VBAC Or No?

After a HORRIBLE C-section with my first, I was determinded to have a vbac with #2! My doctor was very supportive. I went in to the hospital at 8pm on Oct. 23rd and I was only dialated to a 2, so we waited. The next day, they broke my water when I was at a 5 and in 20 minutes I was at a 10! I pushed for 20 minutes and she was here! It was amazing! Everything I imagined it would be! Good luck sweetie! Congrats!!

I was devastated when I had to have a C-section with my first baby (cord was around his neck) so I decided I was going to have a VBAC the second time around. It was so much better than having a C-section. I didn't have any complications and in fact I had a large healthy baby boy (8 lbs 14 oz.). I wanted to have the experience of having a baby since I knew this was going to be my last child. I didn't want to be cut open more than is necessary. You feel more in tune and recover a lot faster when having it VBAC then c-section. It was the best decision I ever made!

If you want to try for a VBAC you absolutely should, and although I do sort of empathize with your feelings of "missing out" just remember that the prize is the product not the process. I'm sure there are many out there who will be offended and/or disagree with that statement, but that's sort of how I looked at the whole thing. I considered a VBAC with my second but opted for another section. I personally liked the knowledge of knowing what I was getting into and it's so much easier to prepare, especially since you already have one at home! I thought the second section was so much easier to recover from (even though my first was also planned due to a baby that was breech and refused to move!) and I felt better sooner.

In the end, do what's right for you and go for the VBAC if you want to, but don't feel short changed if it you need another c-section...just be lucky and thankful you have two beautiful children!

do lots of research, arm yourself with knowledge, be prepared to advocate for yourself both to be allowed to continue on the VBAC path or to move on to the next option if the VBAC is not progressing/working.

i had a c/s with my first due to a very long labor and failure to progress. that c/s was disastrous, but that was due to other complications (severe pre-e and HELLP syndrome). b/c the c/s went bad due to factors other than it being a surgery, i was approved to attempt a VBAC with my 2nd.

for 3/4 of my 2nd child's pg, it looked like a VBAC wasn't going to be an option b/c he was in a transverse lie for 7ish months. when he flipped head down at 37 weeks, we made a VBAC birth plan in which i stated that if i went into labor on my own before the c/s date we had already scheduled, then i wanted to attempt a VBAC, but to not labor for much more than 12 hours b/c of the long labor and complications i had with my 1st child.

my dr. disregarded my birthplan and all but ignored me for my entire labor. things were not right straight off the bat. i had incredibly strong and close together contractions for 11 hours before i became fully dilated. i was then fully dilated for several hours before they let me start pushing, and in that time, my son did not move down the canal. i pushed for 1.5 hours with no progress, labored down for another hour, and then pushed for another hour...again with no progress. i had started asking for a c/s when the first 30 minutes of pushing did nothing to move my son...i was denied. in the last half hour of pushing, i started having breakthrough pain (had an epi), my BP went low, and my son's HR went high and wouldn't come back down despite them having me flip from side to side. i finally went back for a c/s 17 hours after my labor began, and when they did my skin incision, they found my son's legs sticking out of a hole in my uterus. i had ruptured. my dr. then repaired my rupture incorrectly, causing a problem that later injured my bladder. despite constant blood loss and extreme pain during the time i was in the hospital after the c/s, they gave me a transfusion of 2 units and sent me home 3.5 days after the c/s. 3.5 days after being home, my bladder spontaneously ruptured while i was at home, and i had to be rushed back to the hospital. my OB ignored pages to come see me in the ER for HOURS...when they finally got her to come down, she wrote me off as having pre-e again (b/c my BP was super high and i had fluid around my heart) and told me the pain in my belly was from my uterine rupture opening up again. it was another hour or two before she finally agreed to get me back to an OR...that's when the fun started. as soon as they had me open, they knew this wasn't just a problem with my uterus. they found my insides full of puss, blood, and urine and it took several hours to get it all cleaned out and find that it was my bladder that had ruptured. my recovery was hell. i had to be away from my infant son and toddler daughter for 8 days and was still REALLY out of it and incapacitated for many weeks. i had to wear a urinary catheter for 5 weeks and had to go back to the hospital 3x a week to have things checked/tested. it was a living hell.

