XP: Successful VBAC

magel050485 · February 2013

My practice has 4 OB's - all perform VBAC's but not all are as thrilled about them or as willing to let you labor for very long. Of course, you get whoever is on call and I spent this whole pregnancy praying to get my primary when I go into labor. I've had weekly NST's in office and during the last NST (Tuesday) the baby had one decel. The OB wanted me to go to the hospital on Thursday (her on call day) for another NST and to possibly jump start my labor. I had been right on the tip of labor for three weeks by then and she was worried if I went into labor before her next on call that I wouldn't get a VBAC.

We got to the hospital at 7:30 AM. The NST showed moderate contractions every 3-5 minutes so at 9 AM they gave me a tiny bit of pitocin. At noon the OB broke my water. I was trying to go med free but from the time they broke my water until I delivered I was at 9.5 cm and couldn't take it around 4 PM. Plus, my son was sunny side up and the OB told me that she was going to grab his head and try to turn him. Around 6:00 I started pushing- the turning didn't work so he was sunny side up and slightly tilted. He kept desecending into the birth canal but pulling up once a contraction ended. I bled a ton. Thankfully, since I had my primary she knew I bled like that with my miscarriage and my first child so she knew it was pretty normal for me and not necessarily a uterine rupture. He had some slight decels so I had to push on every other contraction for a little while. Around 8:45 PM she told me that if he didn't come soon we would use the vacuum assist to get him out. Literally as soon as she said that I had the magic contraction that birthed him. He turned twice in the birth canal- once when I was birthing his head and once when his shoulders were passing through. Needless to say, he caused quite a bit of damage. But it was absolutely amazing and the most surreal experience ever. I am so thankful for my OB. I can think of so many reasons that other OB's would have taken me in for an RCS but my VBAC meant as much to her as me and she was going to do all she could to help me achieve it. I had forgotten how amazing that feeling of overwhelming love is when you first hold your newborn is.

My heart is over flowing when I see how much Jack loves his little brother Noah.

A37licia · February 2013

That's amazing! Congratulations! You did a lot of hard work. I don't think I could have done it med free with pitocin and a posterior baby either! So glad you got your VBAC, and I'm also so glad you had your primary OB. She sounds great.