As a VBACer, do you visualize your ideal birth?

papagena

I have not, thus far. To be fair, that's not totally me (I didn't last time at all, either). 

Someone today said that it's a great tool, and in some ways, especially for a VBAC, I can see that (minimizing the negatives from last time, helping you realize just because it happened that way then doesn't mean that's what will happen now, etc). 

However, especially as a VBAC, with everything being rather high emotion already, adding to that the fact that I'm fully aware that things can go quite far from your idealized labor, trying seems rather scary and like a big opportunity for disappointment.  

Your opinions?  I think it's been mentioned before, so sorry if I'm asking the exact same question.

chicsub

I kind of did before getting pregnant, but it's slowly going away.  Although I have had a couple dreams about a successful VBAC and those made me happy.  It's hard b/c I don't want negativity to mess things up, but I also don't want to get my hopes up too much and need to find the right balance there.  The first time I had an idea of my ideal birth and was naive enough to think that I had more control in the situation.  So I went into it very positive and educated (as far as I knew), but alas, a c-section. 

This is another reason I'm getting a doula and attending ICAN meetings, to work through the emotional side of shooting for a VBAC. 

iris427

I don't visualize an "ideal" birth but I do visualize having a vaginal birth.  If I have another c/s, I'll be disappointed whether I visualized things or not.  For me I think visualizing birth helps me feel positive about trying for a VBAC.

wendylaine

Doing my hypnobabies affirmations have really helped me to visualize a positive birth. I think that just knowing I will have a great birth will make things go smoother for me even if they aren't "ideal."

ReeseM

I do. And not intentionally either. Every time I get in my huge bathtub, I visualize spending a lot of time in there while I am laboring at home. I even have tried diff positions in there to remind myself later what may be comfy!

I also imagine the people that will be in the L&D room with me, what the room looks like, and what I will do while in labor at the hospital. 

I also know that it is just thoughts at this point. It makes me feel like I am doing something though, for some reason.  We'll see what really happens!

Soon2BMrsN

Sort of.  I think about my labor with DS and how it was all going according to my "plan" until the pushing stage... and I try to visualize a future vaginal birth, but it's really hard.  One of the only reasons I hesitate to try a VBAC is because I know it will be a highly emotional experience.  And having to (most likely) go natural while knowing everything that could happen to quickly turn it into a failed VBAC terrify me.

blf722

I don't visualize an ideal birth, but I do visualize a vaginal birth.  Hmmm...so I guess that kind of is an ideal birth, but you know what I mean?  I know now that everything is unpredictable in labor, but I do kind of fantasize, you could say, about contractions that I am able to work with instead of against. I felt so taken over by pitocin contractions in comparison to the ones that were happening on their own.  Another thing that I visualize is a quote that I read possibly in Birthing from Within.  I think Ina May was quoted in there as saying, "you will get big....bigger than the baby."  This struck a cord with me and I need to imagine this so that I can successfully "fit" the baby out.  Much hype about my last child being so large and I think most believe that I will not be able to birth a decent sized child.

papagena

blf722:

  I think Ina May was quoted in there as saying, "you will get big....bigger than the baby."  This struck a cord with me and I need to imagine this so that I can successfully "fit" the baby out.  Much hype about my last child being so large and I think most believe that I will not be able to birth a decent sized child.

There's a birth story in Ina May's book on Natural Childbirth where she tells the mom that she'll get 'this big' and I actually wrote that one down - it struck a chord with me as well. 

JoelsGirl07

I do. Absolutely. I did with #1, and I don't think doing so changed how I feel about what went down compared to if I hadn't.

Part of why I do is b/c I like to, part is because I do hypnobabies, and part is because my MW asked me to. She wants to know how to make it the best experience for me, and if I don't know what I want then how can she help me? 

Here's the low-down on my vision: I envision my birth to take place in the late afternoon my favorite time of day). My husband, my MW, and my doula will be with me (DS will be napping - since that is nap time). I will be suspended in my birth pool in the middle of our rec room. There will be soft music playing (I'd like to use the CD's from DS's labor - I loved them), and I will feel loved and supported and surrounded by peace.  I will birth my baby into the water and catch him/her myself - I will be the first one they touch. My husband and I will cry and kiss and hug. Then they will help me move to the bed (conveniently there is one in the rec room, as it has been since we moved in) and I will easily birth the placenta while I cuddle with my new baby and husband. DS will wake up soon after and join us as we bond as a family.

That, or anything similar to that, would be exactly what I want. No drama, no emergencies, just beautiful, peaceful, and full of love. 

 thanks for letting me share....I feel really happy now. :-)

blf722

papagena:

blf722:

  I think Ina May was quoted in there as saying, "you will get big....bigger than the baby."  This struck a cord with me and I need to imagine this so that I can successfully "fit" the baby out.  Much hype about my last child being so large and I think most believe that I will not be able to birth a decent sized child.

There's a birth story in Ina May's book on Natural Childbirth where she tells the mom that she'll get 'this big' and I actually wrote that one down - it struck a chord with me as well. 

Wow...my brain is fried.  I typed cord,  but meant chord, geeeezzz I guess you can tell what I'm thinking about.  Sometime when I speak lately, I will say a completely incorrect word for what I was trying to say.  I think I should take a nap!   

blf722

JoelsGirl07:

I do. Absolutely. I did with #1, and I don't think doing so changed how I feel about what went down compared to if I hadn't.

Part of why I do is b/c I like to, part is because I do hypnobabies, and part is because my MW asked me to. She wants to know how to make it the best experience for me, and if I don't know what I want then how can she help me? 

Here's the low-down on my vision: I envision my birth to take place in the late afternoon my favorite time of day). My husband, my MW, and my doula will be with me (DS will be napping - since that is nap time). I will be suspended in my birth pool in the middle of our rec room. There will be soft music playing (I'd like to use the CD's from DS's labor - I loved them), and I will feel loved and supported and surrounded by peace.  I will birth my baby into the water and catch him/her myself - I will be the first one they touch. My husband and I will cry and kiss and hug. Then they will help me move to the bed (conveniently there is one in the rec room, as it has been since we moved in) and I will easily birth the placenta while I cuddle with my new baby and husband. DS will wake up soon after and join us as we bond as a family.

That, or anything similar to that, would be exactly what I want. No drama, no emergencies, just beautiful, peaceful, and full of love. 

 thanks for letting me share....I feel really happy now. :-)

Thanks for sharing.  That sounds awesome.  I wish I had the courage to HBAC.