Anyone have a VBAC?

gypsywitch

popping in from 3rd tri...

  I'm attemping a VBAC with this baby, and am wondering if certain things could not be done during your delivery because it is a VBAC?

- were you not allowed to get a full epi in case of uterine rupture, or did you have to get one in case of a repeat section? was a "walking" epidural allowed?

- did you have to get an IV in case of section?

- was intermitten fetal monitoring allowed or did you have to lay in bed and be continuously monitored?

- were you allowed to labor in a tub?

- were you allowed to eat/drink during labor? ( i'm assuming no to the eating?)

Anything else that had to be done differently since delivery was VBAC? 

Thanks!

 

Mrs.tlcS

We had a VBAC planned, and even though it didn't work out, and we didn't even make it to labor, I'll tell you what our plan was (I originally was with MWs):

 I was allowed to have an epidural if I asked for it, and I was allowed to be drug free if that's what I wanted to do.

I did not have to have an IV, but I would have had to have a heplock.

I was allowed to have intermittent monitoring.

I was allowed to labor in a tub.

I was allowed to eat/drink during labor (I was advised to do it on the sly, though, in case any of the non-MW nurses came in and got all huffy about it).

Good luck with your VBAC!!

Boizmom

I just had my 2nd VBAC.  (1st baby was c-section, 2nd and 3rd were VBAC.)

- were you not allowed to get a full epi in case of uterine rupture, or did you have to get one in case of a repeat section? was a "walking" epidural allowed?  With my second baby, I got an epidural.  I was in labor for 23 hours and less then half way through my epidural stopped working.  The tissues surrounding where it's inserted was so swollen that they couldn't get another one in to work.  I was induced with him.  This time around I went into labor naturally.  I labored for 10 hours without any pain meds and when I stalled, they wanted to do pitocin and so I opted to get an epidural before hand to manage my pain.  Less then two hours later my son was born.  Both times I was allowed a full epidural.

- did you have to get an IV in case of section? I did get an IV both times.  Like I said, with my 1st VBAC, I was induced so they had to do an IV.  This time around they did an IV because I was already dehydrated and had just gotten off bedrest and over a bladder infection.

- was intermittent fetal monitoring allowed or did you have to lay in bed and be continuously monitored?  This time, I got up and walked around the first several hours and only was monitored every 30 minutes or so.  Half the time the nurse only held the doppler to my belly just to listen to the heart beat.  Once my Dr broke my water I only got up a couple times and then the pain started to get too bad so I just stayed in bed.  Once I just stayed in bed they put the monitors back on me.

- were you allowed to labor in a tub?  The hospital I delivered at both times do not offer laboring tubs.

- were you allowed to eat/drink during labor? ( i'm assuming no to the eating?)  This time I was allowed to drink and eat small items during labor.  I insisted on it.  After doing all my research on eating during labor I decided it was something I wanted to do. I tend to have marathon labors and wanted to be able to replenish my energy.  (2nd baby I was in labor for 23 hours and pushed for 4.  This time around I was in labor for 18 hours and pushed for 10 minutes.)

A great website to check out is www.vbac.com.