To VBAV or Not to VBAC

I would suggest a VBAC. I had my first son 11yrs ago by C-section due to him being Breech and then had my second son 4 yrs. later vaginal. I now have a 20 month old and he was also delivered vaginal. Recovery time is so much easier and quicker when you deliver vaginal, especially when you have older children that still depend on you. I had a great set of Dr.'s that monitored me the entire time I was pushing. The only thing I hated was the fact that they would induce labor unless I went way over because they don't like to give you Petocin to start contractions. They say that they don't want to put anymore stress on the scarring of the uterus. Good Luck and feel free to ask me anything else. Mom of 3 Boys! T.

Stacy although I have never had a VBAC or a C-section for that matter, I am a DOULA and have assisted many women in having a vbac. A really great book to read is "the silent knife" if you are into reading.
Birth is a natural part of life for a women and many times when the natural part needs intervention, like in your case, it leaves a women with mixed feelings toward birth in general.
Clearly you had a needed c-section as your baby wasn't in a birthing position. If you choose to have a v-bac you will be wanting to prepare not only for the safety of your vbac but also the emotional side of yourself as you will be expierencing a totally different kind of birth.
If you ever have any ??? feel free to drop me a note! And I wish you and your family the best!

This is a topic you can speak with your OBGYN.He/she should be able to help you make that decision based on what's best for you and the baby depending on how your pregnancy has been thus far.She can probably help you a litte more than you just hearing about someone else's experience,it differs from pregnancy to pregnancy.I think you should speak to your doctor before making the decision.

Have you checked out ICAN they offer lots of advice on VBAC and Cesarean recovery.

I have never had a c-section but, I have done some research and VBAC are considered safe for most mom's, you would have to confer with your provider.

Do you have a provider that supports your wishes for a VBAC?

Is your spouse supportive?

Have you considered a Doula?

Research the information and dig deep into your self and decide what is right for you.

Good luck and Congratulations on baby #2

Hi S.. I have been a labor nurse for 10years. If you attempt to Vbac, I would ask your doctor questions regarding the facility where you will be delivering. Providers are to be "immediately available" during the procedure. There is a lot of discussion and disagreement about what this means. Find out what that means to your doctor. Find out if there is 24 hour anesthesia ob coverage just in case you have to have an emergency c section. Find out if your doctor thinks you can have this baby vaginally. Is this baby bigger? This decision is up to you. How important is it that you deliver vaginally? Good luck. I hope this will help guide you in your decision making process.
J.

I had a vaginal birth with my first child, but know many, many women who have had successful VBACS. Many doctor's are not so comfortable with it-but that's not surprising since the c-section rate is higher in the U.S than anywhere else in the world. Do your reading, specifically reading about other women's stories, and stay strong when you tell your doctor you want to try for a vaginal birth.

http://www.mothering.com/articles/pregnancy_birth/cesarea...

Hi! Congratulations on baby number 2. A VBAC is a personal choice. My first was a c-section and it devastated me. I had not even considered it a possibility, and when, after two days of labor and stalling at 9.5, they decided on a c-section. Good thing, though - she was HUGE! Anyways, with baby number 2, I was determined to have a VBAC. nd it was awesome! I spent the entire pregnancy reading every single book on the library shelf about VBACs, which range from anti-medicine rants to objective, informative guides. I found a good, understanding doctor. We induced a couple of days early to make sure he didn't get too big like his sister (she was 17 days late). The doctor was helpful and understanding, I had a good support system, and after pushing for 35 minutes, I had a baby boy in my arms. It was the best experience of my life - my whole family was there, even the big sister. I got to hold him, and be present when every one else held him - it was like a party in the room while they cleaned me up! NOT lying in a recovery room by myself for two hours while everyone else held my baby before me. I just can't tell you how great it was. And I plan on doing it again! I will tell you, though - I'm assuming you experienced some outrageous pain when you were first made to get out of bed after the surgery? I had thought nothing could compare to that. And this didn't - but I was shocked to discover that my hoo-hoo hurt for a week after - sitting, standing, moving - it was a great challenge. Well worth it though! I was proud to be waddling around, sitting on cushions. Do waht you think is best for you. Start with some reading, and even check out some forums, like on BabyCenter.com. You can just read about what other women are doing. Good luck to you!

I had a VBAC with my youngest who will soon be eight years old.
I loved it. (well as much as you love labor pains)
I healed up sooner than the C section with my oldest who is now ten.

I had a wonderful doctor who was surprised that I could have a successful VBAC.
He was careful that NO outside pressure was put on my laboring tummy. Several nurses tried to push on my tummy but the doc was quick to remind them I was a VBAC.

My insurance company sent me a video explaining what is a VBAC. I had the support of my doctor and of my insurance company.
I did have potosin to help keep the labor strong. I probally would not use the potosin again. It made the pain soo bad I had had a saddle block. If I do this again, I do not want any meds at all. The meds made my baby sleepy and hard to feed for three days.

Good luck and happy birthing.

I have not been in your situation but I have seen many articles and books with the subject to VBAC. I would see if your OB has a few patients that have been in your situation and see what they did and the out come for them many times an OB will have patients you can talk to. I'd also call the hospital that you are going to deliver at and see if there are some ladies that have done this usually the birthing class instructor will have names and numbers of a few clients that have been in your situation. I just couldn't stand that no one had tried to give some ideas to your request. Sorry I couldn't be of anymore assistance then this but I wish you the best and a happy, healthy new year with your new family member coming soon.

I attempted a vbac with my second child after having labored with my first for over 22 hours with no dialation. That was on pitocin. The vbac was not successful because I delivered 2 weeks early due to preeclampsia. I had my membranes scrapped two days before doing the c-section in hopes that I would dialate. I labored again for 2 days and dialated 1/2 cm. I finally said forget it and did the c-section. But I want to tell you that this c-section experience was awesome. The recovery was 100x better and if I hadn't got my tubes tied and was to have another I would do another c-section without thinking twice. Just to let you know that the second for me anyways was such a better experience. Good luck no matter what you decide.