Wanting Information About VBAC

I think how you deliver your child (VBAC or repeat c-section) is a combination of the expectant mom's wishes and the medical issues (how the baby is presenting, mom's health, etc.)

I had a c-section to deliver my daughter seven years ago. The c-section was unexpected but necessary. I decided to have a repeat c-section to deliver my son last year. It was the right decision for me.

I can only speak from my own experience. For me, there were some benefits of having a scheduled c-section. I was able to have everything ready for our new little one. I was able to plan child care and visits to the hospital for my daughter and step-son. They knew when we would be gone and for how long and because my c-section was early in the morning, they were able to see their new little brother two hours after he was born.

With the c-section, my husband and I were able to stay in the hospital for 4 days, which gave us uninterrupted time to be with our newborn and focus entirely on our new little boy. I still think back fondly to this "special" time in the hospital.

The bonding issue seems to come up a lot in this discussion. I was in recovery for the first hour after my son (and daughter) were born. During this hour my husband was holding our son and cherishing every part of him.
I see this as only a good thing. I was back in our hospital room in an hour and our son has been with us ever since.

I don't think bonding happens only in the first few minutes after birth I think it happens every day of your child's life.

My only advice to you would be to listen to all the information your sister in law shares with you. There will be pros and cons to each type of delivery. She will need to make the "right" choice for her. This is a very emotional time in a pregnancy, so please support her in whatever decision she makes. Remind her that it's the outcome that is important...a healthy mom and healthy baby.

T. Y.
SAHM mom of three (8 years, 7 years and 13 months)

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I am a mom and midwife. Unfortunately, the climate of birth in or country is very medicalized and conservative. Doctors are scaring women away from VBACS unnecessarily. If your sister is a candidate for a VBAC, she has every right and reason to go for it. Unfortunately, it sounds like the docs have already gotten to her and placed many fears in her head, so she is going to have to work hard to get back to a trusting place and believe that she can do it. I hope the midwife she meets with will help her address some of these concerns and fears. She could also consider switching to a hospital based midwifery practice, so that she is taken care of by practitioners who believe in her goal. This is safe and a viable option.

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I had c-sections with both my girls. My oldest was breech and very big, and my youngest was a decision on my part for a repeat c-section. I figured that with a toddler at home, it was best for me and everyone here at home to go with what I knew, plan it out ahead of time, and not have to study up on learning how to do a vaginal birth, something I know I could have tried since my youngest was not breech. I just went with what felt right. I am sure I could have tried a VBAC since there was no indication that there was anything physically preventing me, but I have no regrets about the decision I made.

Please note, and tell her as well, that there is a risk for ANY kind of birth, not just c-sections, as some would have you believe. I never took antibiotics, took very few painkillers except for the first 5-6 days, and had NO problems breastfeeding or bonding with either baby as soon as I was able to attempt it, which was only about 45 minutes after they were born. People have this idea that if a woman chooses a c-section for whatever reason that they somehow are not having a "real" birth - the last time I checked, my girls were really born and they came from me! I might not have pushed them out but I did a ton of work. Tell her not to get too caught up in this guilt thing - we have plenty of time for mommy guilt after the kids are born, right? :)

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she is so lucky to have you rooting for her. Yes, tell her it's more than possible, it happens all the time. make sure her provider is not only willing to try, but says we do it all the time, there is no reason not to try.
If she really wants this, tell her it's never too late to switch providers either. Remember to emphasize the happy, healthy baby so she never feels like a failure if it doesn't work out the way she would like.
Good luck. Unfortunately, our area is pushing c's really hard more and more. We are over 30% percent now!

