So, question for those of you that had VBAC success: if your first labor stalled and then led to a c-section, what made your VBAC a success? I wasn't even dilated until the day I had my first but today at 36w I am already 1cm...do you think this bodes well at all? Baby is head down too and I am assuming cervix is effaced somewhat though doc didn't mention that part. Ideas? Or means nothing really?
6 & 2 year old, 2 losses
Re: ? for those with VBAC success
What made all the difference was having a doula, a pro-VBAC birth team with supportive and patient care providers, and a pro-VBAC hospital. I also educated myself on what my options really were prior to labor starting. And I attended local ICAN meetings for emotional support and healing. Dilation and effacement are certainly helpful for VBACs, but neither are indications that a VBAC will happen.
All that being said... What REALLY made both of my VBACs successful? To be honest, things just worked out for me. There's no "sure fire" way to guarantee a VBAC birth. You just go in as prepared as you can be and have faith that everything will work out the way it's supposed to.
Have faith in your body and in the process of birth. GL to you!
~Sweet Girl *8/18/08* c-section ~ Sweet Boy *12/2/10* VBAC ~ Sweet Boy *8/14/12* VBAC~
VBAC Birth Story 2VBAC Birth Story
All of this. Well said. I do also think that really focusing on optimal fetal positioning helped me. I went to a chiropractor regularly and I followed all the tips at spinning babies.com. I would crawl around the room every night while watching tv. Getting him in a good position helped my cervix dilate and efface.
I feel like the difference for me was a more patient provider. I was "failure to progress" the first time and had a c/s about 15 hours after I was induced.
With my vbac, I was again stalled out and not making much progress 15 hours in... but my OB was in less of a hurry to get home and so we waited another 14 hours before DS was ready to come out.
The thing that made my VBAC work was that this time the baby was positioned well. With DD1, she never descended. There was never a reason given, it just wasn't happening after 40 hours of labor.
I had the same midwife for all of my deliveries at the same hospital. It did help that she was very pro-VBAC and really wanted it to work for me. Even when there were complications she still pushed me to go for it,
I don't think that being dilated at 36 weeks means anything. I've always been dilated a little by 36 weeks and each labor was still very different.