Lamaze/Birthing Classes

I highly recommend using hypnobirthing. I live in South Florida like some of the other moms and used Amazing Births. Their website has great information. I read the book Birthing within as well.

I found the classes offered by Winnie Palmer Hospital to be very helpful. You can get more information and sign up on the website.

Are you planning a home delivery or birthing center? Some hospitals don't "allow" VBACs anymore due to complications so be sure to look into that.

Are you at a birthing center or hospital? Either one could send you to their associated childbirth classes. The information is all the same for a first time vaginal birth as for a VBAC, I would think. Please be aware that some birth centers won't do VBACs but others will, and that depending on the reason for your first C-section you may be at higher risk for complications. Talk to your OB and make sure you are a candidate for a VBAC. Due to the bony structure in my pelvis, for example, I am not and I am incapable of vaginal birth. I would die in the wild.
If your first baby was breech, or if you didn't fully dilate and they had to do a C-section for that reason, you should be a good candidate for VBAC. If you were fully dilated and pushing and the baby still didn't descend, I think they'll let you try a VBAC but be aware that it probably won't work and you will likely need another C-section. Obviously you'll talk to your OB or midwife first, but finding birthing classes at your local birthing center or hospital should be easy.

I don't know about birth classes, but you should most definitely read Spirtual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin for some heartwarming stories of intervention free birth. Have you met with a midwife yet? They have better outcomes for VBACs than OB/GYNS do if you can find a midwife that will do a vbac in your area.

If you are down in south florida check out http://www.amazingbirths.com/ I took the hypnobirthing classes at the hollywood location and they were wonderful.

Hi, K.. I don't know what a VBAC is. If you are asking about what it is like to have natural childbirth without any painkillers, I can give you a brief description of what I experienced.

I had natural childbirth 28 years ago this month; I gave birth to my son in a hospital, but I had no pain killers or other drugs. I did have an IV, which was unavoidable in that hospital, but I was awake during the entire 12 hours. I used Lamaze breathing, which would have been much more successful if my then-husband would have practiced it with me and been more on top of things. I had to be hooked up to a monitor because there was a compliction -- I was two weeks past the due date, and there was meconium (pre-birth bowel movement) in the water when it broke. So I had to lie in bed in pretty much one position for the whole time. That wasn't fun.

I had a really difficult time during the transitional phase. It hurt really badly, and I went a little nutsy. Some of the things my Lamaze teacher told me were really stupid -- like the first 2/3 of labor is painless!!! My labor started to hurt pretty badly with the first contraction after my water broke, and my water breaking was the first thing that started my labor. So I was pretty pissed off at the teacher for saying that, and I was pissed off at my husband for acting like a jerk and not practicing with me, so he got scared and forgot what to do. So I got frustrated and started hollering at my husband and the midwife, who was kind of stupid, too, and made me go back to first-stage breathing when I was actually already into active labor.

When I got into the pushing phase, though, I felt much better, and actually enjoyed myself. And of course, seeing my son for the first time was an unbelievable joy.

The only things I would do differently were (1) get a husband who wasn't an arrogant, chauvinist jerk, and (2) tell the midwife to stuff it when she told me not to use active labor breathing. I also would get a couple of friends to help me out and be moral support afterward because labor took a lot out of me, and I needed time to recuperate. My son was almost 10 pounds, and I needed stitches, so I had a hard time walking for a while! ( :

Well, I hope this is helpful.

Peace,
Syl

Hi! I highly recommend Bradley classes over Lamaze. Bradley is not just a birthing class, it teaches you relaxation techniques & breathing techniques that will help you long before & after the birthing journey...which will come in handy when they grow older & test their limits :) We had a wonderful Bradley instructor & there was a couple of women in our class attempting a VBAC & successfully did so. It is a husband coached based program, so it is also a wonderful way to enhance your relationship with your husband & he will feel good that he was able to help you during this mama marathon. In case this sounds like something you think you might like, here is the link to their site which can help you locate an instructor in you area. Keep in mind, its usually a 12 week course, so give yourself plenty of time to take the class before delivery. Take care, feel great & the best to all of you. http://www.bradleybirth.com/

I've had two VBAC's and two c-sections. The middle two were the VBAC's. Just be aware that during labor, they will place internal monitors in your uterus. You won't be able to walk around or move very much. They have to monitor the strength of the contractions so they will be able to tell if the uterus starts to tear. That is one of the highest risks of doing a VBAC. I would not suggest you using a birthing center or attempting a home birth. Too often, intervention is needed and if you're not in a hospital, you could be putting yourself and your baby in danger.
There are loads of doctors that do and recommend VBACs. Most hospitals are very welcoming and accommodating of doing these as well. It is usually healthier for both mom and baby and the recovery time is cut tremendously.
I give the warning above because many times the breathing techniques and birthing classes have in mind that you'll be allowed to move around and get comfortable. With a VBAC, you don't always get that choice, so it may not help too much during the labor. But I'm sure, it will quell your mind to have learned something to begin with.
Good luck!

