VBAC vs RCS

MrsN092714

I have cross posted this in hopes to get a few more replies!
I am in no big hurry to have my second baby and am thoroughly enjoying every moment with my little man but I can't seem to pull my mind away from the delivery of my next baby.  My little man was breech which we found out after 12 hours of hard labour with no progression.  I went into everything with my only plan being 'get my baby out safely' but after being told my baby was heads down for the last 20 weeks of my pregnancy I really hadn't considered the possibility of actually ending up a c section and was completely heartbroken when told he was breech.  Needless to say, he is here, and perfect and my recovery was a breeze but I find myself constantly thinking about what I missed.  Besides seeing him for a couple of mins in the operating room, I didn't get to see him for close to an hour, I didn't get to feel the weight of him on my chest and a lot of people got to see a lot more of him in that first hour than I did and it breaks my heart a bit.  I am just curious as to how many of you have had a successful VBAC?  Did it hit on all the spots you feel like you missed out on with a c section?  For those of you that had a RCS, were you able to request that your baby stays with you while in the operating room?  Were you able to have them with you in recovery?  For those of you facing this decision for your next, what are you planning? I know when the time comes I can discuss this all with my Dr but like I said, it's eating me up a bit and I'd love to hear some of your stories. 

jksavers

I VBAC'd and would highly encourage anyone considering it to attempt it! The recovery seemed a lot easier for me this time (3 weeks PP here). My first was breech 3.5 years ago. I was very glad that I had the opportunity to VBAC. I scheduled a RCS this time in the event my body wouldn't make it happen because my doctor was going on vacation for Christmas. I then went into labor on my own. It was a great experience and I felt like it made up for the sterility surrounding the initial CS - feeling her head on its way out, baby on my chest, breastfeeding within several minutes instead of hours, being able to play on the floor with my DS at home and not having to worry about how I'm going to bend or get up. Consider aligning yourself with a hospital, doctor and practice that support VBAC's now. Not too many people VBAC at the hospital I delivered at. I was treated like a superhero by the nurses because of a VBAC. Good luck with your next pregnancy!

chewie5990

not saying you shouldn't try for a VBAC, but definitely ask for time with baby after c section if you choose or end up having to go that route again. I had an unplanned c section as well and as soon as the Dr was done stitching me up (about 15 min) I was able to have 2 hours skin to skin with LO and start breastfeeding. While I was being stitched up my DH was with LO and they didn't take him to the nursery until after the 2 hours and the he was only there for maybe 30 minutes and back with us in recovery the rest of the stay.

amm0512

I was scheduled for a c section with DS because he was breech, but I went into labor before my scheduled date.  My spinal didn't take on one side, so they ended up sedating me and I wasn't able to see or hold DS until well over an hour after he was born. I was given the option to VBAC with DD but I chose a RCS for several reasons: I already knew what to expect with recovery, I didn't want to risk uterine rupture, and I was planning on a tubal ligation so two birds with one stone.  I didn't ask to hold DD in the OR, but DH held her next to me for a short time before they both had to leave so they could close me up. I was holding her in the recovery room within 45 minutes of her birth (the tubal took about another 20 minutes).  I have never felt like I was robbed of or cheated out of the experience of a vaginal birth. One of the biggest things to consider if you are thinking of an RCS is how many more children you want; the most c sections you have, the more likely you are to develop placenta accreta through your scar.  Also, very few hospitals will allow a VBA2C, so you would want to aim for a VBAC if you want to have multiple children vaginally in the future.

Pontot31

I VBACed and I'm SO happy I did. My little one is 6.5 weeks and recovering has been night and day and I feel like I had it pretty easy after my CS.

I had a birth plan written out and Ok'ed by my midwife and the OBs in the office for both possible scenarios- as advised by my midwife.
With my CS I had skin to skin in the OR and my daughter latched on completely on her own. We were never separated. So I was lucky there. That's common practice at my hospital. But I still went over those wishes and got them approved in writing in the event my second delivery was via CS.

I'm still on a birth high more than 6 weeks later. It was a very hard fought VBAC and so worth it. All the nurses over the next 2 days and the on call doctors and midwives all came in to our room to congratulate me. They said VBACs make them so happy.

