VBAC: Questions/Experiences/Advice

queenklau · February 2020

VBAC: Vaginal Birth After Cesarean/C-section

Hello ladies, I know a few of us are considering a VBAC this time around. Let’s use this thread for questions/concerns related to VBAC and maybe some advice from those ladies that have previously gone through the VBAC experience.

queenklau · February 2020

I just had my 27 week appt. and my doctor pretty much made it seem like it was up to me. My previous C-section was due to labor stalling, and he mentioned that 50% of the time it could happen again. He also mentioned that trying for a VBAC and then ending up with RCS carries more risk than just doing a planned C-section at 39 weeks. Multiple C-sections become increasingly risky the more births...so many things to consider.
I really want to try for a VBAC but I am scared that my body will fail me again. I haven’t decided what I will do.

ruby696 · February 2020

@queenklau I had a successful VBAC with DD. I just barely made the 18 month cutoff between DS and DD's birth, so I was kind of nervous. But it worked out fine and DD's birth was fairly uneventful. The worst thing about a VBAC, IMO, is that you have to have IV's in both arms in case of a uterine rupture/emergency c-section. That really makes free movement difficult and I was pretty much confined to the bed.

queenklau · February 2020

@ruby696, what was the reason for your c-section?

rox7777 · February 2020

I’ve had a vaginal birth followed by an emergency CS. CS was due to placenta previa, so there’s no reason why I wouldn’t be able to have a VBAC. I have until 39 weeks to go into labor on my own and then I will be required to schedule a CS. My OB will only schedule RCS for 39 weeks anyways and both of mine were born before 39 weeks so it’s highly unlikely I’d make it to my scheduled RCS anyways.

Overall I’m not worried either way. I’ve done both and they both have their pros and cons, so I refuse to stress about it.

ruby696 · February 2020

@queenklau I was in labor for 27 hours (and pushed for two), but DS was sunnyside up and his head was stuck in my pelvis. There was some meconium in the amniotic fluid, so they didn't want me to go longer than 24 hours. So by 27 hrs, I opted for the c-section in lieu of forceps or vacuum.

jhysmath · February 2020

I had a c-section because dd was breech. I'm nervous I won't go into labor by their magic number and they won't induce. I made it clear to the mw team and mh that if they won't induce or let me wait longer I'm going to a bigger hospital that will. I feel like I missed out on so much by having a scheduled c-section. I want to labor, even if I end up with a c-section I want to say I've tried.

rox7777 · February 2020

@jhysmath My OB doesn’t allow induction for VBAC either and it’s a very large hospital that I’m delivering at. I know it depends on the practice, but it seems to be pretty common. She said the reasoning is that induction often leads to its own complications and they prefer to keep the risks low as it’s already a risk to do a VBAC especially depending on the circumstances behind the previous CS. Mine actually had nothing to do with labor, just the placenta being in the wrong position, but still no induction.

jhysmath · February 2020

@rox7777 ACOG allows for a slow induction the reasoning they have for my hospital is they don't have 24/7 anesthesiologists in house. Which doesn't make sense to me seeing how they would be able to do an emergency c-section if need be for a normal birth.

On a side note, I really enjoy the vbac link podcast they have birth stories that are all vbacs or tolacs and they give great tips and vbac advice in the show as well.

ruby696 · February 2020

@jhysmath My doctor didn't put a time limit on it. I went into labor naturally with DD at 40+5 and had a successful VBAC.

One thing I will say for anyone who does not get their VBAC - it really wasn't that great. I had a pretty easy labor (9 hrs total) and only ended up with two stitches, but I still remember thanking that vaginal labor was way overrated. So be gentle with yourself if it doesn't happen.

rox7777 · February 2020

@ruby696 I feel the same way. The back labor and stitches weren’t any better or worse than the CS. With one my vagina was sore for weeks and it hurt to sit and with the other my pelvis was sore and it hurt to walk for a few days. Labor sucks either way, I could take it or leave it regardless of how it goes.

Honestly if I thought I’d make it to 39 weeks, I’d schedule a CS for simplicity. DS1 will be in school and I have no idea what I’ll be doing with the kids. I could at least have someone ready to go. Since she’ll likely come early and unpredictably, it’s hard to have a plan.

pourmeanothermocktail · February 2020

@queenklau Labor stalling is a very very very inexact science. For instance, were you induced? Was anyone in distress? Or was it just "taking too long"? Usually "stalling" or "failure to progress" without signs of distress is more of failure to wait.

Things that can cause labor to slow: stress, low blood sugar (from not being allowed to eat), it's normal prodromal labor-mine started and stopped several times before the real deal, your body needing a break before it goes to the next stage, etc.

The arbitrary setting of a date you "must" go into labor by, or you get an automatic section is a huge pet peeve of mine. Bodies are all different and some people carry to 38 weeks very normally, and some carry to 42.

chewie5990 · February 2020

@queenklau it sounds like your experience is fairly similar to mine - but my OB gave me only a 40% chance of successful VBAC. With DS I hit 41weeks with absolutely no signs of labor - cervix still completely closed. I was induced and went through a full 24 hr induction with zero progress - my OB was able to get me to 1cm dilated and then manually broke my water hoping that would move things along, but it didn't do anything - so I ended up having a c-section.

