VBAC check in! 1/7

wyomama0427

How far along are you?

How many c-sections have you had? How long has it been since your last c-section?

What were the circumstances? 

Is your hospital/doctor supportive of VBAC?

Have you had a successful VBAC before? Any advice for first timers?

Epidural; yes or no? Why?

Will you be using a midwife or a doula?

GTKY; What is your favorite book?


So excited to get to know my VBAC ladies! That is if I even have any! 

wyomama0427

How far along are you?
5 weeks tomorrow!

How many c-sections have you had? How long has it been since your last c-section?
One c-section, January '16. The births will be 20 months apart, I'm hoping that increases my chances of success!

What were the circumstances? 
Had multiple failed epidural attempts (talking more than six pokes) that left me with nerve damage, felt like my leg was being ripped from my body with every contraction. I begged for a c-section because I was only at a 5 after 12 hours and I didn't want to scream for another 12 hours it was pretty bad. 

Is your hospital/doctor supportive of VBAC?
I'm not sure yet, we are switching doctors. Not going back to the place that screwed up so bad.

Have you had a successful VBAC before? Any advice for first timers?
This will be my first TOLAC (trial of labor after c-section)

Epidural; yes or no? Why?
Hell no! Not going to put myself in that position again. Edited again to say I want to be able to walk around and use a labor ball and different positions this time. Being flat on my back made me stall out last time.

Will you be using a midwife or a doula?
I wish, my options are limited here in Wyo.

GTKY; What is your favorite book?
I have many favorites but most recently I read a book called The Art of Racing In The Rain, by Garth Stein. Oh my gosh it is amazing, it's a book from a dogs perspective. Totally made me ugly cry. 10/10 would recommend!

edited for spelling

PKFMommie

How far along are you? 7w according to LMP, but 5 weeks according to ovulation testing and when we BD'd.

How many c-sections have you had? How long has it been since your last c-section? 1, 6 years ago

What were the circumstances? I'm still not sure.  They labeled me with dysfunctional labor because they didn't think I was progressing fast enough (which in hindsight is ridiculous, I was only allowed maybe 6 hours before they decided this, and was halfway progressed) at which time they started the pitocin and an epidural.  I reacted badly and was fuzzy and couldn't breathe and felt like my heart got really weak, I was in and out for another few hours and then they all came running in and offered to try a bit more or a c-section, so I said ok (as in ok to try more before a csection) but they put words in my mouth and started prepping for the csection and I wasn't strong enough to argue.  I wasn't well supported during that birth and it was a terrible experience to the point I almost never wanted to have another one.

Is your hospital/doctor supportive of VBAC?  I don't know, they won't see me until 8 weeks.  If they aren't I will change hospitals.

Have you had a successful VBAC before? Any advice for first timers? No.

Epidural; yes or no? Why? No, based on the above.  I decline pitocin as well.

Will you be using a midwife or a doula?  Considering it, but it might be more cost-effective in having a close family member and husband be more involved in birth planning and education.

GTKY; What is your favorite book? I have many.  A good trashy romance is always a great distraction!  I recently read "She Knows." (mystery/drama)

PKFMommie

daniellelynette said:

Epidural; yes or no? Why?
Hell no! Not going to put myself in that position again. Edited again to say I want to be able to walk around and use a labor ball and different positions this time. Being flat on my back made me stall out last time.

Same situation.  I felt fine, great, I was chatty and handling everything well but I, myself, am a cardiac patient and they wanted to "monitor" me and baby, and as soon as the medical team took over my body couldn't compensate.  I got stuck with an on-call MD whom didn't know my story (and didn't seem to care) and I was introduced to several residents and felt more like a teaching tool than a patient.  Not to be a brat, because I know that medical students need to learn, but NO students this time, NO epidural, NO pitocin, and if I am asking to meet ALL the possible on-call's that might come to deliver.

edit:  it was too bad, because my regular OB was amazing, but she wasn't there for the birth and she seemed a bit horrified by how things had gone down after the face, but out of professionalism didn't truly remark as such... but still no-one told me why "exactly" the medical team pushed how they did.  I personally feel it was end of shift pressure.

wyomama0427

@PKFMommie ugh that sounds awful!! I hope our doctors are supportive. I've been looking at the rules and it seems like I should be a good candidate! I totally agree with the no medical students or anything. I had the meanest nurse during my labor, she was having a bad day and taking it out on me. I asked a few times for a different nurse and was told by her I had to "deal with it". It was awful. 
I also love a good trashy romance book! A good series my mom got me into is by Darynda Jones, the first book is called the first grave on the right. It's soooo good!!