As long as there is 15 months or more between deliveries the chance of rupture is extremely small. I was told by the doctors in my office that they prefer women to try for a VBAC because it's actually safer than major surgery.

helsbels222

I had an emergency c section with my first due to placental abruption. I had general anesthesia because there was no time for a spinal or epi. With my second I wanted a VBAC at first and my drs were all on board. After researching the risks I found that the risks of a VBAC were greater than the RCS. I was terrified of tearing and uterine rupture. There are a lot of factors involved in a successful VBAC as well. I was not showing any signs of labor and my dr does not induce after a c sec. Also, they would not let me go past 40 weeks which means I would have a c sec anyway because LO was staying put. I opted for the sceduled RCS as I felt it was the safest option for me. I have no regrets.

queenwog

My sister has had three VBACs so far. She highly recommends it.

amyraygor

I had a VBAC and it awesome. With my first baby, I had an emergency csection at 34 weeks. I was knocked out and Zachary needed to go to the NICU. I was the last person to see him hours later. I felt completely robbed, and the recovery was horrific. I spent 5 days in the hospital and Zachary spent 12. I had nightmares for weeks about the whole experience. Sometimes I say it was the happiest worst day of my life. He's 2 1/2 now and doing great.

Madison is my VBAC baby. She's 11 weeks old and the recovery was quick. I had some tearing, but it was nothing compared to cut in my abdomen. I decided to do the epidural at the vary last second. 10 minutes and 3 pushes later, my baby girl was in my arms. We were even released from the hospital a day early!

It was important for me to do the VBAC because I still wanted to be able to hold my first baby. I will admit that the risks scared me at firsts, but the numbers where on my side. Zachary's only 2 and I didn't want him to feel left out. The transition was easy and he loves his little sister.

That's my story. Every pregnancy and delivery is different. No matter what you decide to do, I hope everything works out for you and your family. Good luck.

CCL1-5-08

I had a c-section then a vbac and last one was a c-section. I would always opt for the vbac. It's a beautiful thing and recovery is so much easier. As long as baby was safe I wanted to try. 

2-Step

Talk to your doctor and weigh your options. I would have loved a VBAC but my issue had to do with anatomy. I have a very small pelvis opening and very large babies on both sides of the family. My doc was supportive of me trying but also let me know that the success rates for VBAC when it's anatomy problem are pretty low. He did say if it had been breech or another similar issue he would be much more optimistic. My first csection was like yours and it upset me that I didn't hold him for an hour. I ended up doing 2 RCS and had skin to skin during surgery and in recovery and he was never even out of my sight. It wasn't the perfect birth I imagined, but it was a geat experience. I guess my point is that you should discuss with your OB and keep an open mind either way. 

peregrinefalconx

[peaking in from 3rd tri]

Around my parts they have this new thing called a "gentle C-section" (you can google it). It more mimics the natural birth by putting the baby right on your chest, etc. Unless there is a complication, not sure, other than outdated hospital procedures, why babies need to be taken away for that long. My friend said that she wouldn't have been able to make it through the sewing up section without the distraction of her LO on her chest. I hope, if you choose that direction, that your caregiver would consider it.

leap_frog

I've had 2 c-sections and 2 vba2cs. For me, vbac is the lesser of 2 evils. I actually considered my scheduled repeat c-section my best birth experience until I had my second Vbac. (8 weeks ago) It was so amazing, however he was 9 1/2 lbs so in hindsight I should have had a c-section. Because my recovery was painful! 

Bee112309

I'm a lurker, but wanted to give my experience. I had a very similar c-section experience to you; in 2009, my water broke, I labored all night, and then found out that she was frank breech when they checked me in the morning. I had no idea prior to that. I also had the same feelings of sadness and "missing out" on aspects of her birth and what comes after.

In 2013, I delivered my second daughter via VBAC. It was a long, hard labor, but I do not regret it for a second. I was able to have all of those moments that I had hoped for with my first, and it made me feel less bitter about my first birth experience. It was also great to not have the post-surgery restrictions that come with a RCS with a toddler at home. I am pregnant now with my 3rd child, and am planning on having another VBAC, barring any complications.

momofmanyinthemitten

Definitely google "natural c/s" or "gentle c/s." I had an unplanned c/s with #1, and VBACs with #2 and 3. I'm planning on another VBAC with #4, who should be here any day now. I had a very easy recovery from my c/s and it didn't take long for me to get out of the OR and have baby in my arms. My first VBAC was not easy. Baby was big, got stuck, and I had to choose vacuum or c/s after 2.5-3 hrs of pushing. I chose the vacuum and ended up with a decent tear. My 2nd VBAC was amazing. She was out in 2 pushes and I had no recovery period. I also used a doula with my 3rd, which I highly recommend.