How long did you labor with your VBAC?

ladybugpjb · February 2013

Background info: I labored for about 53 hours before my c-section. The contractions weren't regular (but still "real" conractions) for the first 30ish hours (when they started me on Pit), and it was all back labor until about an hour before my c-section. My water had been broken for about 27 hours when they took me in for surgery. I stopped progressing at 8cm, and DS never moved into the right position anyway.

I finally had my first appointment with my new OB dept today, so I asked about VBACs. One of my concerns is that my labor with DS was so long, and essentially unproductive. I'm afraid of having a lengthy labor again, only to end up with another c-section. The doctor I saw today said that they don't usually let VBAC labor go so long, but didn't give a general time frame (ie, "We only let you labor for X amount of hours").

If you had a successful VBAC, how long was your labor? Anyone go long?

Did anyone have a similar first labor/birth (long labor, LO not in right position) and then have a relatively short labor with your VBAC?

holly321 · February 2013

I didn't really labor with dd, I was being induced because I was almost 6 cm dilated, at which point we found her to be breach.

For my vbac, my water broke at 1, at 4 they started pit since I wasn't really contracting. I didn't start having productive contractions until after 10. He was born at 10:53.

cecilyandgautam · February 2013

I had a similar first experience - long, unproductive, and baby couldn't get out safely - I hope you'll get more responses. I would hope that women like you & me who got somewhat far 5+ cm and labored long will somewhat shorter second labors. I was reading a doula's response to a similar question earlier today and she said labor is often shorter but pushing is like being a FTM. Hope others chime in.

holly321 · February 2013

If it makes you feel better, I pushed about 5 times.

Ceefome · February 2013

I'd say labor was 20 hours with my first. My water broke at 11:30 at night. No steady contractions by noon the next day, so I started pit. I got an epi at 4cm, about 4 hours after starting the pit, and then I was at 10cm and started pusing about an hour after I got the epi. I pushed for 3.5 hours and DD#1 never descended to more than -2 station due to her position. She was born via c/s at 9:21 PM.

With #2, my water broke around 5am. My labor was completely different, and DD#2 was born at 12:11PM, so six hours, with only 27 minutes of pushing.

akbride25 · February 2013

With my first I labored for 30 hours and pushed for almost 5 hours before I had him vaginally. He was posterior.

With my second I labored for 40 hours and ended up with a c-section because I stalled out at 9 cm and the baby wasn't descending.

With my VBAC baby I labored for 12 hours and pushed for only a few minutes. She was positioned correctly from the start.

iris427 · February 2013

My first labor was something like 30 hours or 36. I had a c/s after dilating all the way and pushing for 2 hours. My VBAC was 5.5 hours. 2 hours of first stage labor and 3.5 hours of pushing. I should add that my first hour or so of pushing was small, gentle bearing down with each contraction, not full-on pushing. It is possible I wasn't fully dilated yet at that point, so my first stage and second stage might have overlapped some.

ladybugpjb · February 2013

Thank you for the responses!

margeincharge3 · February 2013

I had a time limit for my vbac because my water broke first. My hospital didn't want me to go much past 24 hours of labor because risk of infection. I don't think I would have had a time limit except for that reason.

I ended up laboring just about 24 hours. But since I was on a clock, my doctors augmented labor to get me there. I had a foley bulb and pit. And at just about 24 hours prior to my water breaking I was ready to push. They did put a time limit on pushing because of being a vbac, the whole water breaking, and because my son was expected to be a big baby. When I started pushing I was told they didn't want me to go much longer than an hour of pushing.

I pushed for about 30 minutes before he was born.

anchalmasako · February 2013

With my vbac, I was in labor for over 24 hours start to finish....no pitocin, just my own contractions. It was long, but worth it.

cchill01 · February 2013

I had a 59 hour induction with DD#1. And a 9 hour induction with DD#2.

But, I was on a clock with #2. As a VBAC induction, my midwife said the attending would probably only give me about 12 hours on pitocin to really show some progress. But, no worries, I dilated from 4 to 10 in 45 minutes.

Each birth is different, so don't get discouraged.

preg_amy · February 2013

My VBAC was long. I was in the hospital for about 48 hours, and I labored at home in early labor for a while.

I pushed for 3 hours and 45 minutes.

My providers were extremely patient and no one ever mentioned a c/s because of the long labor. I did have CFM, but it was telemetry so I could move around. But since baby and I were both doing fine, we were "allowed" to continue for as long as I needed to.

