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July 2019 Moms
mamanbebe
member
July 2019 VBAC Thread
mamanbebe
member
This thread is a place for the women of this board who are interested in a VBAC to discuss all things related to.
Note: If you are not trying for a VBAC, please keep your comments on the supportive or inquisitive side. We are all aware of the risks, and they are unique to each individual depending on many factors.
Note: If you are not trying for a VBAC, please keep your comments on the supportive or inquisitive side. We are all aware of the risks, and they are unique to each individual depending on many factors.
Re: July 2019 VBAC Thread
Thanks for starting this thread @mamanbebe !
My middle daughter was a footling breech CS, and my third was a VBAC. Hoping to have another VBAC in July. We are going to tour a new birthing center this week so I can ask the staff about policies etc. They use a laborist model which means you get the OB on shift, not necessarily your regular OB. My OB is very pro-natural birth with minimal medical intervention so I want to get a feel for the vibe at this new place. Otherwise I'll go with my old hospital if it guarantees my OB.
I decided not to go back to where I had DD because I didn’t like the way the induction/ECS took place...had my first visit at a different clinic a few weeks ago and liked their VBAC view (let me go until 41+3 to try to go naturally, ok with an induction if I’m at least somewhat effaced...). However, there were other things I didn’t like about the visit so now I’m on hospital number 3!
I haven’t had my first visit at the new one but it’s the American hospital. Losing the (huge) advantage of a free birth as it’s a private hospital. However, I’m really hoping that I feel comforted in their policies and that they are listening to me (my main issues with the French level 1 hospital system!)
My goal at this point is to be OK with the birth experience I have - very worried about attempting a VBAC that ends in a ECS and having bad PPD like my first experience.
@frenchbaby18 I hope you feel good about the hospital you choose. Is the american hospital more pro-VBAC or is it just the overall setup that is more comforting than the last clinic you visited?
@mama_bear19 I hope you get the VBAC that you want. I would encourage you to read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth or even watch the documentary on her Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and The Farm Midwives (it was on Tubi app on Appletv for free when I watched it). It has a lot of useful info on laboring, positioning and pushing, and real birth stories with big stuck babies that you might find reassuring
I go here too (surprise!)
I had a scheduled CS with DS at 41w because I was afraid of getting pumped full of pitocin and ending up with a complicated emergency CS anyway. As it turned out DS had rotated in the womb and wasn't at all engaged, which would have led to that ECS. Recovery was hard in the sense of terrible problems breastfeeding and definite ppd. If I have to do a CS again, I will, but I'm really hoping not. I'm working with a lovely midwifery birth center close to my home and so far I'm feeling pretty good about things, so far.
I'm also upset that my husband basically missed the moment of birth because she sent him to get the OB in the hallway. But there was just so much happening at once.
Recovery was a dream. Within 24 hours we were discharged and I was at the park playing with my girls, wearing my newborn in the ergo. A kid at the park asked how old my baby was, and I replied, "She was born yesterday."
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Here is my birth story from March 2017:
At 38w5d, my water broke at home. In laws got there quickly to stay with the girls, and we headed to the hospital around 6pm. We got penicillin started, and I found out my OB was on an overnight shift way across town so they assigned another random hospital OB to me. She struck me as pro CS, which was the main thing I was trying to avoid. She kept referring to me as TOLAC rather than VBAC, for example. They told me I couldn't labor in the tub due to my water breaking (my regular OB had approved tub labor so I was disappointed) but she said the shower was still an option for later when things got going. She started me on pitocin pretty early and I had contractions that were uncomfortable but not painful all through the night. I dilated to about 8cm pretty comfortably and was even able to nap a little.
Around 8am there was a shift change, my OB showed up, and things got intense fast. The pitocin contractions went full throttle and didn't let up for an hour. I counted breaths as I got a short break every 15 breaths or so. It helped me manage the intense pain. I asked to get in the shower and the new nurse refused bc I had an IV. Again disappointed but I couldn't advocate due to the intense pain. I used hands and knees on the floor. I nearly reached my breaking point and felt like my body would explode. But right as I thought I couldn't take it any longer, I felt a strong urge to push. STRONG. No time to get the pushing bar out. The nurse sent DH to the hall to call the OB in. She yelled at me to turn onto my back but a hand and knees position was the only thing that felt right. She was physically trying to push me onto my side but it was too late - I pushed the head out and felt crowning! She caught my baby in a panic before the OB walked through the door!
Baby girl #3 was 6lb. 5oz and 19.5" long! By the strength of her kicks I guessed she was way bigger! She's nursing well and we'll go home tomorrow!
