VBAC

To VBAC or Not to VBAC? (kind of long)

We are pregnant and due with our second child the last week of January. We have a very healthy and happy 3 1/2 year old boy, who was delovered C-Section.

Once i had hit 40 weeks, my doctor had asked me what I wanted to do. He said, if you want to induce, I can make an appointment for you. If you want to wait, that's ok too, but nothing good happens after 42 weeks. Since I really wanted my little guy to come on his own and have "the experience", I opted to wait. This went on for 2 more weeks. On the day that marked my official 42 weeks which was a Sunday, I went into the hospital that evening to start the process. Since I wasn't dialated at all, they started me on cervadil, and then on Monday morning, started the pitocin. Doc came in around 5pm, and I was about 3cm, so it had been working but working slowly. Around 7pm, they took me off everything, I showered, ate, and got put back on at midnight.

I was on the pitocin throughout Monday evening into Tuesday morning. My doc woke me up around 5am, and I was still only 3cm, SO he stripped the membranes.....HOLY CRAP. Then things started moving along. I was able to get my epidural around 10am, and from then on I was pretty comfortable, and progressing. Around 7pm, I made it to 10cm, and started pushing. We pushed for and hour and a half, and unfortunately, he was just too big. So we went in for a C-section.

Lost a lot of blood in surgery and have to have a blood transfusion the next day.

Needless to say, the labor/birth wasn't ideal, and wasn't what I had hoped for, but I have a healthy child, and thats all that matters.

My question is, has anyone else gone through a rough one like this, and had a successful VBAC after? I've read up on pros and cons of both options, and I really just want to take the safest route, but thought i would ask here as well.

Re: To VBAC or Not to VBAC? (kind of long)

  • Me!

    I posted something below. With DS I labored for 60 hours, pushed for 2.5 hrs and ended up with a c-section. Roughly three weeks ago I went into labor with my DD who was born by VBAC after several days of prodromal labor, 6 hours of active labor and 3 hours of pushing. FYI, DD was 39 weeks, 2 days while DS was. 41 weeks, 3 days. I went into labor spontaneously with both.

    Recovery with DD has been so much better.

    Good luck with your decision.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • fletchtony12fletchtony12 member
    edited October 2014
    Not sure you want to hear my story lol but here it is:

    My first child was large.  At 38 weeks, I had an ultrasound and he was estimated between 9 and 10lbs, was not dropping, my body showed no signs of dilation etc.  I was also told that I have a slightly smaller pelvic opening than average.  Awesome.  Big baby + small pelvis= scheduled c-section  I never went into labor and they even needed a vacuum to get his head out of the incision.  My healthy baby boy was born 9lbs 1 oz and 22 1/2 " long 8 days early.  I had a rare reaction to a medication they gave me and almost hemorrhaged.  It was really scary.

    So scary that when I became pregnant with my daughter, I insisted on a VBAC.  I also insisted that I be induced before my baby got too large for me to deliver.  She was smaller than her brother so I was induced on her due date.  They were concerned about upping the pitocin too high because they didn't want to risk uterine rupture.  I was super stubborn and insisted on continuing to labor even when they suggested another C-section.  My water broke and there was meconium. After 37 hours of hard, nasty induced labor and three hours pushing, my beautiful daughter was born with the cord wrapped around her neck and she had indeed aspirated the meconium.  She was blue and white and her Apgar was a 2...barely a heartbeat and barely breathing.  She was rushed to the NICU and was deemed stable in 15 min.  8lbs 2 oz and 19 1/2 inches long.  I was finally able to see her 12 hours later and cannot tell you how badly I beat myself up for being so stubborn.  She was a fighter though and is now a very athletic 13 year old.

    We decided to have a third child and were shocked to find out we were having twins!  I decided to have NO expectations and just go with the flow.  Whatever delivery was best for the babies was good enough for me.  I went spontaneously into labor at 36 weeks and was able to have a VBAC with them as well.  After 10 min of pushing, Baby A was born head first at 7lbs 10oz and Baby B at 5lbs 10 oz was delivered breech.  Ironically, it was the easiest delivery ever.

    When it's all said and done...we can have a plan for how we would like things to go but you can only control portions of your experience.  You're doing yourself and your baby a favor if you stay flexible, open minded and flush the plan when necessary.  
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  • I labored for 18 hrs, pushed for 3.5 and had a c/s with my dd. With my son I had a vbac. I went into spontaneous labor at 39wks 2d, pushed for around 1.5-2 hrs and he came out screaming. He was bigger than my Dd. I had been told I would never have a vaginally birth--hogwash!!
  • Thanks ladies. This helps.

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