My OB (different one now then I had for DS) thinks my chances of VBAC are fairly low - while he is supportive of my decision, he definitely has made it clear to not get my hopes up. I initially went into this pregnancy 100% all in for trying for a VBAC...but as I get closer I feel less sure. There is definitely a part of me that wants to just schedule a c-section at 39weeks and I really don't know what I'm going to end up doing...

We do want more kids so that is a big factor in that I know the more c-sections you have the more risk they carry...but I definitely feel kinda stuck in that I don't want to put in all this "work" for a VBAC just to end up with another c-section and that c-section be more of an "emergency" than "planned"

My OB also does not allow induction for VBACs - he said that the medicine given in inductions presents a risk for uterine rupture or other complications and since c-section moms already have that increased risk they don't want to increase the chances any further.

chewie5990 · February 2020

@ruby696 I definitely didn't know about the double IV...I really need to do some more research. Thanks for sharing!

@jhysmath I will have to check that podcast out! My first pregnancy I was all about reading every book, but now I don't have time - but podcast are easy to listen to while multi tasking!

ruby696 · February 2020

Agree with @pourmeanothermocktail. Also want to add that for some people (me, for example), intervention can completely stall labor. Both times I've had an epidural, labor stalled for hours. With DD, my cervix actually closed a little after I got my epidural. And I got it when I was at 6 cm, so it's not like I was getting one too early. Just some food for thought for anyone who is on the fence about a medicated or unmedicated birth.

@rox7777 Labor just sucks all around. When are they going to figure out a better way to get babies out? 😆 And also, so much yes to the hugely swollen, sore vagina. I feel like no one talks about that? Like people say that had an easy labor and great recovery, but I don't consider not being able to sit for two weeks to be that great. Maybe that's just me though.

pourmeanothermocktail · February 2020

The idea of needing two IVs and being confined to a bed just isn't right with me either. But I strongly believe in eating and drinking during labor. And intermittent baby monitoring.

I had an "emergency" section with my first as I was already in labor, baby was breech, and they wouldn't try to flip him or let me try vaginal birth. Lots of other things went wrong too.

I had my second at home. Labor started and stopped several times over a two week period (ew). So the last two weeks were miserable. But even so, recovery was night and day different. I delivered squatting, no tears, and felt so much better the next day. Still had to battle with SPD pain, but just getting the hormone switch from delivery plus losing 10 lbs from birth helped a lot.

After surgery I had abdominal pain come and go for months, and scar tenderness and irritation for years. After my VBAC I was a little sore to sit from swelling and hemorrhoids for about a week. Plus overall I feel like the hormone shifts just really normalized and helped my body move on quicker. I lost weight faster, etc, with my second. But I'm desperately hoping not to be in and out of labor for two weeks this time, plus I'm hoping for less than 24 hours of labor. Because 31 wasn't fun.

ruby696 · February 2020

@chewie5990 I mean, maybe that's just my hospital? If I wasn't having twins, I would have asked them to use hep locks so I could still move around. But I don't think they'll go for that with a twin VBAC.

chewie5990 · February 2020

I have my 28w appointment Monday, so I think I'm going to ask the OB a lot more questions about how VBACs are handled - we haven't even talked about it since my initial intake appointment - and now seems like a good time to start thinking more presently about actual delivery and making a plan going forward.

@pourmeanothermocktail I often wonder and beat myself up about getting induced at 41weeks with DS - maybe if I would have advocated harder to go longer things would have progressed...I don't know..My current OB is pretty hard with the 41week deadline for any VBAC attempt to try and keep it from becoming an emergency situation and limiting risks. It's definitely something I want to bring up again though.

rox7777 · February 2020

@ruby696 I’m for sure with you on that. Swollen, stitched up vagina is very low on my list of “easy” labor.

jhysmath · February 2020

Reasons I want a vbac even if the recovery is "harder"

1. I want more children.
2. I still can't wear underwear because of my c-section incision because it hurts when something rubs it, I wish it was the numb feeling everyone else had.
3. I want to be home the next day to be with my daughter.
4. I want to be able to pick up my daughter without risk of opening my incision and ending up back in the hospital.

ruby696 · February 2020

@jhysmath Most of those reasons are exactly why I had mine. DS was only 18 months and I didn't want to have lifting restrictions and not be able to pick him up. And I hate being in the hospital, so the three days required for a c-section are torture. Plus, there's not question that a VBAC is better if you want more kids.

rox7777 · February 2020

@jhysmath I’m doing a VBAC because I have a 4 year old at home and a 7 year old that needs to be picked up from school everyday. Not being able to drive, a long hospital stay and the restrictions are definitely not high up on my list of pros. But once again, I think labor sucks either way, so I’m not really jumping for joy over either option.

I’m not having any more kids so it’s not a concern for me on that front, but my mom had 3 CS and she’s never had any complications.

rox7777 · February 2020

Ohhhh. Here’s my ONE thing. If I have a CS I can get my tubes tied immediately. If I don’t, I have to wait 12 weeks and have an outpatient surgery. The insurance is tricky since it can’t be bundled in with a CS, not to mention the recovery with a newborn and two older kids at home because it lines up with summer break.

queenklau · February 2020

@pourmeanothermocktail, my water broke on it’s own but I was progressing very slowly, only made it to 4cm after 24 hrs. Once I had the epidural, I think it slowed it even further. They tried pitocin, but the baby’s heart rate didn’t like it, so they stopped it. I agree, they were trying to rush me along some arbitrary timeframe. They were also worried it was taking too long after my water breaking...

I actually just had a call from the hospital to discuss birth plans. They talked about birthing balls, tubs, reflexology, meditation, so I will definitely be taking advantage of those. It got me excited to try again. But I am OK if it doesn’t work, at least I tried. Also, I would like at least one more kid, so VBAC would be beneficial here. They didn’t mention anything about IVs. They said that you can have a wireless belly monitor now!

thank you all for sharing your experiences, even the fact that when all is said and done, it may feel like it didn’t matter, as long as everyone is healthy and in the outside world!

pourmeanothermocktail · February 2020

Definitely interventions and epidurals can stall labor! Things they don't tell you about epidurals-

1. They tend to lower blood pressure, which can cause distress
2. They can slow/stall labor
3. They can cause fevers, which makes doctors worry about an infection, even if there isn't one.
4. They limit movement and often trap you on your back, which can prevent descent.

Not to say no one should ever get one though, but just know there are risks to go with the benefit of being able to rest/relax/be more comfortable.

Repeated cervical checks during labor can also slow/stall and cause infections, especially if water is already broken!

I want to go find a couple graphics I have on VBAC safety and also on duration of pregnancy safety, because too many doctors really overstate risks of pregnancy going past 40/41 weeks, while understating risks of RCS. I think the still birth rate at 42 weeks is equal to that at 38 weeks. So insisting on getting baby out before then seems silly to me (unless there's a different medical need of course, or other factors supporting induction/section).

I also know a few people who had issues decades after their sections-adhesions in their abdomen causing digestive issues in their 70s/80s. And one friend of mine ended up infertile after just one section, because she got an infection from her surgery. Certainly low chances of these risks. But still enough reason for me to avoid the surgery if I don't need it. I was only in hospital 36 hours after my section, but several days would be awful. I was so glad to be allowed to sleep after my VBAC and spend that evening snuggling two kids on my couch.

ieles2531 · February 2020

I had a CS with my first because she was 9lbs at 38 weeks and my pelvic outlet is platypoid. With my second, the baby was only 7lbs and I had a successful VBAC. For my VBAC, my OB broke my water at 39 weeks, the day before my scheduled repeat CS. No other intervention, and we went in with the agreement that if I wasn’t progressing/distress that I would agree to the CS at the scheduled time. I labored for 12 hours, pushed for 30 min, and there he was!

Another point about epidural: they can stop working. I got mine at 6cm, it tanked my pressure (down to 60/40) but we got it straightened out. THEN it quit working at 8cm. That sucked! Luckily the NA was able to replace it but that hour felt like foreverrrrrrrrrr.

Not gonna lie, recovery from VBAC was so much easier than the CS, and I was out of the hospital in 24 hours as opposed to 3 days. I had minimal tearing, I think they put in 3-4 stitches. Part of it might be that I went almost four years between births.

Definitely would do it again, but at 30+1 this baby is already over 4 lbs, so unless I deliver at 35-36 he will be too big to fit through my outlet.

pourmeanothermocktail · February 2020

@ieles2531 To note: a friend of mine was told her outlet was too small with her first, who was 8 lbs 6 oz, she had an induced labor with epidural, attempting pushing on her back, ended in c section. She changed doctors and hospitals, and had a VBAC with her second, at 10 lbs 7 oz, just by getting up off her back.

Yes, pelvic shape comes into play, but baby's position, mom's position, and other things all matter too. Also, size estimates via ultrasound are notoriously inaccurate, especially the further along we get.

My spinal/epidural 100% failed with my first. Totally can happen. That's probably a major reason I decided to go without for my second, and I didn't even have the option for it.

edited because I forgot one sentence

jhysmath · February 2020

I was all about the fact that epidurals are awful and I would never get one, when I attended my cousins birth she labored all day and couldn't get past 2. Two hours after her epidural went in she was at a 10 and pushing. The pain was stopping her from relaxing and allowing her body to work the way it needed to, from then I say sometimes they might work for you. I plan (if I get to tolac) to just wait and see and not going on with the mindset I can't get one anymore.

Want a personalized experience?

VBAC: Questions/Experiences/Advice

Re: VBAC: Questions/Experiences/Advice

Choose Another Board

Search Boards