"Childbirth the Bradley Way". Bradley Method Childbirth is a great way to learn. They have great illustrations and information on natural childbirth. Also, "Husband-Coached Childbirth" is a great book. You can look them up on google and it will pull up info for you.

Most women, whether they deliver vaginally or by C-section, don't have serious problems from childbirth. If you and your doctor agree to try a VBAC, you will have what is called a "trial of labor." This means that you plan to go into labor with the goal to deliver vaginally. But as in any labor, it is hard to know if a VBAC will work. You still may need a C-section. As many as 4 out of 10 women who have a trial of labor need to have a C-section.1

Is a VBAC trial of labor safe to try?
If you have had only one cesarean delivery, VBAC may be a safe option for you. You and your doctor may think about a VBAC trial of labor if:

You have only one low, side-to-side scar from a C-section.
You have had 2 cesareans before, but you have also had a vaginal delivery.
The hospital has the staff and tools to do a quick C-section in case you need one.
You don't have a reason for a cesarean in this pregnancy, such as a placenta previa.

VBAC is considered safe if you are older than 35, you have a large fetus, or your pregnancy goes beyond 40 weeks. But these things do lower your chance of being able to deliver vaginally.

VBAC is not considered safe if you have:

Two C-section scars and have not delivered vaginally before.
Three or more C-section scars.
Any scarring above the lower, thinner part of your uterus.

What are the benefits of a VBAC?
The benefits of a VBAC compared to a C-section include:

Avoiding another scar on your uterus. This is important if you are planning on a future pregnancy-the more scars on the uterus, the greater the chance of problems with a later pregnancy.
Less pain after delivery.
Fewer days in the hospital and a shorter recovery at home.
A lower risk of infection.
A more active role for you and your birthing partner in the birth of your child.
What are the risks of VBAC?
The most serious risk of a VBAC is that a C-section scar could come open during . This is very rare, but when it does happen, it can be very serious for both the mother and the baby. The risk that a scar will tear open is very low during VBAC when you have just one low cesarean scar and your labor is not started with medicine. This risk is why VBAC is only offered by hospitals that can do a rapid emergency C-section.

K.: I got the above info from WebMD.com. Please talk to your ob/gyn before you try this, and be aware of all the risks to you and your baby.

Love and good luck,

Jean

Dear K.,

I am in the same boat as you, but my son is 32 months old. I am in Broward County and am waiting to see if this is a sticky bean before doing the research on VBAC. I would appreciate any info you might find.

Thank you!
C.

I thought you might be wanting advice specifically from moms who have experienced natural child birth after a C-section but, then I thought you might also want to know about vaginal child birth, so....

The hospital offered lamaze classes which were good. I practiced a yoga video that was for pregnancy and delivery (calming methods and positions that would help guide the baby). My labor was WONDERFUL and I didn't use drugs. The majority of the pain occurred during the actual labor but since I knew it would be ending soon it was a lot easier to tolerate.

Check out Birthing From Within classes if they have them in your area.

I took lamaze thru Winnie Palmer, and it was great! You can take either the 5 wk course, which is one night/wk, or the weekend course, which is all day. I did the 5 wk, since it was my first. You can visit this site for more info on all the classes Orlando Regional offers: http://www.orlandohealth.com/orlandoregional/classesevent...

Hi K.,
Where do you live? I am in Brevard County and am a certified childbirth educator and birth doula. I have had several clients who have had successful VBAC's. I teach private and group cbe classes and attend hospital and home births. Congratulations on your pregnancy!
T. M.

Check out the Bradley method. It focuses on relaxation and listening to your body.

K.,
I did Lamaze with my first daughter...it did not work for m. I ended up having a c-section anyway. With my second daughter, determined to have a VBAC myself, I opted to do the Bradley Method. Unfortunately in my area, Bradley classes were NOT available to I got a good book and learned/taught it to myself with the help of my husband. I found it to be tremendously better than Lamaze. Lamaze teaches you to be "distracted" from your pain. The Bradley Method teaches you to BREATHE deeply through your pain. There is a difference. My labor was far more manageable...however, I ended up having another c-section due to cervical swelling at 9cm. With that said, I think it's a personal decision but I found the Bradley Method to be better than lamaze. The name of the book I used is:
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon.
Good luck with your second pregnancy and labor.