VBAC Vs. Second C-section

My answer: do what you feel comfortable with. My husband is a doctor and was in his OB clinical rotation when we got pregnant with our second daughter. I had a c-section with my first daughter because she was breech and have the same scar you have. Well, he heard all the statistics and ultimately we decided that the less than 1% chance of something going wrong was worth it. It was great! I was out of the hospital the next day and was able to move around and take care of both girls by the second day with no problems. With our third child there was no discussion, we went straight to the VBAC and again another fabulous experience (I went shopping at Target the day I got out!). My one word of caution is to discuss this thoroughly with your doctor and make sure the hospital you're at is able to do VBAC's. The hospital needs to have trauma one capability so they can handle anything that comes up, but other than that don't stress. There will always be naysayers but ultimately do what feels like the best choice for you. :) Good luck!

I've had 2 VBACs, and even though the labor/delivery part wasn't a piece of cake, the recoveries were much easier than my c-section recovery (and my c-section recovery wasn't really that bad).

I hired a doula with my 3rd child, and that was actually my best labor/delivery/recovery experience of all. It's definitely something to look into.

My final piece of advice is that if you decide to have a VBAC, it can really help to spend some time in the bath/shower during labor. When I felt like I couldn't continue any longer during my 3rd labor, I got in the shower for 45 minutes. I leaned over the shower seat while my midwife ran the spray back and forth over my lower back, and the pain was so much more manageable. When I finally got out (because I was tired of standing in that position so long), I was nearly ready to push.

Good luck to you, whatever you decide!

Please don't do a VBAC. My best friend almost died when her uterus ruptured in an attempted VBAC. Her beautiful son is a quadraplegic who will spend the rest of his life with a feeding tube. I know plenty of people have successful VBAC's but do you really want to be the one it doesn't work for? And insurance companies are motivated to encourage vaginal births over c-sections because of the cost. Please really think about this decision.

I don't know where the "VBAC's" are suddenly safe comments are coming from. There is a good reason that most hospitals won't even allow the attempt of a VBAC. The risks, while on paper may not appear "high" are high enough to deter most docs and hopsitals from them. Here's a good article with statistics: http://www.vbac.com/uterine.html
Your risk of rupture is between 1% and 9% depending on the type of scar you have; this may not seem like a huge risk, unless of course you are the unlucky one who experiences this. My husband is an RN; the hospital company he works for will not do VBACs period. As a nurse who has seen the complications at his previous job, he would never allow me to even think about attempting one (i've had 2 sections).
Good luck.

Do the vbac!!! My first was a c-section b/c of her breech position, as well. With my 2nd, my doc kept telling me the whole time that I was a perfect candidate for a vbac. I figured, I might as well! This is the way God planned it, and I might as well experience both ways, if possible. As you've heard, it takes longer to heal from a c-section. It's surgery. You heal in different areas with a vaginal delivery. "That area" is more sore than if you'd have a c-section, but you should heal faster. Plus, you have less chance for additional scar tissue when cutting open the same place with another c-section.

I hope that helps. It's a decision you & your doctor have to make. Good luck -- this little bundle will be here before you know it! :)

I chose a repeat c-section. I am a worry wart and the amount of time the doctor had to do a c-section if something were to go wrong was not enough in my mind, 17 minutes. My doc told me it was totally fine and encouraged me to do a VBAC, and then yelled at me for doing too much internet research :o). Love her!! But I opted for the c-section.

Oh - and I was released on Wednesday after having my baby on Monday...because he and I were both fine, they sent me hom with some pain meds and called it a day! Same as if I had done a VBAC.

I don't have first hand experience with that, but I did have a vaginal breech birth assisted by Dr. Stephen Guy at Miami Valley hospital. He is wonderful. I also had Amy Chavez of Bhakti house as a doula. It all worked out really well and I was grateful. Dr. Guy is a supporter of natural birth, so maybe worth contacting. Good luck!

I had an emergency c-section with my first and it took me a little while to recover due to other complications. With my second and third, it was a planned c-section because I DID NOT want to endure labor. They went VERY smoothly. Both times, I delivered by 8:30am and had the catheter removed and was walking by 7:30pm the same day. I do not like to be weighted on hand and foot. Of course, I was a little sore, but I moved slowly while in the hospital and made sure I stayed 15 minutes ahead of my scheduled pain medication.

My husband stayed one evening at the hospital with my 2nd (only because it was our anniversary) and not at all with our 3rd. To be honest, I wanted the time to spend it with my new baby by myself to bond.

When I returned home after the 2nd and 3rd, my older girls knew that mommy could only carry the baby so lifting something heavy was not an issue (2 1/2 years between each of my kids). My OB never restricted me from carrying the baby or walking up and down stairs.

I also made my husband return to work. I wanted to put the baby and other girls on a schedule and asked my husband to take a few days off after I had been home for at least a week. I figured that then he could just conform to our schedule. It worked out great.

The best thing I did though was have my parents come over the first week I was home for a couple of hours to make my other girls lunch and then put them down for their naps. It helped a lot. If you do not have family, think about a sitter coming for a couple of hours every day to help.

Good luck! It will all work out!

I have had two VBAC's would choose that over a repeat c-section each and every single time. I had a scheduled c-section my my DD because she was breech just like your first. I had an easy recovery but it was still 100x harder then the recovery after my vaginal births. I felt GREAT after my vaginal births. Infact, ACOG just came out with a statement indicating that VBACs are safe and should be encouraged over a repeat c-section when possible. My advice, go for the VBAC you won't regret it!

www.ican-online.org
www.vbacfacts.com
www.childbirthconnection.org

Here is a link for "A.Blue". It is ACOG's (that's The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) recent statement about the safety of VBAC's. They state that "Attempting a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is a safe and appropriate choice for most women who have had a prior cesarean delivery, including for some women who have had two previous cesareans."
http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases...