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VBAC
I had a VBAC!
I still can't believe it! I had my primary c/s at 41 weeks after a long induction and 2 hours of pushing. Baby was OP (sunny side up) and not coming out. When I asked my OB if the position was the problem she told me that it wasn't, that my pelvis was too small and I wouldn't be a good candidate for VBAC unless I was having a preemie. So I went into this pregnancy with a lot of baggage about my body being defective and fears that once again, I would push and just end up with a c/s. I picked a local doctor who does home births because I thought this would give me the best chance at a healthy VBAC.
On Friday I had my 39 week appointment. I was having trouble staying positive and relaxed about the upcoming birth. I wasn't having any signs that labor might be coming and I would end up 41+ weeks again.
That night, I woke up to pee at 2:30 am, feeling completely normal. Right after I got back in bed, I started to feel some contractions with menstrual like cramping and pressure in my back. They began to pick up really fast and by 4 am, I needed to move and breathe through them. I asked my husband to time them for me and I was shocked when he told me they were just over 2 minutes apart!
A little after that I got into the shower and then with each contraction, I began involuntarily pushing and my water broke. That's when it really sunk in that I was having this baby and I told my husband to call our doctor. My doctor and doula arrived shortly and set up the tub in our kitchen.
I got in the tub and continued to push with every contraction. I'm amazed how my body just went into autopilot. I couldn't control the pushing, it was just happening, in a way that was intense and overpowering, but not scary. I did begin to worry that I had been pushing for hours by now and thinking what if this baby is stuck too? But then I could feel the pressure moving lower and I knew I was making progress. Finally, I reached down between pushes and felt the top of the baby's head coming out! My VBAC was really happening! Crowning was insanely painful but then baby was out! I pulled him up and saw that he was a boy! He was born at 8:06 am, less than 6 hours after the first contraction.
I'm so happy with how things went. He was 2 ounces bigger than my "CPD" baby--so much for my pelvis being too small. And this whole labor was night and day from my first. It was so wonderful to hold him and nurse him right after he was born. I got to cut his cord and see his placenta and watch him take his first breath in my arms--so different from my c/s experience.
We are both doing great. I have a 1st degree tear but overall I feel good. This was really a healing birth for me and I feel more at peace with my daughter's birth too. This may sound cheesy but I feel like this was the path I was meant to take and I have learned so much from it.
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Re: I had a VBAC!
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
Yay! I'm SO happy for you! It sounds like an amazing birth, VBAC or not. Congratulations on your little boy!!
And I completely understand what you mean about feeling at peace with your first birth. I've had the same experience. It's amazing how healing an empowering birth is, 1st degree tears and all.
Congrats! 6 hours, dang! I'm kinda jealous. lol I'm glad it went so much better this time!
So happy for you! That was a wonderful story. You give us all hope.
Congrats!
I saw the post over the weekend and had to tell my DH, hold on, I'm reading about this mom on the VBAC board that got her VBAC! It was similar to how I don't talk to him during the last two minutes of a basketball game - I had to hear about it as soon as I saw that post!
I am SO glad you got your VBAC and had such a positive, healing experience. Thanks for sharing.
Very beautiful and courageous, all VBAC moms.
so glad you had your VBAC mama! Its comforting to know that your experience was so different than with your first. I hope mine goes that smoothly!
congrats again and I just love his name!
Rated "L" For Life Blog
Me, too! It made me feel like "wow, I've had some pretty incredible experiences in my life. Not many women can say they've had both a c/s AND a vaginal birth!"
Congrats! Great story!
Oh yayyyy!!! I've been stalking here & wondering how things were going--esp b/c I haven't seen you in a few days.
So very excited for you!! Congrats on your little boy!
Trevor Calvin 12.10.07 7:26pm 7lbs2.5oz 19.75in
Emerson Claire 07.07.11 11:34am 7lbs7oz 20.5 in
Congratulations! Sounds like it went really well!
Was this baby OP,too? It doesn't sound like it, which is good. My first was OP,too, and got stuck, so I am also wondering if the right position will make a big difference.
This baby was anterior. It made a huge difference.
But my OB was pretty confident that even if this baby had been OP too, we could still make a VBAC happen, so that was reassuring.
I remember feeling this exact same way after Charlie was born
Congratulations again. Beautiful story!