Thoughts on scheduling "just in case" c-section with attempted vbac

Angela814

I'm due July 14th (Wed) and planning to try for a vbac. I was 10 days late with DD, so I don't know how likely it will be that I go into labor much before my due date.

My OB says technically they don't go past 40 weeks with a vbac because the studies show a poor success rate and high rate of complications.

She gave me the options of July 13th (Tues) or July 16th (Fri) to start out. Then we were talking about the 13th and how baby's birthday would fall on "Friday the 13th" some years, so if I was superstitious, we could schedule it earlier. I could do it Fri the 9th, Sat the 10th, or Mon the 12th.

I was initially thinking that I might as well do it the 12th and then be home from the hospital by the weekend. But the more I think about it, the more I'm leaning toward waiting until the 16th. Really, what difference is 2 days? Plus it gives me a better chance of having a vbac.

Thoughts?

Kersbear

If your doctor is okay with letting you go until the 16th then I would schedule it for the 16th.  Good luck!  I wanted to be able to go for a VBAC, but due to my past pregnancy, this pregnancy and the fact that I'm considered high risk the peri nixed the possibility.

amiamish

I'd go with the 16th to give yourself a little extra time for VBAC sucess. GOOD LUCK- I hope it works for you! And BTW, there's a superstition that when you schedule the c/s date you will go into labor very shortly afterwards. (at least that's what happened with my DS)

Sunrise77

Go with the later date. Give yourself the time for the VBAC attempt. And while I know that OB's don't like to go too far past due dates for VBACs, I myself (and a few others that I know) had successful, uncomplicated VBAC's several days past due. Good luck!

penguingrrl

My doctor was willing to let me go until 41 weeks before scheduling a C if I needed it.  We never even talked about scheduling in advance.  In the end I had a history of pre-e and my blood pressure was creeping up, but I was already at 4 cm so she was able to induce me (pitocin is OK with a VBAC, only cervadil is contraindicated, and I was far enough on my own to not need cervadil).  I did successfully VBAC.  I personally would schedule the latest my OB would let me to give myself the most time possible to go into labor on my own.  My VBAC baby was born on July 14!

Bride2b2004

My LO is 1w5d old.  I was hoping for a VBAC too, and we scheduled a c/s for a week after my EDD (as late as they would let me go).  As we got closer to my EDD, we knew the baby was large (DS#1 was a c/s due to "fit issues"-- he was 9lbs).  We moved my c/s date ahead 5 days because it made the OB more comfortable and I was just ready to have him in my arms. It turned out that he was even bigger than DS#1 (head/chest/length), though one ounce less (8lb15oz), and I was really glad that we had the c/s since we would have had the fit issues and during the c/s my ob said my uterine lining looked "thin" around the scar tissue (as you know the biggest risk of vbac is uterine rupture).

Anyway, based on my experience, I would schedule it for the 16th, but play it by ear and just move it up if it looks like circumstances are not optimal for the vbac or waiting the extra time.  GL! 

hikerbeth

Wait as long as possible.  Actually, I wouldn't schedule it until right before you're due so maybe the busy schedule will be on your side (so you can keep waiting to go into labor).

I had my VBAC at 41 weeks 3 days and had just scheduled a c-section for 41 weeks 6 days.

Good luck!

Kapalua

I would wait

 

and I had a vbac at 41 weeks with absolutely no complications...that's actually the first time I heard that in all of my research!  I think it's perfectly normal for a pg to go up to 42 weeks.