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VBAC
The three types of VBAC providers
I posted this on the email group a few months ago but wanted to share it here too:
The Three Types of Care Providers Amongst OBs and MidwivesCare providers, OBs and midwives, can be broken down into three categories:1. The ones who tell you outright they don?t to VBACs. While this is annoying, it is more honorable than the second type of care provider because at least they don?t?2a. ? tell you they are supportive, but then put so many qualifications on their support that it?s almost impossible to have a successful VBAC with them. I call this a ?circus act VBAC.? They want you to think that if you just jump through all these hoops, you will VBAC. But what you don?t know as a typical pregnant woman who trusts her OB is, it?s almost impossible to meet the standard they require and, one way or another, you end up with a another surgery.if your baby is less than X poundsif you consent to an IVif you consent to an epiduralif you consent to continuous external, or internal, fetal monitoringif you stay in bed the whole timeif you come to the hospital as soon as labor beginsif you have the baby within X hours of labor startingif you have the baby within X hours of your water breakingif you agree to have a cesarean scheduled at X weeks ?just in case? you don?t go into laborif you agree to be induced at X weeksif you go into labor by X weeks and if you don?t, you agree to have another cesarean or be inducedit goes on, and on, and on?2b. Or they tell you that they are supportive, but as your due date gets closer, they start focusing more and more on the risks of VBAC. Of course, they minimize, or don?t even mention, the risks of having a repeat cesarean. It eventually becomes clear to you that they will find some excuse either during your labor, or before labor begins, to give you a cesarean. At which point, how can you trust their medical opinion? But, they have strung you along for so long ? usually this starts in the last couple months of your pregnancy ? that you feel stuck and you think that it?s to late to find another provider. Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn?t. It never hurts to check out other providers, regardless of how far along you are. When you have a provider like this, what do you have to lose?3. The smallest group of care providers out there are the ones who are truly supportive of VBAC. You can find care providers by going here and interview them using the questions here.
https://vbacfacts.com/2008/04/13/the-three-types-of-care-providers-amongst-obs-and-midwives/
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Re: The three types of VBAC providers
Thanks for posting Iris. As hard as it is to believe, Type 2 really does exist. The OB I went to for Leo was "2b." Thankfully, I found out at 16 weeks instead of 36, and switching providers was not as difficult as it could have been.
I really think that the number 1 thing you can do to set yourself up for a successful VBAC is find the right provider. Don't stay with someone because they've been your doctor since you were a teenager. Don't stay with them because they seem nice, or you don't want to rock the boat. Ask the questions, demand the answers, and if you get a weird feeling about the whole thing don't hesitate to switch. Making the change was difficult for me because I truly liked my original OB, but it was one of the best decisions I made. I'm 100% certain I would have ended up with a repeat c/s if I hadn't found a new doctor.
The midwives at my birth center are most definitely a 3. I feel very lucky. Even though we had to pay out of pocket... but that's another post entirely.
That's a good list, thanks for posting it!
i totally agree!! you have to find someone who will work for you! i was downright almost mean lol bc i just said this is what i want and if i can't get it i will move to a different practice that will. my dr was amazing and was willing to give my body a chance. great post!
Great list!
To throw another wrench in the issue is the fact that you can choose a provider who you trust and work well with- but you can't be sure that they will be the person on call if you deliver at a hospital.
I have 4 children- every single doctor present at a birth was a TOTAL stranger to me the day I delivered. All the prenatal round robins and I still wound up with doctors that weren't even in my doctor's GROUP! I had no control at all over who wound up being the Dr. calling the shots. The only way I could have avoided that problem would be with a UHBAC and I just wasn't willing to go that route due to my original c section experience and distance of home to hospital.
Agreed. I'm hoping to get around this a bit by using a family practice doctor. Generally, they're always on call for their patients, unless they're out of town (at least the ones I've talked to here). Unfortunately, mine is going out of town right around my 41 week mark, but even then, we'll get one of her partners in place who is more VBAC supportive, so I feel like I won't be as up in the air as I would have had I gone to the one OB that I was considering.