Vbac

[stephlw25]

Hi i just wondered, first time mums who had a c-section who is going to try for a vaginal birth next time?
This is something i have been thinking of a lot recently even though im not planning on ttc just yet!

I really am unsure about what to do, part of me would love to try for a vaginal birth but i have to say that the storys of ripping/tearing stitches etc etc have scared the hell out of me!!! LOL

For me personally though i would hate to have everything planned which puts me off having an elective section, for me, once i got to 40 weeks pregnant it was exciting knowing that it could happen any day and with each twinge thinking "oooh is this it?" and i know is sounds mad but i kind of enjoyed being in labour!!! i cant wait to get on the gas and air again! (great stuff!!)
So i really want to go into labour naturally.

Is their any mums here who had a secion first time then went on to have a vaginal birth?? if so which one was better??

Also ive heard that you have more chance of a vbac if you wait 2 years to concieve again? does anyone know if this is true? and has anyone had a vbac and waited less than 2 years?

Thanks guys!!

Steph xxx

 

[weestar21]

Hi hun, this is from my sis ok im on the fone and trying to type so sorry if it doesnt make any sence...lol


ok after having a misscarage she fell pg with Ailsa and had a vaginal delivery. After another misscarrage she became PG with Jordyn who was born by and emergancy c section at 35 weeks as her placenta was starting to come away. She said that she would defo go for another vaginal delivery as she said that the c section was the worst experience she had ever went through.

i know its not much help to your questions and when i was pg both times i wanted a c section as i was pertified of pain (wimp....lol) but im so glad i didnt as once that baby is out the pain goes. I had bad after pains after Colby but was just like really bad cramps but not as strong as contractions so a good few pain killers and i was fine within 2 days. I didnt tear with Adele although i had a 2 degree tare with Colby but didnt need stitches so it couldnt have been that bad. It does sting when going for a wee if you do tear but honestly its nothing you cant cope with.

on the other hand my other sister had 1 section with scott and became pg with amanda and opted for a c section now shes having a really tough time of losing weight and the docs said its all just very lose skin and only option is to have a tummy tuck. wich im not sure if shes going a head or not.

anyway sorry to ramble on so much but good luck and take care and all teh best for when you do decide to TTC
xxxxxx

 

[stephlw25]

Thanks weestar!! yes i was the same, so scared of giving birth but once i went into labour i actually enjoyed it and the contractions didnt bother me too much as i knew it was a step closer to meeting my baby!
Its funny though as ive sort of forgot the pain! i just remember on the drive home from hospital crying the whole way home as going over a bump or any slight movement in the car was agony. so dont really want to go through it all again i think im just scared of the cutting/tearing/stitching etc!! although on the other hand i guess your up and about a lot quicker?! Plus people keep saying with a vaginal birth the pain goes straight after baby is born as with a section the pain only then begins, this is another reason swaying me towards a vbac! oh what a discission!!

 

[weestar21]

im sure when you are ttc and when the big day gets closer and you start to plan out what birth plan u want you will know in yourself dontforget you wont know untill it happens and their is alot of medical advice out their, sorry im rushing this but my cat has a bird and teh bird is flying round the living room sorry i have to go will update this in a mo once i get rid of this bird if he doesnt kill it before then...lol

 

[lauramumof2]

I was wanting to try for a vbac but was completely put off the idea by things I read and the fact I am probably having another 9lb baby.
I was hoping for as natural a birth as was possible but the consultant said I would have to go into labour myself (non induction), would onnly be allowed so long to progress and would have to stay in bed. And if my scan on the 4/7 shows its another big baby then I would need a section anyway.

So I am now quite excited as I have accepted this is whats happening. On the 7/7 I will see the consultant and he will give me my date, I will be able to plan my childcare for while im away and dh and mil will be able to get time off work.


Downsides are staying in hospital longer than I would like, the recovery time (oh and those minging tights they make you wear ).

Im just making the best out a bad situation, its the way its got to be,

 

[tracyM]

I went for a VBAC after first section, and even though it went wrong, I was so glad I'd tried - 16 hours of pointless labour, but it will never seem pointless to me. If I hadn't tried, I'd always be thinking 'what if?'

 

[lauramumof2]

Im the opposite tracy, , because I know the chances are slim of baby coming out (my first labour was section cause of failure to prgress) I just think, why fight them, i will just go with the section.

 

[tracyM]

My first was for placenta praevia, so the chances were about 90% of going VBAC after it, chances were 20% with Alex so I just accepted it, and like you say, made the best of it. It's nice being able to plan stuff, but Alex being the awkward so-and-so that he is decided he wanted out early anyway

 

[beanie]

Hi Steph, sorry I have no experience of this but I know a friend of mine was looking into this (due to placenta had to opt for elective c-section in the end) and she found this link some help it is Americn but it had some good info). Good luck with it

http://www.childbirth.org/section/VBACindex.html

 

[lauramumof2]

Tracey, how many times did they use the same scar?

 

[tracyM]

none - i have three scars - one on an angle on the left, one on an angle on the right, and one straight across the middle joining them up - sort of like this but I'm naff at drawing

 

[lauramumof2]

I see. I had an op down there and they went in through that scar for the section. I found it healed really quick. I should have asked them to fit a zip.

