Feedback on VBAC

Hi E.,

I had a caesarean birth with my first son due to his heart rate dropping and not coming back up. It had nothing to do with my body. So first assess why you had to have the caesarean and then find a Dr that is willing to work with you. My second birth was going great, I was laboring no heart dropping problems I was dialiting and then I got to 10 centermeters and no pushing, my daughter was stuck in my canal she was to big to fit through so they did not want to risk any problems because of the former c-section. But I was allowed to labor and I even got to the pushing phase but the baby was borning via C-section. So I hope that was helpful.

Clearly whatever prompted this unplanned Caesarean is a reality check. Please stick to the hospital and your doctor's advice. Everyone's experience is different so it's almost irrelevant what happened to someone else. The only thing that matters is yours and your babies health.

Hi E., I had a c section with my first son because he was breach. When I was pregnant with my second son I took a class on VBAC with the doctors recommendation that it is possible and a lot safer than it used to be from what I understand. There are risks and they explain that to you. As someone else mentioned in their response, it is all dependent on your circumstances and the doctors recommendation. I was very fortunate to have a successful VBAC and would not have changed it for the world. The experience of a vaginal birth is so wonderful. I then had a c section with my third because she was breach as well. Just wanted you to know that the VBAC is possible.

Are you planning on birthing at home? My Dr wont do VBACs any more. I think times change-I know he didn't, then he did, and now he wont. In the medical community what is okay constantly changes. There is a chance of a rupture, I think in most cases there aren't any problems, but, I always feel guilty when I put what I want over the safety of my kids. I know this isn't the same, but I drive a mini van, for my kids. I want my old Mustang. I certainly do not want a minivan. But, how would I feel if I broke down, or crashed in my completely unsafe car? And, that is one way to think of a VBAC. What if you ruptured? If you try VBAC, seriously think about trying it in a hospital where an emergency can be addressed. Now I'll get off my soapbox...I hope I dont sound preachy-bleach!

Hi E.,

I've had 5 births, 3 vaginal (my girls) and 2 VBAC's (my boys). I won't go in detail about them, but VBAC's are possible and very successful. The deliveries were in this order: vaginal (almost 8-lbs), c-section (11-lbs 4-oz), VBAC (10-lbs 4-oz), vaginal (9-lbs 12-oz,don't know if this would be considered VBAC too), c-section (9-lbs 2-oz).

Some of the responses talking about being disconnected--not one time did I feel disconnected when I gave birth to my babies-whether C-section or vaginal, whether non-medicated, spinal, epidural, narcotic-had all of them. All very special deliveries with lots of emotion and love in the "delivery" or "operating" rooms.

Good luck to you!

T.-Momma to 3 adult kids, 1 teen and a 5 1/2 year old and loving every second of it!

Hi E.. I had a c-section with my first child. I really wanted a vbac for the 2nd and I got my wish! It was fabulous. The 2nd I had in NY with my friend who is a doula at a hospital (because my water broke and there was slight myconium <spelling for fetus poop?>). My doula really helped with the hospital and the doctor and keeping me focused on the natural birth I so wanted. I got it. No drugs, no nothing. It was a day of extreme pain but long forgotten. The c-section left me with a belly bulge (but I may have had it anyway). The vbac left me with a vagina I don't recognize (yipee for kegels?).

Best of luck. Get what you want. You'll do fine. G.

Dear E.,
Greetings!!!

I highly recommend contacting my amazing midwife, Tonya Brooks, who is located in Sherman Oaks, with your question. I experienced the most naturally incredible pregnancy and birth with her as my midwife!

Here's her contact data:

The Natural Birth & Women’s Center
14140 Magnolia Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Tel: ###-###-####
http://www.gr8birth.com

Tonya is incredible! : )))

LOL,
L. (MAMA to 43 week old Dylan Orion).

E.,

I attempted with full support from my OBGYN's office, my Doula and my husband a VBAC back in 2005. For me, I would not attempt a VBAC at home, I know plenty of people have but it made me feel selfish for even wanting to try a VBAC, but I thought at least if I am at a hospital, they'd be able to reaact if an emergency came up. In my case, I labored at home for as long as possible, I was 6cm when I got to the hospital, 8cm very shortly after and then I stalled for about 12 hours or so, then finally reached 9-10cm, not quite 10 but they let me try and push. Nothing, after 17-18 hours (all together) my son just wasn't even close to coming down. Since I hadn't birthed vaginally before, my Dr. was convinced that there wasn't enough room in my pelvis for him to come out. I was upset but in the end it was the best thing that could have happened. Because I did everything naturally up to that point, I was able to feel, about 15 minutes before my c-section, a new, very sharp stabbing pain in my left side. I mentioned it to my doula and she wasn't concerned. Moments later I was having my c-section and both OBGYN's were shocked at the site of my uterus, it was paper thin and was most likely about to rupture. The thing I didn't fear at all during labor, almost happened to me. It is a very small percentage and it can even happen to someone who never had a c-section but if it is going to happen, I'd much rather be somewhere where they can reaact quickly. If you google VBAC, you will find sites that support it 100% and sites that don't. I suggest you read up on both sides. Then, if you still want to attempt it, do so only if you have full support from everyone you need it from. I had no fear, was confident of my birthing situation and had support but still ended up with a c-section, which in the end, was no big deal. Recovery was breeze and I wouldn't change a thing. We are going for number 3 and obviously, that will be a planned c-section.

** I just read a few other posts. How great to read from those who've had VBAC's! I just wanted to add, if you go VBAC, try to go 100% natural. The more intervention, the more likely you are to have a c-section. Even though, my case says otherwise. To me, going through labor naturally was life changing, although, painful, I wouldn't change a thing. Study The Bradley Method if you can.

Best of luck to you!
M.

Hi E.,
I am about to have my third baby and I did try VBAC after birth. My doctor didnt really want me to do it but I wanted to try so hard. It was not all that great and I ended doing douple the work and lost alot of blood and still had to have another C-section.

You should contact your local ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness network chapter
www.ican-online.org

Hi E.,
I had a VBAC w/my 2nd son. I had a wonderful experience and would do it again in a heartbeat! I think delivering VBAC depends on why you needed a c-section w/your first. With my first labor & delivery, my h20 broke and sent me straight into labor. His position was "sunny-side up" and I labored for 15 hours (epidural). Toward the end I stalled @ 6 cm and then developed a fever. With the fear of infection, we decided for the c-section and everything went smooth.
The second time around my doctor saw no reason not to go for the VBAC. Everything went according to plan and I delivered my son in 7 hours with no problems. I am so glad I did it. I feel so lucky that I have been able to experience 2 kinds of labor and delivery and both babies were perfect!
Good luck!

Dear E.,

I have no advice as far as VBACs go. My caution to you would be "Don't be set on VBAC," so that if it doesn't work out you're not disappointed. I have a friend who had a C-section with her first because he was breach. They tried an inversion, but were unable to turn him. She was so upset at not being able to deliver vaginally. She was determined to have a VBAC. Her second baby went into distress and was taken by C-section, and she tried a water birth at a clinic across the street from a hospital with her third - but had such horrible back labor, she ended up being pushed across the street in a wheel chair during her labor (which was awful!) and having another C-section. I am not saying it can't be done, and I am not saying you shouldn't plan and attempt a VBAC - I just know that some women have strong feelings about delivering vaginally - and I would hate for the joy of the birth of your baby to be diminished by any disappointment about the method of your delivery.

Another caveat - I considered delivering at home. But the birth of my second baby cured me of that thought. I had a normal pregnancy, a normal (in fact very easy- 5 minutes after my OB/GYN walked into the room) delivery, and when the pediatrician came to evaluate her, he said, "Beautiful baby, don't worry about a thing." Five hours later, a nurse came to tell me that when she cried, she was fine, but when she was lucid, she started turning blue. They were getting ready to transfer her to the NICU (which had opened only two weeks earlier!) (and, btw, she was my biggest baby, but not monstrous at 8'10")

Best of wishes on your next delivery, whatever form it takes!
B.

Hi E.-

Congratulations on your pregnancy!!!!!

