2VBAC birth story

Adrienne4.11 · April 2012

This was my second VBAC. My DD was a planned c-section for breech presentation, and my son was born at 38 weeks as a VBAC in July 2010. For some reason I assumed that with this baby I would also go into labor a little early. Well, my 40 week appointment came, and I started to worry. My OB won't induce, and I knew he was going to bring up c-section at that appointment. To my surprise, he said although he won't use drugs to induce, he would bring me in to break my water and see if it brought on labor. The plan was to wait a week until the following Monday and if nothing happened on its own I'd go into the hospital that morning.

The week dragged on with no signs of labor, but by Saturday night I started feeling some fairly regular contractions. I decided to call DH to come home, even though the contractions weren't too strong or close together, because he works an hour away and the hospital is about 20 minutes in the other direction. We headed to the hospital and I got put on the monitors about 11pm. The nurse said I wasn't having 'labor contractions' yet. My OB and mid-wife happened to be there for another delivery so they came in to talk to us and we decided to just stay and have them break my water that night. The hospital's policy is that one of them has to be there the entire time a VBAC patient is in labor, so the OB said he was going home and Michelle, the midwife, would stay overnight.

After the OB left, DH mentioned that he hadn't eaten all day, so Michelle said he should go out and get both of us something to eat since it was going to be a long night. She would break my water after we had some food. I was very thankful that she was ok with me eating something. During my last VBAC the nurses wouldn't even let me have water! Anyways, by the time he got back and we ate it was about 1:30 am when she came in to break my water. I almost forgot, at some point before that she said "we'll place the epidural when you get to about 6-7 cm." Somehow I didnt' know until that point that it was the hospital's policy for VBAC patient's to have an epidural in case of needing an emergency c-section. I wasn't planning for an epi. She said they could place it with no medication, but I figured it they were going to put one in I'd probably just get the drugs to go with it. I wasn't in the mood to fight against it at that point.

I told DH to get some sleep (he had worked nearly 40 hours in the past 3 days) and I was watching some tv and checking Facebook from my phone. The contractions were picking up and by a little after 2 they were getting quite uncomfortable. I thought about calling for the epidural then, but after saying I didn't want it in the first place my pride got the best of me and I couldn't bring myself to call less than an hour after my water was broken. At maybe 2:45, a CNA came in to start bringing in some supplies for delivery, and the baby crib, etc. I asked her to get my nurse because the pain was really starting to get to me. The nurse was busy with another patient and didn't get to my room until 3 - she checked me and I was at 5-6 cm. I asked for the epi, and she called to let my mid-wife and the anesthesiologist know. I really thought I would have been farther along with how much pain I had! I yelled out a little with one of the contractions and I believe this is when DH woke up.

While waiting for the anesthesiologist, I felt the need to get sick so the CNA gave me a bucket and I vomited twice. I thought I was done, so she took it away and I vomited again all over myself. After seeing me be sick, DH had to excuse himself to the bathroom to be sick himself. While he was in there, they show up for the epidural, about 3:15 or 3:20. When they lay the bed flat and I try to sit on the edge of the bed for the epi, I know that I am too far along for it because I'm feeling the urge to push. (This is exactly when DH emerges from the bathroom) I lay back down, flat on my back, and the nurses are telling me "don't push, don't push" DH is standing in the corner because the nurses are frantically trying to get ready for the deliver. They're asking where's Michelle (the midwife) and I'm having a hard time resisting the urge to push. She tells me again, "stop pushing" but then the next thing she says is "the head's out" I give one push and he's born at 3:35am. I got the med-free birth I wanted, and it went so quickly the mid-wife didn't get there until after the baby was already latched on and nursing. I didn't tear at all, and by the next day I seriously didn't feel like I had just given birth.

The nurse who caught the baby must have said, "but she was just at 6 cm" about a dozen times once the midwife finally got there.

I am so grateful that I have been able to have 2 successful VBACs. With my first one I told DH that having a third child would depend on whether the VBAC happened or not, as I had no plans of having a third c-section. This time, I am so happy that I have been able to take care of my two boys on my own with no pain. DS2 is only 1 week old today and I've already taken the boys on a couple walks around the neighborhood! I am happy that researched the facts for myself and I didn't listen to the 95% or so of OBs in my area who only do repeat CS.

cchill01 · April 2012

Congrats and thanks for sharing! Sounds like a perfect birth.

okate0213 · April 2012

Congratulations!

MrsVictoriaB · April 2012

that is so inspiring, congratulations! My first c-section was due to breech too and my VBAC was so wonderful so I'm so hopeful I can have another one like yours.