Introducing the VBAC Bumpies blog

iris427 · February 2012

OK I decided the easiest way to collect all of our birth stories and links and everything would be to make a blog. I will sticky the link later (have to get going to class soon). I will keep updating it--there is a lot that hasn't been added. Also I need to fix some of the formatting and stuff.

But, voila!

https://vbacbumpies.blogspot.com/

Harper'smom · February 2012

Awesome, thank you!

ashleyhuney · February 2012

Cool! Here's mine, I actually just finished writing it out...only 6 months in the making

Avonlea Joy's Wild Ride Med Free VBAC Birth Story!

Three years ago my son was born via c-section caused by a cascade of interventions that started with premature rupture of membranes and ended with him in distress because of the pitocin. I reacted badly to the c/s and hemorrhaged, needed transfusions, popped stitches, was in the hospital for almost a week. It took weeks to recover enough to take care of myself and my son. It took months for me to feel healthy again. After initially saying I never wanted to have any more kids, eventually I focused on just not having another c/s and researched VBACs and pain management methods. When I became pregnant I was determined to do things differently; hire a doula, take hypnobabies classes, take natural supplements to bulk up my iron and uterine health, and stand firm on my right for a med free VBAC. Financial problems put my plans on the back burner for most of the pregnancy and we couldn't afford to hire a doula or take the hypnobabies course. Things fell into place at the very end and I was able to get through most of the hypnobabies home course that a friend lent me and another friend found me a wonderful doula that was available on short notice. I also drank infusions of red raspberry leaf tea 3 times a day the last month.

Friday evening 37.5 weeks a friend watched Jacob while my husband and I got out for dinner and a movie (Cowboys vs. Aliens) which was nice. During the movie I started having what felt like period cramps for about a minute every few minutes without much of a rhythm. They continued all day and night but while they were annoying I was able to continue taking care of Jacob and nest while resting well thanks to Hypnobabies tracks that knocked me out for naps and at night. I had an unsettling appointment with a random OB on Tuesday who had some nonchalant comments about how my chances of a vaginal birth were less this time than last and that VBACs transferred the risk to the baby. Awful doctor, completely unsupportive and I decided not to waste my breathe trying to argue with him, but I was not going to schedule a c/s. He said that I was in "pre" labor but it could last for weeks and not actually accomplish much. I was actually fine with that idea because the day before I had called my parents and found that they had taken a spontaneous trip to Hawaii! I was a little hurt that they would leave the continent when I was so close to possibly needing them but decided to be a big girl and let it go. The next day I hosted a playdate for Jacob's best friend and family and was up on my feet for hours. After that the intensity of the contractions increased but I thought I just over did it and went to bed (without cleaning up the toys, which bothered me) early. I slept restlessly and when my son climbed into bed in the early morning I kicked my snoring husband and Jacob out so I could listen to a HB track and get a few hours of good sleep. I woke up at 7am and realized that the contractions were even stronger and thought that it probably wasn't going to be weeks before this baby came. I decided to time a few contractions just for kicks (hadn't officially timed any yet) and after downloading an app and timing two contractions I felt the pop of my water breaking. My first thought was "Not again". I was so worried that my water was breaking prematurely again which started me down the wrong road before. I woke my husband and told him that we were having this baby today and that I was going to take a shower while he got things ready, and by the way could he pick up the playdate toys? I sat down trying to pull myself together to get in the shower and quickly realized that there was no way I was getting in the shower. The contractions were ramping up quickly and I could only deal listening to HB tracks rocking in the nursery. I thought ok, I guess no shower but let's wait for my mother in law to come get Jacob. A few more minutes and I realized we needed to go. Now. I fell to the ground on the way to the car, it was that intense. At this point maybe 30 minutes had passed and it had gone from from a 2 to a 9 but I was listening to my HB tracks and still in control and keeping my reactions to a minimum for Jacob's sake. The drive to the hospital was an out of body experience. We had to go down a windy mountain road and then right back up a windy mountain road for the 40 minute trip to the hospital. I lost my focus and while I continued to hang onto my HB headphones I wasn't able to hang onto my control and thought that I was not handling labor well, I couldn't imagine hours and hours more of that. I started to doubt a med free birth and being able to deliver vaginally.

At the hospital I felt like I couldn't get out of the car because the contractions had no break. I finally got in a wheelchair and was hurried back into admitting. Thankfully my in-laws were there to park the car and take Jacob and my doula was waiting for me. In the time it took my husband and doula to get admitted I was somehow able to tell the nurses my medical record number and my stats. They checked me and, surprise surprise, I was already a 9! That explained why labor was soooo awful, I had been in transition on a crazy, steep, windy road! I wish I could say the nurses were great, but they were at worst, bullies, at best very efficient. I was already wearing what I wanted to deliver in but they made me get into a gown because "there is a risk of c/s." Got to the delivery room and I was complete! But they put an IV in me and an internal monitor on the baby "you might need a c/s" even though I protested. At this point I can remember asking for a break, it was just so fast and they kept me DO things but they said it was time to push and my body was already pushing so here we go! Throughout all this I wasn't letting go of my HB headphones and now I was focusing on my doula's eyes with my husband by my side. They told me to push and I said "where?" because I felt like I couldn't push into the table. I asked what would be another position for pushing and they helped me on my side. One push and I went, ah, ok, I can do this! I really credit HB for helping me get over my fear of delivery cause I had no fear, just knew I was getting this baby out. A few minutes and a handful of big pushes and ahhh relief, she was out! It hadn't even been 3 hours since I woke up that morning. From then on there was just discomfort as I delivered the placenta. I had a small tear and they gave me a pain reliever while they stitched it up but it wasn't that bad, I was holding my baby girl! My in laws hadn't even made it out of the hospital yet so they brought Jacob right by to see the baby, then took him back to their house. Baby girl latched right on and when she was done I got up and used the bathroom. We stayed overnight because I was GBS+ and they of course couldn't get meds in before she was born but we left the next morning and I felt great. The recovery was night and day from my c/s, although I took it easy and snuggled the baby for a few days I felt almost pre pregnancy normal. We encapsulated my placenta and I felt like that restored my energy in no time. When my parents made it back from Hawaii we even went out a eat with few day old Avonlea snug in her wrap and when she was 2 weeks old I was helping out with Jacob's co-op preschool. The tear didn't bother me one bit. It was an empowering, invigorating experience, so glad I stuck by my guns and went for the VBAC!

MrsVictoriaB · February 2012

That's awesome, thanks Iris!

MamaPajama2010 · February 2012

Thanks for putting this all together!

Another great website resource is: https://www.specialscars.org/

It is a resource for women with uterine incisions other than straight forward low-traverse (in my case, because I was looking at vaginal birth after cesarean and myomectomy). The website has a lot of really great resources and research for women interested in pursuing VBAC after a special scar of some sort. They also have a link to the yahoo and facebook group for further information and support. It took me a long time to find anything like this website, so I think it would be an incredibly valuable addition for bumpies who are in a similar position.