now, i do believe that much, if not all, of this drama is due to negligence on the part of my OB. i believe it should have been obvious at about hour 13 that my VBAC wasn't going to happen due to failure to progress.

the success rate for VBACs is 80%. the chances of all the complications i had occuring are very, very low. you might even say that i took care of all the possible VBAC complications for the census of 2008 :-)

whatever you decide, just make sure you are as educated as you can be about the procedure, and advocate for yourself (and ask your partner/doula to do the same...mine did not...fought me every time i asked for a c/s).

good luck!

I have not personally gone through this, but as a birth doula and childbirth educator I applaud you for going for the VBAC! All to often Dr's try to scare women out of this very safe and less complicated option. Here are a couple links to some information about VBAc's and their safety:
http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20100310/nih-panel-end-ban...
http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/vbacuptp.htm
http://www.usprwire.com/Detailed/Health_Wellbeing/Bringin...

I strongly urge all women to educate themselves on the advantages of VBAC and to consider getting extra support through the use of a doula for their VBAC. A doula can help provide information and make sure you have all the information on hand if the medical staff try to sway you into an unnecesary c-section, while still giving you the peace of mind that you have tried everything, and that it is medically necesary if a repeat is needed.
I wish you all the luck and a wonderful VBAC with your precious baby #2! :-)

A.,

I understand the feeling of being miss out the experience of birthing but you may have to thinking about the complication of vbac because someitme thing will not go smoothly if you has the vbac and wanted to try the birthing after c-section it will be some pro and cons to it.. cuz i had try that and it was crazy for me and i had my first c-section with my first and wanted to do the vbac and it took me forever to push him out (due to my small pelvic) and i still try and try every method we can think of to push the baby out.. it was unsuccessful so i had to do the second c-section with my second baby.. BUT look in the bright side i am not saying it will happen to you but there are som pro and con and every moms deliever it different and some work and some dont...I has 3 c-section and it okay that i did not expreience the birithing like i wanted as long the baby is healthy and safe and same for mine health as well.. I rather be safe then be sorry if something happen to the baby and my health.... I am glad i had c-section cuz i never had any complicated at all even i did not get the birthing experience and my c-section went very well.. now to this day i still had no problem.... I hope you will make a wise choice but you will have a healthy baby and safe and same for you... good luck...;)

I just wanted to share my experience with you so you can see it is okay to have c-section but you will still have the bonding loving experience with you child.

My first c/s was after 10 hours of back labor, Pitocin and no progression. The doctor suggested c/s - I only agreed after my husband told everyone to leave and he talked to me alone.
Dr suggested to plan a date for next birth c/s. I told her that I would get back to her. I guess I had the hunch that I would be able to VBAC. (if c/s was performed the first time without a plan- why did I need to plan for the next one? And, the "bun" knows when it's done.
With my second I considered doing an epidural. I almost waited too long to go to the hospital- no time for an epidural - my second daughter was born within and hour and a half of getting there. (about 3 hours of labor total)
They have rules -since I was a vbac they wanted me to only lie on my back- but at least I was far enough along.
Oh they catheterized me since I swelled quite a bit down there- then removed it. Then they tried to put one in again- practically swollen shut!
If your labor is fast like mine and you might swell have them leave it in if you can.
I was glad to have the VBAC. Make sure your partner knows what you want and will stand firm as your advocate but will also be able to calmly figure out what is best if problems arise (and will ask the right questions) - Then, listen only to your partner. Dr's do know a lot of things, but we need to listen to our bodies.
Good luck to you
When it comes to your body- don't let anyone bully you.

I have a friend who had her first 3 c/s... then her next 7 were all VBAC.... NO PROBLEMS, NO COMPLICATIONS, NO COMPLAINTS... Natural births...