I also had a ceasarean birth when I was planning on a natural birth, although it wasn't a water birth. When I was pregnant with my to be a VBAC son, I went to the hospital and scoured over my records to see if there was anyway that a c-section could be avoided for the future pregnancy. I found in the records that my daughter's birth was an extreme emergency, and if I didn't have a c-section, she would probably be dead, and I would be in a emergency situation as well. I read a lot and found that the chances of a repeat c-section are increased if you have an epidural, so I wanted to avoid the epidural at all costs! I also went to the "Meet the DR's" night with my Dr's group. This was really helpful as well because I wanted a Dr. that had a similar philosophy as mine. One Dr. that my friend used and loved came out and said, "they call me the epidural Dr, I'll let you go w/o drugs if you want, but I can't see why anyone would want to." Well, that wasn't for me!! I picked my Dr. and wrote up a birth plan telling him that I wanted to attempt a V-BAC, if possible, and I wanted my husband to cut the cord and tell me the sex of the baby. The Dr. was fine with that as long as I was understanding that emergencies happen and I was willing to have another c-section if the situation warranted it. I also found in my readings that I doula, mother's helper, is really helpful. She was extremely helpful because even though my husband and I practiced the breathings, he was feeling unequipped and helpless watching me be in so much pain. When the time came, I checked into the hospital. They put a IV in my arm but didn't have it hooked up to anything, it was "just in case." I showed the nurses my plan so they assigned me to a more natural nurse and the rest is history! They did ask me periodically is I wanted the epidural, but I kept refusing. It was extremely tempting though! I have to say, the actual delivery w/o the drugs was kinda cool. I knew when my body was at 10 centimeters, I felt my son going down the birth canal, and I knew exactly what position I needed to be in to deliver him. When I had the OK to push, I flipped onto my knees and had my arms resting over the top of the bed. I surprised everyone, including myself by doing that, but 3 pushes later, he was out!

Anyway, good luck to you. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Stephanie

Hi E.,
I also had a C after planning a home water birth. So frustrating! I am planning another home water birth for this pregnancy - so I'm with ya, mama! I have a great situation - Mary Lou O'Brien is my midwife for the home birth, and Lisa Waldbaum is my midwife through Kaiser (Bellflower/Imperial Highway). They are both wonderful women and totally supportive. The great thing about Kaiser is that they have to take you, no matter what. So do your planning again like you did before, and prepare yourself as best you can, but don't give up on the dream! Personally, I am pursuing therapy for the issues that surrounded my first birth experience, in the hope that they won't negatively affect my next one.
Best of luck to you!

IT really depends on the reason for your c section. My first was a c section due to failure to progress. After 36 hours my son started showing signs of stress. My next three deliveries (including twins!) were all vbac. On the other hand I have a friend who had 3 c sections because her bone structure is too small for normal delivery.

Hi E.!

Although I have not had a C-section or VBAC myself I do strongly urge you to try to do it if you can. Do your research to find you all the info on it, and be prepared for a possible fight with your Dr. next time you get pregnant. There are certain reasons Dr's would not want to have you do this, and you need to have the information and research to back up your point of view. Shop around and find either a Dr. or midwife who says you are a good candidate for a VBAC and hold your ground. The research truly points to the decreased complications rate with VBAC and the one thing that Dr's tend to use to scare their patients is the possibility of the uterus rupturing- which only occurs in .07% of VBAC's and most often when an induction occured. Go for it! I applaud your wishes for it, and goos luck with your VBAC! :-)

Hi E.,

You have had some wonderful responses and although I didn't end up doing a VBAC I did want one, so I found a wonderful doctor on the westside who was willing to do whatever I wanted. I thought right up until the last week that I would go through with natural, but my children are very close together in age. My husband got a little scared, so we called up my doctor and changed our plan.

The biggest advice I have for you is to please have your child in a hospital for the the first VBAC that you have because if there are complications they will be equipped to help you. If you have a successful VBAC under your belt and you want another child then go for a home birth.

Either way, good luck to you!!! It doesn't matter how they come into the world...our babies are a blessing!!!

E.

Being a mother with 2 C sections, I am pretty sure that you won't be allowed to attempt a vbac at home. I do know that there are only a couple hospitals that allow attempted vbacs because of the risk of hemmoridge. I wasn't even allowed to attempt it with my second child, because Reno, NV doesn't have emergency surgical teams standing by in case of emergency. The only thing I can suggest is asking your Dr first, and see if they even allow vbacs where you live.