Thanks tracey

 

[tracyM]

I sometmies have dreams about being pregnant again and the middle bit falling out and a baby peeping through the hole Just imagine, with a zipper, you could just take baby out for a bit to tie your shoes, and put it back in again when you're done

 

[Lucy]

Hi Steph

I know it was many moons ago now but my mum had a c-section with her first baby and then had 7 vaginal deliveries. With each of her v.d she wasn't allowed an epidural so that she could feel if her c-section scar was tearing.

Not sure if this helps!

Lucy

 

[Hillbilly]

Hi, I had emergency LUCS with DS1 in 1988 and all three babies after that all vaginally with absolutely no problems (barring one pre-term birth) and had three healthy, happy and wildly different babies (7lbs 4oz to 9lbs 6oz). There is a lot written on the subject of scar rupture but as my consultant said (and she happpened to have just carried out the biggest study of this) - the chance is so remote it doesn't even bear mentioning.

Of course they will try and get you to have a hospital birth and you may feel more comfortable with that but you can also still have a homebirth if thats what you want and are prepared to fight.

If not then just put your foot down, say you are going for a VBAC and have the birth you want. Its your right.

And you CAN have an epidural after Ceasarean - at least in Aberdeen Maternity you can - know several women who have.

 

[Lucy]

Hi Kayl

I'm not sure if it was just "in my Mum's day" that she couldn't have an epidural with her births, or maybe it was to do with her scar? She was cut vertically down from just below her belly button not like the horizontals along the bikini line that they do now.

I'm sorry if I worried you, I certainly didn't mean that NOONE can have an epidural after a c-section, I was just telling my Mum's tale!

Lucy

 

[stephlw25]

Thanks for the replies. its really interesting to read everyones stories!

So with repeat c-sections do they use the same scar or not? or is there a limit to how many times they can use the same scar? (does that make sence! lol)

Scar rupture does scare me too although im glad to hear its very rare!

 

[tracyM]

I have three diffrent scars, don't know whether they always do that though - I put a (crap) drawing of my scars on another post somewhere. They did the first to one side because my placenta was in the way, the second to the other side so they could repair the rupture, and I think he just did the last one so it would make a pretty pattern - plus it had to be bigger so they could do the sterilsation.

I didn't even notice the pain of my rupture. I just presumed it was because they'd put me on oxytocin and that's supposed to be more painful than a natural labour. If they try to induce you for a VBAC, tell them to get lost It still annoys me that I'd have probably had Charlotte vaginally if they hadn't given me oxytocin to 'help things along'

 

[stephlw25]

Thanks Tracey, i wondered why you had 3 different scars, oh well looks pretty though!

 

[sonia205]

Hi Babs,
Bit of a rant n rave now, nothing but the whole truth enclosed...
thought id reply and set a few things straight and of corse put my input in thoughts about VBAC's.

Steph, dont get worried about reading other peoples stories, because hun thats what they are, stories, doesnt mean it will happen to you at all !
Most stories scare most people especially first time mothers as they have no idea what to expect, and hun remember if it was really that bad, women wouldnt go back for 2nd, 3rd 4th and so on children.

I believe vaginal is alot better birth than a caesarean, for me and many other women its just an operation, its not giving birth and if you have to have general as i did there is always that element that your baby isnt yours, and that you dont feel like you achieved anythink and of corse i didnt bond straight away because of all the pain i was enduring, after the caesarean. I just blamed my baby for beeing breech and not turning and within a while i realised i did love him and it wasnt his fault but the midwife that didnt refer me soon enough for the turn to be done.

As for "weestar21" comment "once baby is out the pain goes" That is complete rubbish, you also contradicted yourself afterwards by saying the "after pains"
Although your baby is delivered..your uterus still contracts, (to get back to pre pregnancy state) and this lasts for couple of days. The contractions dont hurt that much its like period pain.
And as for alot of medical advice out there to do with VBAC yes your right, but not necisarily the right medical advice.
There are a few websites of which i shall try and find the links for and post again, but most doctors, nurses and midwifes bully us caesarean mothers into going to hospital, beeing wired up after reachin 3cm dilated for continuous monitoring, which sends all hope of an active labour out the window, and of corse any mums that plan to use a hospital birthing pool will be refused this right, because of the monitoring business although if you refuse the monitoring youll still be refused this anyway.

The painful car journey Steph, was this after the 4 days in hospital?? You should have wedged a cushion in between the seat belt, that might have helped...I discharged myself the day after the section and therfor share that painful car journey experience with you, Hun

Lauramum01, thats not a very positive attitude !!!
You have to fight i fought for my home water birth and although the birth in the end didnt envolove me birthing in the water that was because i was far to tired to labour in the pool safely and of corse i wasnt comfortable in it to birth.
You have to fight for what YOU want, noone else can fight but you!

As for the epidural thing, thats rubbish again, they use the monitoring to monitor the babys heartbeat, as they can tell through this weather it will rupture or not, that was a while ago so it is obvious they have changed there rules n stuff.

My only other advice on VBAC, is if you really want to VBAC you HAVE to be DETERMINED, you have to be strong willed and 100% determined to get what you want, because i can assure you all midwifes will not be supportive of it espec if you try and home birth. To be honest i regretted letting anyone know i was pregnant for all the hastle i got.

Please contact me steph if you ever need any advice, i can help you been there done that kinda thing, HAHA!!

XX-xx-XX