07/birth-videos.html

http://www.pregnancy.com.au/birth-choices/vbac/vbac_videos/index.shtml (includes a vba3c)

http://www.pregnancy-and-giving-birth.com/childbirth-video.html (scroll down to the bottom)
 
#34 ·
Is it bad that I don't feel any need to read any books or take any VBAC classes? I remember all the stuff from my first prenatal class, but I just feel like I want to take everything in stride as it comes, listen to my body and do what I need to do. Normally I'm an info junky but I have no motivation for this. Should I be getting more prepared?
 
#35 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smurfy View Post

Is it bad that I don't feel any need to read any books or take any VBAC classes? I remember all the stuff from my first prenatal class, but I just feel like I want to take everything in stride as it comes, listen to my body and do what I need to do. Normally I'm an info junky but I have no motivation for this. Should I be getting more prepared?
Have you had a vaginal birth before? I think that a VBAC is very different from a normal vaginal birth personally from my own experience- mainly because of all tehe hoops you have to jump through and all of the emotional issues that can arise. I know for me I HAD to prepare by listening to god VBAC stories, building myself up, learning all of my options so that i could fight if I needed to and preparing at the same time for the worst. That was for my hosp VBAC. Now that I'm planning a homebirth VBAC I don't feel NEAR the need to prep, but I am still teaching myself new things that I didn't know from my last birth and going through the same routine of lifting myself up and readying myself emotionally.

But I don't think everyone has that NEED to prepare- just as long as you know your options, esp for your birth setting :)
 
#36 ·
i feel like i did all the preparation last time. i read all the books, did all the research, feel like i did everything i could to prepare. this time, i'm feeling more like i am just going to take it as it comes, listen to my body, and just try to stay focused and relaxed in the moment. i think for me it was harder when i ended up with the 2nd c-section, after doing all that "work", and having it go that way. and it taught me that no matter how much you do everything "right", you still have very little control over it in the end. i think this time i am putting less pressure on myself, and am going at it in a completely different way.
 
#37 ·
I am planning my third vba2c with this baby, as long as things are looking ok. We have a blood incompatibility to contend with, so that is a challenge, but I was able to be non-chemically induced with my first vba2c and my doctor said he was game for that again, if necessary. That one ended up being a really long induction and he felt confident that it wouldn't take as much this time.

Hugs to all you mamas preparing for your first vbacs- I hope you find supportive care providers and comfortable places to give birth
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Oh, here are my vbac stories, in case you are interested. I give considerable back story both times, so you might want to skip it the second time
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My induced hospital VBA2C

My homebirth VBA2C
 
#38 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by rareimer View Post

i feel like i did all the preparation last time. i read all the books, did all the research, feel like i did everything i could to prepare. this time, i'm feeling more like i am just going to take it as it comes, listen to my body, and just try to stay focused and relaxed in the moment. i think for me it was harder when i ended up with the 2nd c-section, after doing all that "work", and having it go that way. and it taught me that no matter how much you do everything "right", you still have very little control over it in the end. i think this time i am putting less pressure on myself, and am going at it in a completely different way.
Yes. This was exactly how I approached my second vbac attempt. I knew that I wanted to try and give myself every chance but I wasn't going to let it break me if I ended up with another c-section.
 
#39 ·
Yes, this is how I feel too after having been through the big prep/buildup for my first VBAC attempt.

Quote:
Originally Posted by channelofpeace View Post

Yes. This was exactly how I approached my second vbac attempt. I knew that I wanted to try and give myself every chance but I wasn't going to let it break me if I ended up with another c-section.
I would like to note that while I don't need to extensively research VBAC safety, statistics, etc. (because I've done all of that before!), I am still prepping in a huge way physically. My second c/s was for malpositioning and I'll be damned if I'm going down without a fight this time. So I am doing lots of chiro, spinningbabies techniques, no couch time, etc. I am prepping in a way, just not the same way as last time.

Another VBAC prep that I think is worth everyone's time is emotionally processing our prior births. For me that was going to ICAN meetings and telling my birth stories.

Another thing I am doing is reading VBA2C stories (like these!).

I'd like to second Robyn's observation about control, or lack thereof. I read Ina May, read Birthing From Within, hired a doula, did all that "doing it right" stuff before both of my prior c-sections.
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There's no one right answer about prep, I guess. Just depends on where you are in your journey.
 
#40 ·
This is exactly how I feel (except that this will be my first VBAC attempt). I feel like I did everything "right" the first time, read everything I could get my hands on during the first pregnancy and since, and I really haven't read anything with any new information in it in quite a while. I know I need to go to ICAN meetings, but I feel like that's the only really helpful thing I could be doing that I am not (or haven't already done). I am also quite the birth junky, so to feel so apathetic with regard to getting new/more info is a bit strange for me too...

Quote:
Originally Posted by rareimer View Post

i feel like i did all the preparation last time. i read all the books, did all the research, feel like i did everything i could to prepare. this time, i'm feeling more like i am just going to take it as it comes, listen to my body, and just try to stay focused and relaxed in the moment. i think for me it was harder when i ended up with the 2nd c-section, after doing all that "work", and having it go that way. and it taught me that no matter how much you do everything "right", you still have very little control over it in the end. i think this time i am putting less pressure on myself, and am going at it in a completely different way.
 
#41 ·
It's a bit unorthodox (both in terms of the standard medical birth prep world and the more crunchy natural birth prep world) but the OBs who attended my first VBAC had an interesting philosophy that they shared with their VBAC mamas...

Basically, they felt like a lot of VBAC mothers spend too much time in their heads. They understood that this sort of obsessive analyzing was normal, that it was important for VBAC mamas to process their past births and dig deep into the whole world of VBAC stats and stories and figures and risks and ruptures and rules and "how to do it right THIS time when you did it all right LAST time and it didn't work" stuff. The really encouraged moms to spend time processing and thinking and reading all the studies and doing that sort of "in the head" work. But only in the first half of the pregnancy. More or less for the entire third trimester they asked VBAC mamas to commit to being "in their bodies"... do yoga or belly dance or sing out loud as much as possible, garden or sit outside with your hands in the dirt, go swimming or hiking or camping, build things, have sex, get a body rub or massage, do moving meditations or finger paint your birth art, and just connect physically with the whole earth mama/birthing energy. Spend the first part of the pregnancy coming to terms with the "-ac" part of "vbac" and then the second half of pregnancy focused on the "vb-" part.

They even write Rx for that sort of stuff during the third trimester. You know, "take 5 deep breaths outside, three times daily". LOL (they do something similar for moms who are giving birth following sexual abuse and trauma, again with the goal of moving women out of their heads where everything is percentage of this and fear of that and into their bodies where the birth actually happens).

~~(my first VBAC was attended by Drs Heidi Reinhart and her husband Rudy Fedrizzi, Heidi wrote one of the chapters in Ina May's book so she's kind of on that earthy/birthy/sexual/physical wavelength, only with the OB/medical role experience grafted onto it... I think Heidi is practicing in CT now in case anyone is looking for a kick butt VBAC birth attendant)~~
 
#42 ·
i think that's definitely true, wombatclay--or at least was so of me. which is sort of why i'm leaning away from that this time. i spent so much time in my head during my last pregnancy, and then during labour, of course you're not really in your head at all (or shouldn't be.) definitely food for thought.
 
#43 ·
How are the VBAC mamas doing?