I don't want to scare you with the long labor, but they kept telling me that I was basically a FTM. I only dilated to 1cm with DS1. And recovery was still a million times better than with a c/s.

nosoup4u · February 2013

I was in active labor with DS1 for about 8 hours (but had a full day of mild contractions before that), and pushed for 4+ hours with him. I was in labor for 15 hours total with DS2, including two of pushing. My MW always said that contractions are more efficient the second time, which is why labors are usually faster. Good luck!

Leap08 · February 2013

With DD1, I was induced due to IUGR at 38 weeks. I never really progressed and she didn't handle the pitocin well, so I had a c-section after about 20 hours of labor.

With DD2, my water broke at about 6:00 PM on a Saturday, she was born about 9:00 AM on Sunday, so about 15 hours. I pushed for almost 3 hours with her. She was posterior for most of my labor, and even though we tried to turn her, she never turned completely. She was hard to get out! I had really amazing and supportive nurses and a great on-call OB (my midwife had the flu!). They never once mentioned a repeat c-section.

Jen524 · February 2013

With DD1, I was induced and it took 36 hours to get to 10 cm with her. She never descended though and was posterior and heart rate was dropping during pushing so off to c-section we went.

With DD2, I went into labor on my own. I woke up at about 3 in the morning on the day she was born with painful contractions. I timed them for a bit and then went back to bed thinking that they were like ones I had earlier in the week that went away. Slept for a few hours. By 7 a.m., they were coming every 4 minutes or so. Labored at home for awhile. Went to the hospital at 2:30 p.m. Started pushing at 6:45 p.m. and she was born at 8:13 p.m. So from when I had regular contractions to when she was born was 13 hours.

It does help that your body already did a lot of the work. They say the second time is quicker. Once I got to 5 cm it went really quick. Like I was ready to push in about 3 hours.

Remember each birth is different too.

RevivingOphelia · February 2013

With DS1, it took 15 hours to get to 10cm. I wasn't given anything to push it along. They just let me labour. I then had an emergency section bc of fetal distress. Turned out he had the cord around his neck twice, and once around his ankle and foot.

With my VBAC it was 3 hours start to finish. The first hour and a half at home. An hour in the car. Then was 9cm when I got to the hospital. Had him a half hour after we were admitted.

A37licia · February 2013

I certainly can't predict what will happen, but I think you can have reasonable assurance that labor will be significantly shorter. Your body has done it before. You might be surprised at how quick it might be. I read a ton of VBAC stories as I anticipated mine a couple years ago, and I was surprised how many labors were quite short.

Then, I had my VBAC. My labor was 2 hours. I actually wouldn't mind a slightly longer labor this time to get my head around it mentally and get in the zone!

I had regular chiropractic care for the second half of my pregnancy, and I was attentive to my baby's position in the womb and took measures to get her to turn. I believe those two things had a positive impact on the efficiency of my labor.

bumpuser2548131 · February 2013

My VBAC labor was 14 hours from first contractions to delivery.I had a C/S with DS1 for breech presentation.

My doc also said there was no specific limit on how long they would allow me to labor. They said that numerous factors would influence that decision.

Geekchick921 · February 2013

I woke up with contractions around 2:30 AM. I was complete about 12 hours later, started pushing at 3 PM after laboring down for awhile. He was born at 5:56 PM. 15 1/2 hours from start to finish.

My induction was a similar length. They started the pitocin at 1AM and I signed the C-section consent forms around 4 or 4:30PM, after I'd stalled out at 6cm and my daughter was having decels with each contraction.

A37licia · February 2013

My VBAC labor was 2 hours. I also think I contracted for 5 hours while I slept.

My first child was 17 hours before the c/s. It would have been at least 4 more if I continued pushing and it did make it out. That's fairly normal for a first child.

I think you can have hope that a huge chunk of time will be cut off your next labor. Your body has done it before, even if it wasn't to completion. The advice I had in my head for my VBAC was that I'd labor like a second time mom but push like a first time mom.

My VBAC - I was able to get her in a good position and must have labored very efficiently as a result. I also took labor prep herbs for 3 weeks (went into labor at 39, a couple hours after getting her back to anterior and having intestinal upset and cramping all weekend). I don't think I'll do the herbs this time and wouldn't actually mind a *little* longer labor just to get my head around it more! LOL. I hope to do very controlled, non pushing as much as I can when my body is pushing to avoid tearing.

ETA: smacking head, I already answered this thread above LOL!

kim_le · February 2013

with my VBAC there weeks ago, i was "augmented" with pitocin at 41 weeks and labored for 13 and 1/2 hours before delivering.

i would think as long as your vitals are fine and the baby's vitals are fine, then why not attempt the VBAC?

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