VBAC mama's, need some advice!

BecNJake

I am 10 weeks pregnant with my second baby, DS is 1 year old. I found out at a birthing center interview today that I cannot have my baby in a birthing center because I had a C-section too recently (Oregon law says that conception has to be one year after the date of c-section in order to have second birth at a birthing center. I conceived 10.5 months after c-section). This was really upsetting news, as I feel that a birthing center is my best chance for a VBAC. I can have a home birth according to Oregon law so I am considering that but have some reservations. Wondering if anyone else has been in this situation? Looking for some advice or to hear your story. 

lovelongdog06

I'm VBACing at home, but it'll be over 2 years between for me. The conception law is odd to me because that's not an exact science. Everywhere else I've heard time measured birth to birth. Here it's 18 months birth to birth and that seems to be the agreed upon interval I've seen in my time on multiple vbac boards. Was it a freestanding birth center you wanted or one adjoining a hospital? If freestanding, and if you're comfortable at home, I think I home birth is a great alternative. Birth centers can't give you epidurals or c sections. You'd have to transfer just like if you were at home. IMO you choose the amenities of a birth center, not because it's any "safer".

TheJerilu

There's two threads that had a quite few responses about people's VBAC experiences/plans:

rcs/vbac mamas?  https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/comment/89198957
vbac https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/comment/89171850

bluthsbananas

What was the reason for your c-section the first time around? I had a c-section because my son was breech and my doctors had no problem letting me do a vbac with my second. The births were 23 months apart though.

I didn't realize there were actual laws about this. I just thought certain hospitals/doctors had their own rules. What does your OB say about it? Are there local hospitals that allow it? It doesn't seem like birthing center and home birth should be your only options. 

BecNJake

lovelongdog06 said:

I'm VBACing at home, but it'll be over 2 years between for me. The conception law is odd to me because that's not an exact science. Everywhere else I've heard time measured birth to birth. Here it's 18 months birth to birth and that seems to be the agreed upon interval I've seen in my time on multiple vbac boards. Was it a freestanding birth center you wanted or one adjoining a hospital? If freestanding, and if you're comfortable at home, I think I home birth is a great alternative. Birth centers can't give you epidurals or c sections. You'd have to transfer just like if you were at home. IMO you choose the amenities of a birth center, not because it's any "safer".

Thanks for your input! I am hoping to go to a free standing birth center, but you're right I might as well look into home birth, I am hoping not to use any interventions anyway so that shouldn't be a determining factor. You are right that conception seems too gray. I am checking with some other midwives to see if that law actually exists or if that midwife may have had incorrect information. Hope your VBAC goes smoothly and home birth is a great experience! 

BecNJake

bluthsbananas said:

What was the reason for your c-section the first time around? I had a c-section because my son was breech and my doctors had no problem letting me do a vbac with my second. The births were 23 months apart though.

I didn't realize there were actual laws about this. I just thought certain hospitals/doctors had their own rules. What does your OB say about it? Are there local hospitals that allow it? It doesn't seem like birthing center and home birth should be your only options. 

My c-section was due to an induction gone not so smoothly. The baby was in distress and I had some organs the doctor was concerned were under way too much stress. Basically my body couldn't handle the Pitocin-induced contractions and it turned into a dangerous situation. For this reason I'm hoping to avoid a hospital birth. I'm still considering it, but I had a bad experience that could have potentially been avoided (although I can't say for sure!) The chance of a repeat c-section is greater in hospital than if I use a midwife in a birthing center or at home, from local statistics I've seen. I don't actually have an OB this time around, we are interviewing midwives to see what may be safest and find a provider we are comfortable with. My OB didn't seem supportive of a VBAC. I'm glad yours did! Hold onto that one