Arrested decent?
ANyone have arrested decent with their first child (small pelvic opening) and have a successful VBAC the second time around? I'm getting more and more discouraged as the time gets closer to having #2. My water broke and I dilated to a 10, pushed for 2 hours and was told I was in arrested decent. DS still hadn't dropped and once CS was over, the doctor told my DH that I would never be able to deliver vaginally.
I think I'm most nervous about a VBAC because of the arrested decent and it happening again. Also, they told me that even if I go into active labor myself (water breaks or whatever), no pitocin will be given at all.
DH is on board and fully supports me to have a VBAC and understands why I want one but he also doesn't want anything to happen to me or the baby.
Re: Arrested decent?
I decided as soon as she was born, though, that I wouldn't accept that. My body wouldn't make perfectly healthy babies that I couldn't birth. Pelvic size has nothing to do with hip size.
I had my second daughter vaginally. She was 9lbs. I avoided all interventions this time and while it did take her a while to descend even when I was fully dilated, she did. I just had to be patient and trust my body. And not having drugs this time helped me to know when it was time to push. I labored at 10cm for a good hour and a half before feeling the pressure to push, then she was out in 20 minutes.
I did a lot of pelvic 'prep' this time; ball bouncing, tilts, squats, inversions. And a chiro adjustment worked wonders for me. And honestly, never doubting that my body could do it was probably really key for me.
Thank you for this! I am just getting so discouraged as time progresses. My water broke with DS so that was another reason why I had to have the c/s because I was almost at 26 hours.
I see a chiro regularly and have told him my goal of wanting a VBAC and he said he'd do whatever he could to help me.
Do you have any good websites you used for all your pelvic "prep"?
I dilated fully w DS1, and pushed for 4ish hours. He never descended, and I had a CS with him. I went on to have a VBAC with a baby who was significantly bigger, with no complications.
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
I'm seeing the same practice (consists of 7 doctors). The one that did my CS walked out of my CS and told my husband that I would never have a vaginal delivery because I am too small. This same OB is 100% on board with my VBAC though so go figure.
I don't know if he was malpositioned or not. THe week leading up to my delivery, I had an ultrasound and the doctor said he was slightly tilted in my pelvis but I don't know if that had anything to do with it. That's why I question the whole small pelvis thing. And another doctor this past week told me that even if he was slightly tilted, labor would have corrected him. Don't know if I believe her or not.
Honestly, sounds like you'd be totally fine to birth vaginally! I'd recommend reading a couple empowering books about birth, too. The hypnobirthing method was a good read for me, whether you plan to use the technique or not. And Ina May's guide to childbirth is another good one. It's encouraging to read facts about the human body and how amazingly able it is to give birth. Lots of luck to you.
thank you! i haven't read the hypnobirthing book but I did read Ina May's last time around and it was amazing!
In wouldn't believe the small pelvis thing, either. Lots and lots of women have gone on to have successful VBACs.
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
They won't let me go past 41 weeks, which I'm okay with. THey said that if I come in labor to the hospital, I pretty much have to do it all on my own. There are a few doctors that will give a light dose of pitocin but I guess some of them won't give it at all. I'll be asking at all my visits about if they will or won't.
Oh, you're in Chicago! I've been reading this thread on my phone.
Are you at Prentice? (Not that you have to switch practices, but UIC has a good VBAC rate, and the midwives in Oak Park do a lot of them, too. Chicago has good options, at any rate).
I would just be very sure your doctor who said you were too "small" is really truly supportive of your plans to VBAC, and isn't going to pull a bait and switch with sizing u/s or something. Good luck!
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
I'm in the SW burbs so downtown and OP is too far for me! The doctor who did my CS is definitely on board with my VBAC. it's another doctor who's making me second guess myself
Ah, gotha. Well, just refuse any and all sizing ultrasounds at the end, seriously. And think about turning down cervix checks, and stay at home as long as possible, so you're not on the clock too long at the hospital. Hopefully whoever's on call will be really supportive. You'll do great!
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
Thank you!!!