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VBAC
Why is a VBAC so important to you?
Just curious, the ability to have one is really important to me too. DD isn't quite a month old but my section was a little traumatic, and I def want more kids so I know I want VBAC, and I have heard the words "you are a great candidate for VBAC" from an ob I know, so that was really reassuring.
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Re: Why is a VBAC so important to you?
VBAC is/was not important to me. Doing the best thing for my family is important to me. As long as babe and I were healthy and doing fine, VBAC was the best thing for my family. The biggest advantage, in my opinion, is it would mean a shorter recovery time (good for me, babe, and the toddler I'd be coming home to).
Congrats on your little girl! I'm sorry your delivery was traumatic but I hope it will get better in time as it did for me.
Truthfully, it's not that important to me. I've been wavering a LOT (although I'm leaning pretty strongly back toward the vbac right now). I never thought I would even consider one, to be honest, before I got pg again. My c/s was fine, and DH is more comfortable going that route again.
But I don't necessarily want to have surgery again now that I'm actually faced with another baby and the only advantage to me of another c/s would be the possibility of getting my tubes tied at the same time - that's out because I'm delivering at a Catholic hospital. So, since my doctor seems pretty gung-ho about it I'm willing to give it a shot as long as it continues to look promising.
It's important to me for a bunch of reasons:
- to have a less painful recovery. my c-section sucked - with over 6 months of pain
- to be able to care for DD#1 - pick her up and go home after 2 days
- to have that birth experience, skin-to-skin contact, immediate nursing
- to prove that I can, that I am a 'normal' woman
That's just a few.
I'll admit - I always wanted the experience of childbirth. I also had this feeling that I didn't get to participate in #1's birth - that the experience was something that happened to me rather than something that I was a big part of. I wanted to know that my body wasn't going to fail my LO's. I wanted to be able to hold #2 right away, rather than the hours of delay. I wanted a better start with breast feeding (we had issues that I believe were because we didn't get to try during that newborn 'awake' window) and I wanted an easier recovery and not have to be in bed and unable to walk for the first day.
My VBAC was definitely worth everything I had to do to get it. I couldn't be happier with my experience.
PP have listed a lot of similar reasons, but here's my list.
Less chance of complications after birth for myself and baby
The experience - I'm big into life experiences and pushing myself to the limit. I have done the MS 150 twice and liked seeing how far I could push my body and succeed in completing something so physically/emotionally demanding. I gained strength from these experiences and view childbirth the same way
To be active rather than passive in #2's birth, to see the baby right when s/he's born, to hold the baby right away, to have immediate bonding/breastfeeding
Easier recovery, feeling back to my normal self sooner
To decrease my odds of placenta previa and other problems should I choose to have a third child (we're taking them one at a time)
So, my reasons are part physical but also emotional.
Sorry to hear your c/s was traumatic. That kind of experience takes time to process. I wish the VBAC board would have been around in the early months for me! I recommend the book Birthing from Within by Pam England. It has some info about healing from a traumatic birth experience...kind of crunchy but if the emotional stuff is dogging you, I highly recommend it. Stick around as we're all here to support one another.
-My c/s recovery SUCKED and that's putting it mildly
-I want to be able to hold my baby right away and be awake for it
-I want to be able to take care of and pick up my toddler right away
-It is safer for our family since we want more than 2 kids and the risks for RCS goes up with each c/s
I feel like there's SO many reasons for me:
1) Quicker recovery
2) Being able to play with/pick up my toddler, who is of an age where he really revels in my attention
3) Financial - honestly, it's just a lot more expensive to c/s
4) The thought that it could pose less risk of issues to me/baby
5) Deep down desire to have a vaginal birth. Can't explain it, but it's something I really feel.
Before I had my 2nd child I probably would have given you most of the reasons above. After having a scheduled c/s with my 2nd, my answer is changed to "because I just wanted a positive birth experience". My repeat c/s was a wonderful experience for my family and one that I wouldn't mind repeating with a future pregnancy.
I'm not sure that I want a VBA2C, but it's very important to me to at least have that option.
lots of reasons, but definitely the health benefits that labor and vaginal delivery have for mom and baby, for example:
https://www.pregnancy-and-giving-birth.com/vaginal-birth-benefits.html
As the reason for my C-section with DS was an actual emergency, it never really occured to me that having a c-section by choice was an option I would consider. I want to have the 'original' experience of birth. I want to feel those contractions, I want to push out my baby. I want my daughter to know that her mother gave birth to her vaginally and that she can do it too! I want to feel redeemed from an experience where everything seemed to go wrong with an experience where everything goes right.
Yes, there are many physical reasons as well that I want a VBAC, but truly my reasons are mainly reasons of the heart.
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
VBAC is important to me:
Personally: I want to have a vaginal birth. Like some pps said, it's not something I can really explain. It just seems like that's what my body wants to do and having a c/s just didn't feel right to me, on a primal level. I want to push my baby out and actively give birth in a way that didn't happen with my c/s. I felt like a passive participant in my c/s.
Medically: it's safe for my baby and much safer for me to have a VBAC. I don't like having surgery, I don't want to contend with the risks of major surgery unless it's the safest way for me to give birth. And since I'm not sure we're done having children, I want to minimize the risks of having multiple cesareans. Having 3 or more c/s kind of freaks me out.
On a larger level: I'm passionate about VBAC advocacy because I believe every woman has the right to make choices for her body and her baby and to receive the best evidence-based care. I think VBAC bans are a violation of a woman's rights to bodily autonomy. I think doctors who give false information about VBAC and push women toward a cesarean are in dereliction of their duty as medical providers and I think it's appalling that "OBs get sued a lot" has become a valid reason to essentially force women to have major surgery that they don't need. Someone's litigation fears should never trump another person's health and rights to their own body. Some women prefer a RCS of course and that is fine; I just believe every woman should be able to make the choice that is right for themselves without being coerced, misled or lied to.
For me, the VBAC is important because
1) it will likely result in a shorter recovery time than a C-section. I have a 3 year old who needs me at home. I would prefer not to repeat the long C-section recovery period that I had almost 4 years ago.
2) it is healthier for both me and baby. I've even read that VBACers have less complications with breastfeeding which makes sense because, when you're recovering from major abdominal surgery, nothing seems as easy.
VBAC is very important to me. I want to be able to lift my son soon after giving birth(My son is 19 months and about 30 lbs)
I don't want to get to cut open again. I didn't like it the first time, although I did heal very good. I have heard stories about the not so good healings after multiple c-sections.
I want to be able to experiance a vaginal birth. For me this is one of those things that makes me feel like a woman!
On a different side note. After I had already decided on wanting a VBAC my MIL wanted and still wants me to do a repeat c-section, for her conveniance. HA!!! So I want to do a VBAC just to get on her nerves!