PKFMommie

@daniellelynette
Thanks, I'll see if I can get the book on kindle!  Also, I'll keep good vibes coming our way too!  I'm seeing my OB for the first time every on 1/17 and I'm not attached, so if she doesn't seem 100% on board I'm switching until I find someone who is.  The only major hurtle for me is to fight for the right hospital.  The one closest doesn't have a NICU, and this is necessary for a TOL/VBAC attempt.

cnf2013

How far along are you? 4+3

How many c-sections have you had? How long has it been since your last c-section? Only one, November 2015.

What were the circumstances? Emergent. Water broke and I never progressed. They induced me multiple times and when it finally took I went from 2cm to 8cm in 45 minutes, causing DD to go into distress and decel. 

Is your hospital/doctor supportive of VBAC? Yes. It's standard practice for them to double suture and they highly encourage VBAC.

Have you had a successful VBAC before? Any advice for first timers? I have not but I'm hoping to be successful. 

Epidural; yes or no? Why? Very likely. I begged for one last time and at first they wouldn't give me one because I wasn't their required minimum of 4cm. Then it became an issue of my contractions were off the charts in terms of frequency and duration, I progressed too quickly, and it just was never an option. They did give me a spinal in the OR though. That said, I HATED being tied to the bed. Since my water broke I was required to be on a monitor the whole time. I would have given my left arm to walk around while laboring and wasn't allowed, so I might try to avoid an epidural just for that reason alone. 

Will you be using a midwife or a doula? No. 

GTKY; What is your favorite book? Man, who has time to read anymore!? That said I love series. Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Sookie Stackhouse, Divergent. Give me all the YA series!

cnf2013

I'm so sorry for those of you with such horribly unsupportive doctors. That makes my heart hurt for you. My OB is amazing. Even though my water broke I was allowed to labor for 33 hours and even then the call for a c-section was a complete last resort. They spent about an hour trying to find a position for me that stopped the deceling and prepped a delivery table and the OR simultaneously out of hope that they could avoid the c/s. They shot me up with meds to stop my contractions too so they could keep me awake since mine because so emergent they felt I should have been put under for it, but they tried to avoid that and were at least successful there. 

wyomama0427

I've gotta do some research about my hospital! And you can get that series on the kindle, I read them on my kindle app on my tablet!! I don't get to see my OB until 2/16

Bumblelovesbaby

How far along are you? 

5 weeks
 
How many c-sections have you had? How long has it been since your last c-section?

1 in august 2015

What were the circumstances?

iI was progressing quickly and went from 0-7cm in 2.5hrs. i wanted the epidural to help with the pain. It went well, except I asked them to not give me a lot. I don't handle drugs or alcohol well and I feel like this set off my anxiety. I started panicking and babies heart rate plummeted with every contraction. I got sent to the OR and progressed to 10cm. Tried to push, babies heart rate plummeted and didn't come back. They had to and I'm grateful for it. 

Im going all-natural, no drugs this time. I don't know if this was the cause but I want to try everything I can to have a successful vbac. 

Is your hospital/doctor supportive of VBAC?

yes, all hospitals in my area are. I'm also specifically going to one of the best in the area. 

However if if I don't get the vibe that my OB will fight for me to have a vbac then I will switch OBs. 

Have you had a successful VBAC before? Any advice for first timers?

not yet. But hopefully. 

Epidural; yes or no? Why?
NO!!! Natural child birth this time. No drugs or anything!!

Will you be using a midwife or a doula?my older sister is an NP that specializes in pediatrics. She worked at Sick Kids for a long time too. She will advocate and fight for what I want. I'm very lucky to have her. She was my rock with my first pregnancy and first delivery as well as pp when my MIL was calling me a bad mother because my son was sick and calling me a failure for not delivering him vaginally. I Have to put up with the asshat but I don't like her at all. 



GTKY; What is your favorite book?
its going to seem juvenile but the Harry Potter series. It calms me and takes me away from my worries IRL. 

wyomama0427

@Bumblelovesbaby that's pretty scary! Glad everything turned out okay for you and your LO!! I also love Harry Potter!!!!

PKFMommie

@Bumblelovesbaby I'm sorry about the MIL issue.  We had some sort of similar problem many, many years ago but DH put his foot down and said that if she was going to disrespect his wife she was disrespecting him and not welcome in our family.  Fixed things right up.  I hope it doesn't add stress to this pregnancy for you, fingers crossed for successful, safe VBACs!