Hi N., I just had my second csection and if at all possible I would recommend she avoids having another and goes for the VBAC unless she or the baby are in danger. I wanted a VBAC but in my 39th week I showed no signs of impending labor and had elevated BP so I gave into my OB and didn't wait it out for another week- I wish I had, just in case, because now it would be very dangerous for me to have a third csection based on how the 2nd one went. If there are no direct reasons for her to have the csection (breech baby, baby showing signs of distress, medical condition) there is no reason she shouldn't wait to try for the VBAC- that being said, it comes with risk and if she isn't at a very strong hospital than her consideration of the procedure could be different. I was going to deliver at the Brigham and Women- some of the local hospitals might not handle a potential emergency as well if something happaned during the VBAC. I hope so much for her sake that she gets to experience the VBAC but her doctor knows her particular, unique situation and is best aware of what she has to face. Good luck!

Hi!
I had a successful VBAC with our second son last August. Our first born came out via an emergency c-section at 32 weeks so I was never given a chance to attempt a vaginal birth (I never even went into labor), which was a major part in my desire to at least get a chance to deliver the "natural" way. However, there are risks, and of course, doctors make sure you are made well aware of all that could go wrong, to the point of getting completely freaked out by it. This is actually what happened to me at my 38 week dr. appt. I had gotten so scared about the potential risks, that I had pretty much decided to go ahead with a planned c-section (on top of that my son was breech, so I also had to go through an external version to get him head down - which worked beautifully by the way, but talk about obstacles in the way ;-). But thankfully my husband was there to remind me of what I really wanted. So I went for it and had a wonderful VBAC.

I can email you my birth story if you think your sister in law would like to read it. I remember that reading about other women's experiences was really helpful to me in the weeks leading to the delivery. It helped me stay focused on my goals and remember that a vbac truly was achievable.

In the meantime, all I can say is that, yes, there are risks, and it is good to be made aware of them, but you have to remember that when a hospital allows for VBACs to happen, they have everything ready in case a c-section is needed. They really have your back and pretty much won't allow anything to go wrong. Your sister in law will be monitored like crazy and that way most problems (if problems occur, which is unlikely) will be able to be prevented. And of course, my biggest advice for her is to be prepared (at least mentally) that a c-section could end up happening, but that in the end, no matter how the baby ends up coming into the world, it will all be ok.

Here's my email in case you'd like for me to send you my birth story! ____@____.com

Good luck!

My first son was an unplanned c-section (his head was too big to fit through my pelvic bone), it was extremely disappointing after 4 hours of pushing. For my second son I pushed so hard for a VBAC, but most hospitals/doctors won't do them these days because of the risk. So I did end up with a scheduled c-section for all three boys. I would really find out why she ended up with a section in the first place, it is usually why they push for the others.

Once you get over the disappointment of not having a "natural" birth, it is actually nice to know when your child will be born so you can find childcare for the other kids.

Congratulations to you both!!

H. Z. (SAHM 5, 4 and 18 month old boys)

Whether or not to have a VBAC is a pretty personal decision. I know many people who have had a successful VBAC and many who have done the repeat c-section. I had a c-section with my first, and after discussing the pros and cons with my doctor decided to have a scheduled c-section for my second. Whether or not a person is a good candidate for a VBAC depends on things like time between deliveries and reason for the original c-section. If your sister-in-law feels strongly about having a VBAC, and there is no obvious reason for a c-section (baby's position, fetal distress etc), she should let her dr./midwife know this. However, it is probably a good thing for her to keep an open mind in case things do end up in a c-section. I wish your sister good luck in whatever she decides.

Hi,

Everyone's experiences are unique, but I thought I'd just share mine!

I had a c-section with my first (10 pounds, 2 ounces!), and chose to have a repeat c-section for my second. I was worried about the possible risks to the baby or the risk of a uterine rupture if I tried a VBAC, and decided that I would rather have another c-section. I now have 4 children, and all 4 were c-sections. I've never had any real problems, never had antibiotics(?!) and had no problems bonding with the babies. I nursed them within 30-45 minutes of deliver, and had fairly good recoveries. Of course there was a lot of pain, and it's not easy, but since I now have 4 healthy children, I'm happy with my decisions. My OB has said that a fifth c-section is not out of the question, either.

