VBAC

VBAC regrets?

Just curious of anyone's VBAC delivery/recovery was worse than your c-section one? So much so that you actually regret having a VBAC?

I have read some birth stories as of late that involved a lot of tearing...like "sex didn't feel good for a year afterwards..." "I couldn't sit for weeks..." etc. I know that's not normal, but my c-section recovery was not bad at all....I was up slowly walking around 12 hours later and feeling pretty normal later that week, but I'm going for a VBAC this time.

With DD I was induced with Propess at 42+1, which was fairly gentle (as compared to pitocin). I labored all night, and contractions continued once the prostaglandin was out. However, DD's heart rate was plummeting and there was blood and meconium and all kinds of not-good things, so I had an emergency c/s. This time, I know they won't induce with pitocin or hormones, so I'm just going to wait and see how it plays out. 

Re: VBAC regrets?

  • I tore during my VBAC and my recovery was still lightyears better than my c/s recovery.  I was up and walking 12 hours after the c/s but it took the full6-8 weeks before I started to feel like myself again.  With my VBAC, I was up and changing into my comfy clothes and ready to go home within the hour.  By the end of the week I felt great.

    FWIW, I know people who lost nerve feeling during sex because of c/s too.  While this is rare, it does happen.  I have now had a c/s and a vaginal birth and everything is just fine "down there" :-)

    Someone posted a few posts down asking a similar question and there are lots of responses there.

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  • 7 weeks ago I would have said I regretted it.  I had a 2nd degree tear and the pain was awful.  I finally started feeling better at 3 weeks.  I also had a great recovery with the CS.  Now that I am 7 weeks pp I am glad I did the VBAC.  Also we have only tried sex once (at 6 weeks pp) and it hurt due to the tear even though my OB said the tear has healed.

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  • My VBAC recovery was significally worse and more traumatic, but it's not because of something directly related to the VBAC itself. 

    When I showed up at the hospital 6-7 cm and contracting every 2 minutes, it's safe to say I was in pain!  In order to give me pain relief as quickly as possible anesthesia did a combined spinal/epidural (without my knowledge)  The spinal accesses your spinal fluid, making it possible to get a spinal headache.  Since I didn't know it was done, and apparently none of the nurses paid attention either, I sat up immediately after delivery causing my spinal fluid to leak and giving me the spinal headache.

    I was unable to care for my son at all, doing anything but laying down caused an extreme headache.  I had one procedure done that fixed it and was sent home.  The headache came back, so I was readmitted after a second procedure and spent 24 hours on complete bedrest away from my newborn, and only after a third procedure did they finally fix it.  After the headache was gone I was sore and unable to move or lift either of my children for more than a week, because on top of all of that my orignial epidural moved during labor and they had to reposition it...it took them 5 tries...so I had a total of 9 needles in my back over 2-3 days.  Not fun!

    But even after all that was over, my VBAC was still easier.  What happened to me is always a possibility if you have a c/s since they do spinals for those.

  • I had a second degree tear with my VBAC, and was pretty beat up afterwards, but I was still able to get around within a day or two of birth.

    I felt significantly better by three weeks postpartum, whereas my c-section recovery took longer than that. My VBAC baby was huge, which I think contributed to my recovery taking a bit more time.

    DS1 - Feb 2008

    DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)

  • No regrets from me. I had a 2nd degree tear. Sex didn't hurt the first time and I was a little sore (overall), but nothing Ibuprofen couldn't fix. It was so, SO much less painful than recovering from the c/s.
  • Zero regrets.  I had a 2nd degree tear and was super sore for awhile, but it gradually got better and better as the swelling went down.  Ibuprofen helped a lot.  Most importantly, I was able to pick up my 2 year old right away.  My daughter would've had a very hard with sharing Mommy if I couldn't at least still pick her up sometimes! 
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  • I don't have any regrets.  Recovery hasn't been a breeze, but it has been better than my c/s.  Also, my emotional high from having an empowered birth has me feeling so much happier this time (I say empowered because even if I would have had another c/s I feel it would have put me and baby in the center, rather than the periphery and that would have been respectful).  

    Recovery is a real component to consider when looking at VBAC vs RCS. However, there are other benefits (health benefits for mom and baby of a physiological birth, to name one). 

    Would your provider induce you with foley bulb if need be?  I was induced with #1 at 41 weeks and had my c/s for failure to progress.  #2 I was given until 42 weeks and went into labor at 41 weeks, 1 day - had DD the next morning.  Remember that every pregnancy and labor is different.  Some moms/babies do just have longer gestations, so if you decide on VBAC, how long will they "let" you go? 

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  • Also, another way to think of it is by considering the knowns and unknowns.

    A known of a RCS is a recovery from major surgery.  It may be the same or easier than the first time, or you could have complications.  With a VBAC, you may tear. You may not.  I think with RCS you know your body will experience a certain degree of trauma/pain, whereas with a VBAC it is harder to predict.  

    I had a second degree tear and would do a VBAC again if I ever have another baby. 

    GL! 

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  • i had a pretty easy physical recovery from my c/s. i did have scar issues for a while (itchy, burning tissues), but it was the emotional recovery that really threw me for a loop. that took several years. 

    my physical recovery from my vbac took longer than i thought, b/c i tore and it didn't heal quickly. sex was a bit uncomfortable for a while, we just took it really slow and i wasn't afraid to ask him to stop if it became painful. 

    for me and my family, vbac was the only option. i can't speak about what it is/should be for others, but it is the best and safest option for me. i have no regrets at all.  

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  • imageBrownie_222:

    Also, another way to think of it is by considering the knowns and unknowns.

    A known of a RCS is a recovery from major surgery.  It may be the same or easier than the first time, or you could have complications.  With a VBAC, you may tear. You may not.  I think with RCS you know your body will experience a certain degree of trauma/pain, whereas with a VBAC it is harder to predict.  

    I had a second degree tear and would do a VBAC again if I ever have another baby. 

    GL! 

     

    That's a good point. And I checked out the lower post. Thanks for your input all. 

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