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VBAC Story (Long)

mapleheartsmaplehearts
in VBAC

I never have posted on the bump before, but I lurked here throughout my pregnancy and loved success stories so I thought I would post mine.

With my first I had a c-section for hypertension (not pre-e) and small for gestational age (measuring 33 weeks at 39 weeks). She came out at 6lbs 15 oz and as healthy as she could be. I regretted not pushing for more time or an induction, but the doctor just said that she was already under stress and wouldn't handle a 36 hour + induction since I wasn't dilated at all.  My incision never closed properly and when I had my staples removed I immediately reopened resulting in 36 stitches. It was hell!!

I got pregnant 6 months after my c-section.  I had just started to feel normal again and was terrified of going though it all again. We were moving across country to take a great job, so I was forced (thankfully) to pick a new OB. I live in the boonies and the hospital here doesn't do VBACs. I ended up going two and half hours away into another state to find a VBAC friendly OB. Since I didn't know anyone, I found the ICAN list of VBAC friendly hospitals to be very useful!! Also, online reviews of Obs helped me narrow down my list of potential practices.

 My first appt was at 20 weeks. I bluntly told the Dr. that I wanted a VBAC and if he wasn't going to help me then he needed to tell me now since I didn't have time to shop around.  He talked to me about what he felt comfortable doing (waiting till 42 weeks, foley inductions, pitocin, no growth ultrasounds unless warranted) and assured me he would do his best to help me get what I wanted.

I went without any complications until 35 weeks. At 35 weeks my blood pressure was creeping up to 140s/90s. Dr. said it was gestational hypertension and it wasn't harmful to the baby but I could still have seizures if my bp went to high. He drew blood work and started me on weekly appointments. At each appt my bp was getting higher, but my lab work (blood and urine) were coming back clean. I had ultrasounds at 38 and 39 weeks to check the umbilical cord pressure which both showed normal range. I went in at 39 weeks 5 days and my BP was 156/104 and I was 1 cm ( been that way for weeks). The baby was still fine, but Dr. said if my bp got any higher than I would have to be put on Mag and that would hurt my chances of a VBAC. So we decided to see if he could get a foley in and try an induction.

When I was admitted to the hospital, the nurses weren't really sure what to do with the foley. So I just sat there and pulled on it myself and started walking the halls.  Within a 4 hours it fell out (3 cm) and contractions were 4 mins apart and lasting 45 seconds. The nurses wanted me on a monitor but I asked the Dr to let me walk around to keep contractions going. I had to sit for 30 mins to get a good HR strip on the baby and my contractions started to slow so they let me get back up.

I walked for another two hours until I couldn't walk through the contractions (2 mins apart lasting 1min) any more. I got the epidural and they placed an internal monitor (which breaks your water too). At this point I was 4 cm. Of course the epidural slowed everything down so they started pitocin. We started at a 1 and I told them to let me know before they upped it and I wanted to speak with the doctor if it got higher than a 5. I had not discussed this with the Dr but it was midnight and he did order it so I went with it. I was ok with pitocin but I didn't want them turning it up to fast and then the baby getting distressed. My contractions picked up and baby stayed happy all night but I wasn't getting past 4 cms. The nurse started talking c-section and even tried to shave to prep me for it. Something held my dr. from making his normal rounds at 6am so I got through shift change.

The day nurse told me my pitocin was at 11! and had been for the past 2 hours! I was still at 4cm and I asked about the c-section and she told me my Dr. would be in shortly to discuss my options. At that point I was telling my husband all my demands for my c-section and that he was going to have to help me push to get what I wanted (ex. not tying arms down, stitches not staples, not taking the baby to nursery etc). My Dr. came in and checked me and surprise I was at 7 cm. I burst into tears and my husband told him what had been going on. Dr. laughed and said not to worry because this baby was coming out of my vagina!

A half hour later I felt burning but no urge to push. The nurse came in and I was at 10 cm. I wanted to labor down for a little bit so she stayed and set up the room. She explained what would happen and answered all of my questions. It was a very relaxing time which I needed before pushing!

Baby started to have some HR dips so we decided to start pushing. I blocked everything out and just focused on trying to go to the bathroom. It hurt and I was tired, but I couldn't have been happier.  Before I knew it they were both screaming to stop pushing.  The nurse ran to get help and my husband kept saying don't push or she will fall out. The dr. came in and one push later my baby girl came out. She was 7 lbs 1 oz and 19in long. I had a small 2nd tear that needed 7 stitches. While the Dr. stitched me up we talked about why there weren't more VBACs in the USA. He probably thought it was a very weird conversation to have at that time.

Sorry this is so long, but maybe it will help/encourage someone who is trying for a VBAC!

 

 

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Abigail (6.2010) and Evelyn (9.2011)
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