Not everyone has issues, talk to your provider about it and be insistant about what you want.

The post before this (lori's) was shocking!!! I would have to say that I would have been SCREAMING for the head of the hospital to get in the room NOW and get a different DR for me at the moment the DR "denied" a requested C/s... But during labor the "what I would usually do" scenarios go out the window.

Make sure you trust your dr and have a good relationship with them... Birth plans tend to go out the window no matter who your dr is, stay flexible, and talk to your dr about what you WANT... If you feel you need it, INSIST on what you WANT...

I tried a VBAC. When our daughter was born my water broke but she never dropped down and I never went into active labor. With my second baby there was no physical reason why I couldn't do VBAC so we decided to try. We took a VBAC class (at Mayo) that provided us info about risks, benefits, what to expect, etc. They really emphasized that VBAC is not always an option, especially if it is a small hospital because they might not have the resources if there are complications. The nurse who taught the class also said it was important to acknowledge your feelings and to remember that every birth experience is different and special in it's own way. When our son was born my water broke, I went into active labor, but stalled out and his heart rate was slow to recover after contractions. I ended up with another c-section. I thought I would be upset, but I wasn't. I knew I had at least tried, and I had two beautiful healthy kids. That was all that mattered to me in the end. Good luck!

I just wanted to thank you for asking this question. I'm in the same boat: I had a c/s with my first and for a split second I was CRUSHED because I felt like my body wasn't doing what it was supposed to.
Once I heard my son's cry though, everything evaporated and I was just glad to have a healthy boy.
Now, pregnant again, I'm going back and forth over VBAC or another c/s.... and I just don't know what to do. I would LOVE to have a VBAC, but I don't want complications and having a healthy baby in the end is the best.
I enjoyed reading all the answers/opinions. Still not sure on what I'm going to do... but I guess I have to decide soon! lol
:)

whats a vbac??..really not up on alot of this lingo-i have to do alot of googling sometimes...i had my kids 29 yrs ago..new age stuff confuses the heck outta me..really hate looking stupid....but never know until you ask..right??

I am planning on having my 3rd VBAC. If there is not a medical reason to have a C Section I would not. It is Major Abdominal surgery.
I too felt like I really missed out on "birthing" my oldest daughter. It has taken me almost 6 yrs to have peace about that situation. I think that having the VBAC's has helped me heal from the disappointment of an unplanned c section.
I have a friend who lives in Mankato. She is a wonderful person and Doula. If you are interested in using a Doula to help you during delivery PM me and I will give you her info.

My first was breech so I had a c-section with her. I felt the same way you do, like I missed out on something. With my 2nd and 3rd, we were able to do a VBAC. I qualified for all of the parameters of having a VBAC with the biggest being spontaneous labor (not being induced). I got an epidural with my 2nd as a "just in case I need emergency c-section". I felt wonderful. Had she not been 7 weeks preemie, I would have been able to hold her right away and everything else we always wanted to have with the birthing experience. My 3rd, I was able to hold him for a few minutes before he had to go to the NICU (6 weeks preemie). I didn't have any complications with my VBACs and I'm so thankful that I was able to have them. Talk with your doctor to see if you're a candidate and find out what their "checklist" is for having a VBAC.

I have three kids. First one was natural, the last two were C-section. My second child had to be taken by C-section b/c the cord was around her neck twice and she was losing oxygen, so i had no choice but to go that route. Last child i wanted to do a VBAC (because you heal so much faster with natural than csection) but my OB was against it, and here are his reasons. First off, there is a higher risk of damaging your previous csection scar inside and out. The OB has to be in the room with you from start to finish, he can't come in at the end to deliver baby, the minute you start labor, he has to be there, and therefore, his charges will be more, and insurance companies will not always pay for this. I know mine wouldnt, b/c we tried to get pre-approved and they would only cover a percentage, then the rest would be uncovered costs, which we could not afford. So, you will need to discuss with your OB about your options. Some of them will do it, some won't, just for the simple fact that it could be dangerous to your health and baby's health. I know you want to experience the natural process of having a child, but if it means keeping you healthy and safe for you and your recovery, i would go for repeat c-section. You want to be able to provide and nurture your baby after delivery. Good luck!