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@Cbeanz That makes me so mad hearing about your crappy nurse
For me it’s the problem I have a hard time getting over with in the French hospital system. You have access to amazing doctors, drugs and equipment and everything is free. This is wonderful. However, it’s not treated like a service industry in any way. They are way behind in “patient empowerment” and you have to believe that the doctors are always right.
I work with doctors in my day to day job and i see how different they are in terms of how up to date they are with guidelines, how they prioritize treatment decisions etc. And it has inspired me to want to be even more active in decisions relating to my health and baby. However, low risk pregnancies here are all followed in Level 1 clinics exclusively by midwives who have to follow hospital protocol. While I love the idea of midwives, especially for the birth, they can be very stressful about other things (like my whole saga on testing positive for toxoplasmosis...). Right now my number one goal is reducing my anxiety!!!
Sorry that was a very long answer
They have some very cheesy videos online that look like they were made in the late 90’s but they use lots of the key words in their communications that are reassuring. Plus I was already assigned a “Maternity Navigator” who answers emails quickly which I appreciate for scheduling and stuff...they also do standard American things like NIPT (too late but still). It’s probably the same as any private hospital here haha as they need people to come to them and pay! I’m still waiting for the quote on how’s much the birth will cost to make sure it’s not insane...although by insane I mean like more than $2,000 not US price insane
If I end up with a c-sec... yeah, I'm gonna be disappointed and nervous, but after seeing my bestie just do 55hrs with a c-sec, I'd rather get more sleep than I did last time.
https://www.babyfriendlyusa.org/for-parents/find-a-baby-friendly-facility/
I am really hoping for a VBAC this time and have been told that I am a candidate. I had my daughter at 36 weeks after my water broke and my labor started immediately after. I labored for about 9 hours before they checked me and told me she was breech (her foot was through my cervix) and they did an emergency cs.
Looking for all the tips I can get. For those with one or more VBACs under your belt, anything you did that you think attributed to a positive experience?
One thing that REALLY helped was to have control over the dosing. Not all nurses allow this, so I am sure to ask for a nurse who does. Once contractions start becoming very regular I have demanded they dial back the dosing rate or turn it off completely. When your body takes over you don't need a high pitocin dose to keep labor progressing - it just adds unnecessary pain. I am so hopeful that I don't need pitocin again this time. I would love to have one truly natural delivery without a fucking IV, pardon the language.
My first c-sec was primarily because M's heartrate was dropping rapidly, so my pitocen dose never really got a chance to up above a 1-3 (really). I only ever dilated to 3cm, 75% effaced with the cytotec to start the induction. They would have let me go into the next day if not for the dropping heartrate.
Here is a good document about induction and VBAC:
https://www.aafp.org/dam/AAFP/documents/patient_care/clinical_recommendations/AAFP PVBAC guideline.pdf
Check out Recommendation #5 on Page 8.
"There does not appear to be an increased risk of uterine rupture associated with oxytocin augmentation of labor." (Reference 17)
At first my doctor wasn’t sold that I was a good candidate (first pregnancy didn’t advance, he was largish, and sons heart rate started and I ended up with an emergency c section). When I read the VBAC waiver I almost psyched myself out...however ultimately I decided to go for the VBAC anyway for a few reasons 1) I had a toddler at home that I knew would also want my attention and to be picked up so a vaginal recovery would be much easier 2) I had a crappy recovery from my first c-section at the hospital, and wanted my first moments with the second to be more positive 3) I knew we’d want more kids after #2, and each repeat c-section can also add complications, so I was aiming to reduce the number of times we reopened that incision 4) a part of me just wanted to at least try
Ultimately my doctor and I scheduled a c-section, but agreed to go for VBAC if he came early/ on time. Luckily he came the day of my scheduled csection, and it all worked out.
I labeled 12 hours, which included a few rounds of pitocin (you can only have a smaller dosage of pitocin because of risk of rupture), before taking the epidural. 5 hours later he was in my arms, I was smiling, laughing, and eating normal food. When I went home 2 days later I was already off pain meds. This was just a much more positive experience than my first time. Hoping for another vbAc with this one!
For this pregnancy, I’m stuck. I have an option to have a C/S or a VBAC. I only want the c/s so they can do a tubal litigation at the same time. Otherwise I want my natural birth.
Usually around 34-36 weeks they do an ultrasound to check the scar integrity and placement to assess the risk of rupture during labor. How long ago was your previous C?
My drs are supportive of a vbac. They are not recommending one way or the other and letting me decide. On one hand I feel like I should still try bc the chances are so low. On the other hand I’m tempted to just let fear take over and schedule a rcs at 39 weeks. I know there are risks with a rcs, but they seem less severe for the baby.
Edited to tag: @mama_bear19