Giving Birth after C-section (VBAC)

[TSummers]

ladies! I recently went in for my first appt with our 2nd baby... everything was wonderful with baby however my OB did make me aware that my chances of having a VBAC are in question. He spoke about Uterine Rupture and Arrest of Desent. Does anyone have any experience with these issues??? With my ds I ended up with a c-section being totally put to sleep after being in labor for 28 hours and pushing for 3.5. I had really high hopes of having a natural delivery this time.. but now I am really questioning the right thing to do... Any Suggestions/experiences would be wonderful to hear!!

[caligirl07]

check out this website: http://blog.ican-online.org/tag/vbac/ there is a ton of info! Honestly before taking 1 DRs opinion I'd get a 2nd opinion from another OB, a midwife may also be able to offer you a 2nd opinion as well, you might have to request your medical records for the 2nd to understand why you had a c/s, but I'd get another opinion. Its really hard to figure out when Drs are using 'scare tactics' vs 'actual concern' Some are just not vbac friendly at all where as some are awesome at supporting it.


Also check out the Unmed birth room here lots of moms who have had vbacs!

[AmeriBrit]

I've had a vbac. My first was a c/s due to being undiagnosed breech. My consultant was thrilled that I wanted to have a vbac. She told me that birth was no more a risk for uterine rupture than pregnancy is. I'm happy I vbac'ed as getting around was so much easier, especially with 2. And I left the hospital 12 hours after giving birth!

[Consensus]

Check with your hospital too. I called around local doula's to get an idea of the most VBAC friendly hospitals in our area; turns out three of the four are vbac friendly except the one that I delivered at with my first and is closest to me. ICAN actually doesn't have accurate information for my area so finding a knowledgable doula who delivered with different doctors and hospitals was the best local resource I had.

I'm a month ahead of you and am going for my first VBAC too. I've spent too much time on the internet reading journals and articles about what will make for a successful VBAC, and staying healthy overall during pregnancy seems to be the only thing really have the most control of. It keeps me motivated to exercise regularly and eat right to moderate weight gain.
Good luck!

[TSummers]

check out this website: http://blog.ican-online.org/tag/vbac/ there is a ton of info! Honestly before taking 1 DRs opinion I'd get a 2nd opinion from another OB, a midwife may also be able to offer you a 2nd opinion as well, you might have to request your medical records for the 2nd to understand why you had a c/s, but I'd get another opinion. Its really hard to figure out when Drs are using 'scare tactics' vs 'actual concern' Some are just not vbac friendly at all where as some are awesome at supporting it.


Also check out the Unmed birth room here lots of moms who have had vbacs!

Thanks so much! I will def check out the site! I plan to check into the hospital and all... I also want to talk with my Chiropractor as well!

[patti_jim]

I agree with consensus, ICAN has some outdated, and in one local hospital's case what they claim to be completely fabricated information! It claimed that this hospital was VB2C friendly when in reality they were not at all. Made for a total waste of my time as i'm going for a VB2C. Another thing is to check into specific doctors as opposed to practices as a whole. A practice may have the rep as being VBAC friendly, but they may get that rep because they have ONE doc out of 8 who does VBAC's.

And it sounds to me like the doc you saw was just using scare tactics. It's a huge red flag to me when all they talk about is the risks and don't weigh it against the benefits of a VBAC, not to mention, they never mention the risks of a repeat section and huge problems it can cause for future pregnancies down the road.

I second getting a doula's input and going to another OB or midwife for a second opinion. Good luck!!

[CorpsmanWife]

I had a csection due to arrest of decent. I labored for 22 hours and pushed for an hour. They said I had an infection in my amniotic fluid so they didn't want to allow me anymore time to push. I talked to the OB (that delivered my first) and he said I had a 13% chance of having a vbac. My husband and I were already planning on a homebirth if the midwives would allow it. After they looked over my operation report they agreed to do the homebirth. I told them what my OB said about a 13% chance of a vbac, their reaction was priceless!!! They couldn't believe it. I guess he isn't very vbac friendly.

Continue to do your research, and don't just stop at one opinion! Best of luck to you! I'm due in September and can't wait for a whole new birthing experience.