2D Baby After Having a C-section

Oh L.! Congratulations! Please read "The thinking woman's guide to a better birth" by Henci Goer. There is a lot of statistical data about this. If you meet the following conditions, there is no great risk of a ruptured uterus!!!!

If you are under 34, have had 4 years since your last C section, had a low transverse incision and a double uterine suture, you have about NO extra risk of a rupture. The risk is statistically the same as a 1st time birth of any sort.

In 1996 there was one negligence lawsuit in San Antonio when a mom VBACed in a hospital here and the dr. left the hospital, she ruptured (I don't know the details of her rupture) and now no doctor that I spoke with will do it in the city. It is about lawsuits. My OB, Dr. Lackritz said that he'd done tons and never had a complication. But after that one lawsuit (with another dr.) his insurance company saw it as a potential liability and that was the end of it. He encouraged me to find a way to VBAC, even though he could not attend it.

I VBACed at home and had a long labor, 44 hours actually, but my healthy baby boy was born by candlelight and in the presence of loving gentle people.

Birth is my specialty. I am a doula and I'm studying to be a midwife. If you have any questions, please write me. My son would have been a c-section, too, but I couldn't let them do that to us. I'm so glad I did my research!

Good luck!

U.

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Hi L.,

I am a nurse that worked in critical care unit for newborns (neonates) for 10 years. In that time I remember 2 mom's that ruptured. One critical for mom another very critical (brain death)for baby. It is EXTREEMLY sad when this happens.
It's good your questioning this risk. But don't base your decisions on this fear alone. More people die in auto accidents everyday but we keep on driving. And then there are those who are wise and reduce their risk in a number of ways: wearing seat belts, having air bags, driving safelty ect..
So do your homework find out EVERYTHING you can do to keep you and your baby safe. Then relax follow your heart and have faith. My personal/professional recomendation is to choose a great doc and have your baby at a hospital with a level 3 or 4 neonatal unit ON SITE. In the rare event you were to need specialized care, seconds count and trained individuals with lots and lots of experience in handling emergency situations(not just CPR/NRP cerified) can make all the difference!
In a nut shell, Go for It! But include a safety net below.

Best to you and your precious baby!

1 mom found this helpful

Vaginal Birth after Cesarean (VBAC) is currently under attack by the medical establishment in this country. Your risks of a second c-section depend greatly on what brought about the first c-section, what your incision looks like and whether you choose to birth in a hospital or not. As well, pitocin induction (or any other kind of induction method) is contraindicated for VBAC clients.

Most OB's do not advise VBAC, however midwives will often take on VBAC clients if their history looks good. It is often the VBAC client's best hope of an unmedicated vaginal birth.

As far as risk of uterine rupture, it is less than one percent in a healthy VBAC client with a normal size baby and a horizontal scar.

You are welcome to contact me directly if you have more questions.

V. Meinhardt, LM, CPM
Wholistic Birthways Midwifery
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1 mom found this helpful

Lots of OB's will do VBACs and lots of women have them. Years ago when a dr did a c-section he did the incision vertical and there was more of a chance of that rupturing. It really depends on your body, how your last dr did your incision, and just how your pregnancy develops. All my 4 of my babies were vaginal, but I ended up being prepped with 3 of them for c-sections just in case for various reasons. So until you are there and the situation presents itself anything can happen.

You really should discuss with your dr how he/she feels about VBACs and how willing they are to let you try it. You didn't mention why you had to have the c-section and that can play into as well. If you are using the same dr, then he/she knows how they did your incision and that helps too.

If my dr was against it, I would get a second opinion. Call different offices and ask which dr's do more VBACs. You can always go back to your first dr. This is your body and you should receive the care you want and have a say in how it goes.

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi L.,

You can absolutely go for a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (also know as VBAC). Like any medical procedure there are risks which includes the possibility of rupture of the uterus. Because of this you will have continuous monitoring which shows the first signs of trouble. The risks of major abdominal surgery (cesarean) outweigh the risks of a VBAC. It is very important that you talk to your care provider and know that he/she will support your wishes to have a VBAC. There are several doctors in the area that are supportive. I would also suggest you consider hiring a birth doula. Having the extra support and guidance can really make a difference in your birth outcome. Some websites you might look at are ICAN (www.ican-online.net) and DONA International (www.DONA.org).

Best wishes,

C.

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