Need Help Deciding on a C-secion or VBAC

I have ad a vaginal delivery and 2 c-sections. My babies were so big and my birth canal is so small it was for medical reasons. My children that were born by c-section have been perfectly healthy. They have never had any breathing problems or any other kind of problems. My c-sections were much easier to recover from. My vaginal delivery was much more painful. I have never felt cheated out of giving birth, just grateful to have healthy children. My postpartum depression was worst with my first. I would have had all my children c-section if I had been given a choice.

I tried a vbac with my second and I was in labor for 16 hours and still ended up with a c section. It is truly your decision, but depending on the reasons for your first c section, is it really worth it? I have had all 4 of my children c section and I love every minute of it. I know when they are coming and am so much more relaxed. I don't feel like I have missed out on anything. Good luck to you.

Your absolutely right about having a healthy baby being very important as is your own health. While c-sections can be life saving procedures they do carry more risks to both you and your baby than a vaginal birth would (for your baby more risk of breathing difficulties, including long-term asthma, and for you more risk of infection, complications, and 3x higher maternal mortality rates). Of course when vaginal births get complicated than the scales begin to tip towards c-section being the best option. You need to weigh the factors with your doctor, and look at the research available, but a VBAC may be the safest route for you and your baby. As a doula I have attended many women during VBAC births and so far the woman have been 100% successful. I counsel women who desire VBAC to look carefully at whether their doctor is truly supportive of VBAC and whether the doctor be willing to be patient with allowing women to go into labor on their own and give them time to labor without pressure that the birth is taking too long. If your doctor says we'll see if you have a baby by 39 weeks and if not we'll just do a c-section then you probably need to switch providers. There are also some fabulous midwives who can support you through a VBAC.

I have had a c-section and a VBAC myself, and yes the recovery is much, much easier from vaginal birth.

My 1st baby had to be a c-section birth in order to save the baby.(She is now 26 years old) I told the doctor I wanted to have more children. He did the c-Ssction carefully (with a bikini cut) one that is down low so it will not weaken the muscles as much. This allowed me to have more children. I did not feel that this was bad. My experience of birth was a little bit different, but it still happened. The experience of raising the child after it is born is more important than the birth itself. Good luck. P.

I have had 3 girls and the 2nd one came via C-section. The c section definitely had a longer recovery period, with more pain. I insisted on a VBAC with my last one, and am very happy with that decision. I also have a sister in law that has had 2 VBAC's and will probably have a 3rd VBAC in the next month.

I don't think that having a c-section is cheating yourself, VBAC's do have some risks. You just have to determine what amount if any risk you are willing to take. If you are more comfortable with avoiding the VBAC risks, by all means go with your feelings. The birth of a child is just as special no matter how it exits your womb.

I just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl two months ago and delivered via VBAC. It was a wonderful expereience and I would not trade it for the world. I am not going to lie the contractions were extremely painful. I was in labor for 52 hours. After the 48th hour I decided to have an epidural which took away the extreme pain. I did continue to feel the contractions, however it was more of a feeling of pressure really rather than pain. I pushed for about 25-30 minutes and that was it! I did not tear and it was truly amazing for both myself and my husband.
I had my first baby C-section as she was feet first and I almost 2 weeks past due. Plus the position of my placenta made it very risky to have the baby turned manually. Although the C-section was not painful at all, I felt a bit cheated that I did not experience a vaginal birth. I also felt like it was better for my baby to be delivered vaginally, if possible. Both my girls are very healthy and happy.
THe recover time for the VBAC was so much less. I was up and walking the next day and felt great by the time I left the hospital. THere was a little soreness, however it was nothing compared to the recovery of the C-section.
I have to tell you if I had to do it again I would definitely go with the VBAC.

Good Luck!

It's up to you...but I would choose a vbac. My sister had a c-section on her first. She then chose a vbac and had an 11 lb baby naturally... no probalems or complications at all. Your body heals quicker and it's just a more natural way.

If I could have the experience of giving birth, I would take it. I have to have csections and I struggle with feeling like I've been cheated out of one of the most amazing experiences life can offer. Csections are major surgery and that means risks for you and baby. I guess there are risks no matter which way baby comes out. There is less recovery time, less recovery pain, and no need to be on medications with a VBAC. The medication part is always hard for me because I don't want to pass anything on in my breastmilk so I end up taking as little meds as I can physically bear.
It really is up to you. How cool would it be to be able to say you've experienced both ways of getting babies here and you could give a more educated response to someone else with the same questions you're asking now. But as someone who is only given one option of major surgery, I say try for the VBAC.
Good luck with everything!

HI,
I had a c-section with my first because he had a prolapsed cord. With my second and third I had VBAC and I wouldn't do it any other way. I recovered so fast and didn't have post partum depression like I had had with my first. If you want more info on a VBAC go to www.ican-online.org This web site is awesome and has some really helpful info in VBAC and repeat c-sections. Hope this helps. You can also contact me and I will give you a more detailed account of my VBACs I just don't have the time to fill it in right now.

I loved my VBAC. A vaginal delivery is a better recovery and it is better for your body for so many reasons... Sounds like you are a candidate to try VBAC since the doctor says. I would go for it if I were you. The doctor is required by law to be in the facility during your delivery and he and the staff will be more attentive since it is a VBAC. If anything is slightly going not as it should, then they will do a c-section. Just be prepared.

I have had 6 children. My first was a c-section with the other 5 as VBACs. I had to sign a form stating I knew of the risks of a VBAC each time. My first VBAC I had 36 hours labor, 2 hours of pushing, started hemorrhaging, ended up with 65 stitches and had to wear a catheter for almost a week. And as bad as that sounds, I would have rather gone through that again than to have another c-section! I still felt better after the first VBAC than after the c-section! The 2 VBACs I recovered the fastest from were the two I went all natural - NO DRUGS!!! There is PAIN, extreme pain, but the recovery time was sooooo worth it!!! To be able to function as a mostly normal person after delivery is truly priceless, especially if you have other children! Good luck to you in making your decision! (as a side note: the only one of my 6 babies to get really sick the first year of life was the one delivered by c-section - he was hospitalized with viral bronchitis at 3 months.)

Dear M.,

I am 30 years old, have a 2 year old son that was born via C-section. I just had my second boy 6 weeks ago and he was a VBAC. I was kind of facing the same choice as you a couple months ago, so I understand the struggle.

With my first son, I was 2 days overdue and they could see meconium in the fluid, so they induced me...cervadil, pitocin, broke my bag of waters, etc. and I never progressed and the babies heart rate was dropping and not recovering, so ended up with a c-section. We had planned for a natural, vaginal birth and I had a midwife, but the doc who did the c-section told me that my pelvis was too small for my son's head to fit (he did have a big head).

With my second, I was kind of having the same signs that perhaps he would "fit" either...he didn't drop, I wasn't dialating at all, etc. I was preparing for a VBAC, but knew that a c-section might be my only choice.

I was 3 days overdue and we set a date 3 days away for a scheduled c-section and I went into labor on my own that night. I labored at home and went to the hospital a few hours later and I was dilated to 8 cm and just a couple ours later I was pushing my baby out! I went completely natural and it was great! The recovery from my second was so much better than from the c-section.

Even though the natural way was really intense and painful at the time, I am so glad I was able to experience it. Having gone through both I am glad I was able to experience the VBAC. My advice would be to go for the VBAC, but if the repeat C-Section is needed, you can fall back on that...but at least you tried.