I had a VBAC with my second daughter. I had no trouble with it at all. I had about 12 hours of labor and had drugs administered after 7 or 8 hours. When her head started to decend I could feel the pressure. It took about 20 minutes of pushing and she was out. Of course I forgot to mention she was 6 days late, lol. I don't know if that had anything to do with having a cesarean previously.

what was the reason you ended up needing a c-section? often times if you need one because you stopped dilating or got to pushing and the baby wouldn't come down, it's usually because the proportion of your pelvis and the baby's head didn't match. if that's the case, it can be with the next one too. just something to consider.

but there are people that have been able to deliver with that situation. just make sure you look at ALL the risks and the benefits.

many hospitals won't allow women to have a VBAC because the risks are more than they want to deal with. i'm sure that in the end, you and your family want a healthy baby and a healthy mom no matter how the baby gets here.

good for you for getting feedback and advise. but be sure to get unbiased, well informed education on both risks and benefits.

good luck as you and your family make this decision.

if you do decide to go with a repeat c-section, here's a site that tells you how you can have a more natural c-section

http://normalfed.com/Starting/cesarean.html

I don't know where you live, but in our city I think that only one doctor will allow their patients to do VBACs. It's safer for you to have a c-section, because your uterus could tear while pushing, and it's very dangerous for you and the baby. I would listen to your doctor and follow his/her advice.
I've had three c-sections, and each consecutive one was easier to heal from.
Good luck!

Hi E.,

I had a VBAC and it was a good experience. I did have a epideral and epiziotomy at the end but it helped move the delivery along. Your delivery will be a special one. Keep a good attitude and use your breathing to control your contractions. Enjoy the experience.

Best Wishes,
Pat

I had a VBAC 4 1/2 yrs ago with Dr. Rebecca Perlow in Tarzana. She is amazing! They usually look at the reason you had the C-Section to see if you are a good candidate. My first daughter was "sunny side up" and couldn't make her way down. That is why I had the c-section after 2 1/2 hrs of pushing. If the C wasn't because of an "emergency situation", she will most likely attempt it. There are MANY drs in the area that wont even attempt it. Once a C always a C. She made it clear that if a vaginal birth was possible, I would have it, but if it looked like I needed a C, I would get a C. The VBAC went great without a hitch.

If your C was an emergency one because of your health or the baby's health, I dont think a dr would recommend a home birth. Too Risky. I'd go in for a consultation with Dr. Perlow, or another dr that is pro VBAC, and just go over the options. Maybe they would let you make the hospital room more "homey" or provide a water situation or something within the hospital.

Good luck! J.

Hi E.,
My first child was an unexpected c~section too. My second, 2 years 9 months later~~VBAC. I was a little weary especially after I had read all of the info, but my OBGYN was wonderful and she told me that I could do it. I figured that she knew more than I did and gave it a shot. My daughter came very fast, about 3 hours from start to finish so I had no time for any drugs. I have to say after the fact, as scared as I was, I wouldn't change a thing. The recovery after a no drug natural birth was soooo much nicer than the c~section. I was ready to go home that afternoon, they did not let me, but I was ready. So, I guess my advice would be trust your doctor and your own gutt feeling of course. Good luck to you. Christi

I tried to have a vbac with my second child (who ended up being close to 10 punds). I was very nervous about the risk of a rupture and really liked my doctor, who is very open mided, so I did not opt for a midwife. After about 6 hours of labor I ended up with a second c-section, because the baby's heart rate kept dropping and staying down. I also opted for an epidural fairly quickly because I was afraid of the pain after a long and painful first labor. I think I would have had a better chance of a succesful vbac without the epidural and with a midwife, but I don't know. The hospitals act like you are crazy when trying a vbac (at least cedars did), and want you hooked up to the monitor the whole time, which really restricts your movement and ability to stay in control of the labor. I have heard great things about good samaritan, though. They seem much more open minded.

E.
I'm forwarding you something I wrote to another mom asking the same question:

Don't be so sure that you wont have 6 weeks of recovery with a Vbac. My first two boys tore me from front to back (and they weren't big babies - 6 and 7 lbs). I had stitches and the recovery was miserable and it took a very long time to feel normal. I just had a C with my third... my doctor called it 'vaginal preservation'. She said there would be nothing left ot repair if I tore again. Granted, the recovery was difficult, but slowly being able to work you abs back into shape was MUCH easier than stressing over every BM, worrying about infection, having to take soak baths everyday and the basic pain in your 'hoo-haa'.

I will tell you that I felt a bit 'disconnected' having the C - like someone just handed me a baby and said, "here ya go". But think about this - if your even thinking about having an epideral during a Vbac, you're going to be 'disconnected' anyway. Do yourself a favor and get the C. Yes, it's major sergury, but it's a much more controlled environment. And ultimately, the end result is the same - you have a beautiful baby to love.

Just thought of one more bonus. Obviously, you already have one child - so with a C you get a longer stay in the hosital... more time to bond with new baby without first baby begging for attention.

Good luck. Either way, you'll be extremely blessed and two years from now it wont matter how they came into the world.