If you had a home VBAC...

TXSparky

If you had your VBAC at home, what made you decide to do it at home instead of at a birth center or hospital?  How did you deal with the fears and "what-if's" up to the birth since it will take more time to get medical attention in a serious situation?  Were you happy with the decision you made or would you have done it differently in retrospect?

annabelle.27

When I had my csection with my first, the anesthesiologist wasn't even in the hospital and I had to wait around an hour for him to show up. So I didn't necessarily correlate "hospital" with "immediate csection if needed." Where I live, midwives have full hospital privileges so in case of emergency she could call the hospital and tell them we were transferring and have them call in the necessary staff and set up the OR so they would be ready, or close to ready, when we arrived. I also don't live very far from the hospital so it would only take a few minutes for me to get there.

iris427

I decided to have a HBAC because I lived literally a mile from the largest hospital in the region, and we had a local ob/gyn who does home births, including VBAC.  So I felt good about having a well-trained provider and being very close to a good high level hospital with around the clock care and a NICU available.  I looked at some studies on VBACs outside of hospitals and they had good outcomes (there are only a few studies on this, not a lot).  I didn't trust that I would get a fair shot at a vaginal birth in the hospital, because I didn't get one the first time around.  I'm small and at my first delivery, my OB had this preconceived notion that I wouldn't be able to deliver vaginally, and sectioned me at the first hiccup.  I didn't want that to happen again.

I don't know if I would have another home birth.  Mine went very well and all was healthy and it was a great experience.  But if we had been the rare case where something goes seriously wrong, I just don't know what would have happened.  You can say "well I'm only 5 minutes from the hospital," but that doesn't mean you will have a c/s done 5 minutes after something starts going wrong at home, kwim?  It's not the same as if something goes wrong when you are already a patient laboring there.  

I certainly wouldn't do a VBAC at home if I was far from the hospital and didn't have a good, and legal, provider.  I think most VBACs at home will go well but I don't know if it's something I would advocate either, especially given the fact that home birth providers aren't really integrated into our medical system, something which I think makes home birth less safe for mothers and babies.  But sometimes it's the only way for a woman to have a real chance at delivering vaginally, which sucks.

samiaf

I have had 3 HBAC.  I will be having another in Dec., God willing.  I choose homebirth because after #1was c/s, I had a hospital VBAC.  It was a lot of interventions and complicated the birth.  My third was at a birth center and was an easy birth.  The center closed when I was pregnant with number 4.  He was my first homebirth.  He was 11lbs. 7 oz.  After that, I figured I could probably birth anything.  My second home delivery was super easy.  The third was extremely difficult because she had her arm behind her back making delivery very hard.  I woke up in transition labor and she was born 1 hour and 20 min. later. She was 10lbs. 15oz.  She was injured in the delivery and was paralysed in her right arm for 5 months.  She had to see a chiropractor for months.  Being born at a hospital wouldn't have changed any of that.  I live quite far from any hospital.  But there are ambulances if needed.  My midwives are experienced and capable.  I feel the hospital can be the best place for some people and when there equipment is needed, but can be a place that can make matters worse.  Right now it can be almost impossible (in Oregon) to find a doc or hospital that will allow a VBAC, even with 3 successful ones.