A.,
If there is not medical reason to have a c-section, why would you? I had a VBAC and was glad I did. My son, my firstborn, was delivered by emergency c-section after many hours of labor. then, I missed the whole experience of helping him come into the world. One minute he was tightly tucked in my tummy; 20 minutes later, he was here. My daughter was born VBAC, 31 months later. I had no complications during my pregnancy nor during delivery. I still missed the whole pushing her into the world experience. Oddly enough, my contractions were so strong, she arrived with no help from me; I never got to push. (No joke! Now 18, she and I recently read the post-operative report). Talk with your doctor. As long as there are no medical reasons to avoid VBAC, go for it! I enjoyed VBAC.

My first child was born by c-section, my second by VBAC and I can tell it you there was a huge difference! I felt better, recovery was almost nothing and my energy levels were much better after having the VBAC compared to having had surgery. My doctor asked me which way I wanted to go with my second child and when I said VBAC, he was very excited and worked closely with me to make sure that I would have that opportunity, even putting forth the possibility of delivering my daughter up to a month early in order to allow me to have her naturally (mind you my daughter is now 15). It ended up being unnecesary and she came a week early on her own. My first child, a boy, his head was too big to fit in the birth cannal and he worked with me to help keep my daughters birth weight down (by monitoring my weight gain and diet) as much as possible and kept a close eye on her head size with frequent ultrasounds.

After my son was born, via an emergency c-section due to worry about brain damage, it was difficult for me to bond with him at first because there was no time to do an spinal, I was put out completely. I went to sleep pregnant and woke up a mother. It was an odd experience for me and my recovery did not go well what with finding out that I am allergice to most all pain medicines, had full body hives as a result along with a double breast infection, having been given too much paralitic anesthesia, etc. When my daughter was born there was no need for pain medicine of any sort (except during delivery), my head was clear and my recovery was sooooo much better! It was wonderful for me to be able to hear her cry upon birth and hold her in my arms right away and know that this child came from me. The only problem I encountered was that the doctor asked me to hold off on pushing so he could clear her airway and then I heard him say, "OK" so I pushed. He almost didn't catch her as she came out and I found out later that he had said ok to the nurse and not to me! lol

Good luck to you hun, I hope that things work out in the way in which you hope for them to!

No matter what you decide or what ends up happening, I think they key to being content with your birthing experience is to be educated and assertive enough to feel in control of the decision making, even if you can't control the situation (NOBODY controls a birth, except for God or Mother Nature or Whoever is in charge of the management of the universe)

i feel/felt the same way. placents previa prevented me from doing it and now i am looking for someone who will give me a shot. based on what you wrote, i tihnk you might be like me and need to give it shot
i am blogging through my experiences and retracing my pregnancy so to speak. my site is http://www.corastake.blogspot.com

I have had 3 successful VBACs. First, confer with your doc. Your doctor will help you decide if you are a good candidate to try for the VBAC. I had 24 hours of labor, with a posterior baby that would not progress, and ended up under general ansthetic for my c-section. My second was much faster. By the time we got to the hospital I had had 3 contractions between the car and the OB ward. When the doc checked me he said I could start pushing. I still pushed for 1 1/2 hours (but that was half of what I TRIED with my first). Recovery was so much easier from the VBAC - and no new scar tissue! I do recommend it, if you can.

I had a VBAC with my second pregnancy. There was no reason per my doctor that I could not. You have a higher risk if you have a vertical cut the first time versus horizontal "bikini-line" cut. My OB was not in the room with me from the start. Nurses and a resident were checking on me to see my progress. Like you, I felt I missed out on a lot the first time around. I am very glad I went VBAC for the second. The experience was totally different. But I was prepared to accept a c-section if that was going to be necessary. The only "problem" I had, if you can even call it that, is that my daughter kept slipping back in. They thought they would have to use the vac but turned out unnecessary.