I just ordered The Pink Kit to learn more about my pelvis. I'll let you guys know what I think of it.
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I've been thinking about wombatclay's last post for the last 2 weeks. I think it's very wise.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wombatclay View Post

More or less for the entire third trimester they asked VBAC mamas to commit to being "in their bodies"... do yoga or belly dance or sing out loud as much as possible, garden or sit outside with your hands in the dirt, go swimming or hiking or camping, build things, have sex, get a body rub or massage, do moving meditations or finger paint your birth art, and just connect physically with the whole earth mama/birthing energy. Spend the first part of the pregnancy coming to terms with the "-ac" part of "vbac" and then the second half of pregnancy focused on the "vb-" part.
 
#44 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ms. B. Sprout View Post

How are the VBAC mamas doing?

I just ordered The Pink Kit to learn more about my pelvis. I'll let you guys know what I think of it.
smile.gif


I've been thinking about wombatclay's last post for the last 2 weeks. I think it's very wise.
Please do report back on the Pink Kit, Ms.B Sprout. I have looked it before but can't tell where it seems to have info that I haven't gotten out of massive amounts of reading and doing the Hynobabies Homestudy. Maybe I'm not reading up on the right product??

Nothing much happening over here....Next week I'm going to meet the last of the new CNMs in the group I'll be using for my hossy VBAC. I've identified one I'm not crazy about, one I think I like, the unmet lady, and then one I had during my last birth whom I definitely don't like. :) I'm hoping for another good one to even out my odds of getting someone I like at my birth!

Found out at my anatomy scan that all is well and my placenta is posterior--very pleased about that! So far no signs of the placenta problems/IUGR I had with DS1 (although it's really too early to mean much on that front).

I added a prenatal yoga video to my Netflix streaming queue and hope to start doing it now that school is out for the summer.
 
#47 ·
i liked that Crunch Mama one, i did it almost every day my last pregnancy. i lent it out to a friend and never did get it back, and i don't know if Netflix Canada has it. i'll have to look and see!

i've also been considering The Pink Kit...looking forward to hearing what you think of it Ms. B! it looks really interesting, but at the same time, vague enough on the website that i'm just not sure about it yet.
 
#48 ·
I have high hopes about the pelvic mapping part of The Pink Kit -- learning the shape and particular traits of my soft and bony pelvis. All the general birth education stuff is sure to be retreads of other stuff I have done/read. I will let y'all know.

Konayossie, yay for a good scan and good placental position! I think my sonographer was a bit surprised that I was so interested in where my placenta was.
winky.gif
 
#49 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by bignerpie View Post

The Crunch Mama, or whatever it's called? I've had that on my queue for like 4 months! LOL. I've never had a chance to watch it.
Yep, that's the one! Glad to hear it's a good one, rareimer!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ms. B. Sprout View Post

Konayossie, yay for a good scan and good placental position! I think my sonographer was a bit surprised that I was so interested in where my placenta was.
winky.gif
I know--I don't think the techs are used to mamas who are almost as excited about seeing good placental positions as about baby's face (not that we didn't enjoy that, of course).
ROTFLMAO.gif
 
#51 ·
Wow I've been absent from here forever! Sorry, lots going on, we moved and then needed a spontaneous vacation, yes apparently you can still do those with kids!

I'm still not concerned about prep, my midwife team is very confident in their VBAC abilities and outcome statistics, plus my chiropractor has me coming in every 2 weeks right now and that will be upped to weekly very soon. Only thing I am worried about is I'm feeling the majority of the kicks in the same place as I did with my son. I see my chiropractor on Wed and my midwife next week so I'll talk to them both about this. Though I've already decided that if this one ends up sitting in the exact same position then it's definitely something with the shape of my uterus or my pelvis. I'm quite small, so that may have something to do with it. At least if that's the case then I know it's not something I could prevent. On another note, if this baby is sitting breech then I will be talking to an OB about the possibility of a breech vaginal delivery. He was open to it last time, though he was the only one in the entire city and midwives aren't allowed to perform them, not sure if that would change being it's a VBAC. Fingers crossed that I'm wrong on the kicks or if I'm not that the OB will have an open mind again!
 
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