I wish your sister-in-law the best of luck. It's a tough decision, and there isn't necessarily any one perfect answer!

Looks like you have a lot of people commenting, but I thought I'd throw in my opinions and experiences as well. My first baby was delivered early by c-section due to pregnancy complications. During my pregnancy with my second baby, I researched everything there was to know about VBAC's and in the end I decided to have a VBAC. My waterbroke and I was hardly dialated at all. 24 hours later, I still was only at a 2 and developing an infection and my baby's heartrate was dropping, so they did an emergency c-section. I tell you this story, not to worry you, but to help you see that nothing ever goes exactly how you plan. It is amazing how much they monitor you and the things they do when you are going for a VBAC. The doctors take extra precautions. When I discussed the two choices with my OB, he told me that a lot of doctors suggestion doing a c-section soley to cover themselves, but the occurance that something happening is very slim. It's for sure a personal choice.

The types of incisions made for c-sections these days are not going to rupture, its completely SAFE. DO NOT listen to doctors about VBACs. Of course a doctor is going to counsel her against VBAC, because c-sections are financially lucrative. The fact that our c-section rate is 30% and rising is criminal, and it has a lot to do with women being counseled against VBACs (once a c-section, always a c-section went out 30+ years ago). Read Silent Knife by Nancy Wainer Cohen. She coined the term VBAC, and she is a homebirth midwife. She attended my homebirth in January 2008. She is wonderful and works tirelessly for womens right to birth how they want.

I watched my friend have a VBAC at home and it was amazing. She was so elated to have done it and it really was a life-changing experience for her. For more positive information, go to www.vbac.com

Hi N.,

I have two friends that have been in this situation. As far as details go - I can't get into them b/c I don't know. All I do know is that one of my friends had 2 c-sections (her first two kids) and w/her third she was so determined to have a Vagnial. Well, she did & it went perfectly & her & her baby are 150% perfect!

My other friend had 3 c-sections & her 4th was vaginal & they too are both fine.

I wish I had more info - I had 2 c-sections, but the problem of birthing is my fault - I didnt want to dialate for some odd reason - so I had 2 emergency c-sections. Where as the girls above - it was the kid's issue for the c-sections (head down, umbilical cord issue, etc)- so everyone is different.

Oh and I just thought of another friend - she had a vaginal delivery for her 1st, a c-section for her 2nd & then she got pregnant w/twins (all boys by the way!) - the 1st twin (3rd kid) was vaginal, but the 2nd twin (4th kid) was c-section.

Alot of dr's dont like doing a VBAC but you have to find a dr or midwife that will. My first friend I listed had a very hard time finding a dr that would do the VBAC, but she was determined & had her way in the end. The 2nd friend had no choice - the baby came early & noone expected a vaginal delivery for it (i think she actually had a scheduled c-section planned but the baby came WAY sooner) and my last friend listed here - her 2nd child that was c-section was an emergency c, and the twins came early & were supposed to both be vaginal, but the 2nd of the twins twisted & he was coming out arm first, so the dr had to push her whole arm up into her to keep the baby in & kept her arm there as they wheeled her into the OR to have the emergency c.

So tell ur friend good luck. It is possible to have a VBAC with no problems. She just needs to find a dr who feels 100% confident & comfortable with it & i"m sure that as long as all goes well w/the pregnancy, there shouldn't be a problem at all.

Please check out this website http://www.ican-online.org/ .
This is the International Cesarian Awarness Network and is an incredible resource for those who have had a cesarean, those who want to avoid a cesarean, and those who want to VBAC. As well as the loads of info on the site there are local ICAN groups that meet and the contact info is on the site.
There is also a great book that came out last year called "PUSHED" by Jennifer Block. This is a fasinating read for anyone planning on having a baby but particularly a interesting read for women wanting to VBAC.
Best of luck and hope that her VBAC plans work out.