My first delivery was a c-section and I've had 3 vbacs since. I hated my c-section and begged my doctor to do a vbac--best decision ever! Recovery is so much easier. I know there are risks, so good luck with your decision!
K.

I had a second c-section, mainly because my hospital doesn't do VBACs. I would have had to go to a bigger city, like Des Moines or Iowa City, and I really love my doctor here. The first c-section ended up being an emergency, and I was knocked out & took a lot of time to recover. The second c-section was much better for me. The recovery time was almost nothing! It's totally up to you, obviously, but the second time around was much easier on my body as a whole. I wasn't tired, and I didn't even end up taking half of the pain medication they prescribed me. I felt great! My hospital kind of pushes the fact that it could be 'dangerous' for a woman to go into labor after having a c-section. They said that the previous incision could be a weak spot in your uterus and could have the potential to rupture or burst during contractions. I don't want to scare you, because I'm sure this kind of thing is rare anyway. Good luck with your decision -- I hope you get some good feedback from other mommies who have had good experiences with having a VBAC. :o)

I really wanted a VBAC because I had really negative feelings about my first birth, which was a somewhat emergency C-section. I had gone through a difficult, non-progressive labor for about 12 hours and everything felt really out of control. I wanted a VBAC, but my doctors felt we should schedule a c-section for if I didn't go into labor on my own (had to induce after nearly 2 weeks with the first). Well, I didn't go into labor, and had the c-section. The second c-section was much, much better than the first. I wasn't as groggy afterwards (or before), knew the process, and the recovery felt much faster after not having to labor first. We also videoed the 2nd one, which somehow made me feel more connected to the birth -- so I would highly recommend that!

All in all, I still wish I'd had a VBAC, but the planned c-section was much better than unplanned. I'm guessing that any more kids I might have will also be c-section, and I'm okay with that (which I wouldn't have said after my first c-section).

Like many mamas out their, trying to type, feed toddler, hold baby -- might have missed some info here! Feel free to message me if you have any questions:)

I had a C-section with #1 (was induced 2 weeks past the due date but labor didn't progress well and then my son started having decelerations). I had a perfect C-section - my son was in the room the whole time, I was able to hold and nurse him as soon as the surgery was done, I had minimal pain and easy recovery. I still felt like I missed out, however, and when I became pregnant again really wanted a VBAC. My OB was very supportive and would have let me go 2 weeks past the due date if necessary (I went into labor 1 week past the due date this time). I had a VERY long and tiring labor (over 40 hours from the first contraction), but in the end my second son was born vaginally. I was able to lift him up and put him on my chest myself, and it was an amazing experience. I would do it again in a heartbeat. The recovery was not much easier than my super-easy C-section, and it took a while before things felt normal down there, but that was never one of my concerns.
If you're anything like me, you've probably already looked up all the info online, but a VBAC is usually a safe alternative. See for example http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vbac/VB99999/PAGE=VB00001. I wonder if some OBs aren't offering VBACs because a scheduled C-section is actually easier for them?

I am glad you asked this question. I had a somewhat emergency C-section. We knew I would be having a C because my daughter was breach and because I had a tumor that needed to be removed. My water broke 6 weeks early, and my daughter was born 3 hours after my water broke. The C went perfectly well, and my recovery was fast. Now I am pregnant with my second and I was informed that my clinic will not do VBACs at all. They made a decision that it is too risky. I have considered switching clinics, but love my doctor and clinic, and am really comfortable there. I am only 22 weeks along so I figure there is plenty of time to switch clinics if I decide I don't want to do another C. As of right now my boy is breech anyway, but obviously that could still change. It is such a tough decision to make. I would love to have a VBAC, because I feel I missed the birth experience. On the other hand, I want to do what is safe as I will soon be a mother of two. I guess in the end I will be happy if I have two healthy children that get here by any means.