Please tell me about your VBAC experiences positive and negative :)

[~Kim~]

Here is Nate's full entry into the world.
Like most of the others, I researched and did my homework. A doula out here just wasn't available neither was a private midwife.
When other health problems meant they gave me a date for a ceasar, I was sad, but accepting. I was more than excited when my waters broke on their own - at least he picked his own birthdate. I was desperatley unhappy when my body did nothing. In hindissght it saved Nate. When I knew I had to have another ceasar I made a choice that I was going to be happy with that. I was not going to greive for myself as it wasn't about me. It was about my baby. It was his birthday and I was damn sure not going to be sad on that day.
So I had a failed vbac, but a good experience - by choice.
If you read my story you will see that there are no more bubs for us - but that would have been the same vbac attempt or not.

[kirky2]

Originally Posted by lollybaby

Just subscribing too, thanks for starting the thread LaDeeDa.

My DS was born via c/s - after going into labour spontaneously and progressing well at home, upon arrival at hospital fully dilated we realised he was breech at the eleventh hour. A big shock after a dream pregnancy and great expectations for a beautiful natural birth.

I'm trying to come to terms with whether I could attempt a VBAC for future pregnancies.

Thanks to those posting their stories....

I too had an emergency c/s in June this year like lollybaby, I arrived at the birth centre, 9cm when it was found out my little girl was footling breech.

I'm scared about a VBAC and also looking to read up on other peoples experiences

[jasp]

Originally Posted by kirky2

I too had an emergency c/s in June this year like lollybaby, I arrived at the birth centre, 9cm when it was found out my little girl was footling breech.

I'm scared about a VBAC and also looking to read up on other peoples experiences

Hi kirky2 plenty of support here!
I think if your CS was due to breech bub your VBAC chances are pretty good

[kirky2]

thanks Jasp,

I've also got a 2.5year old girl who was a VB, she was 4.1kg. I read somewhere that my chances are good because I've already had a VB before my c/s. I'm hoping that's the case.

[berrme]

kirky2, you are in a great position for a vbac! Having had a vb before, and the fact that your c/s was for a breech birth make you highly likely to be successful in any vbac attempt.
You should check out the vbac/ebac discussion thread if you haven't already to find other members aiming for vbacs.

[jasp]

Originally Posted by berrme

kirky2, you are in a great position for a vbac! Having had a vb before, and the fact that your c/s was for a breech birth make you highly likely to be successful in any vbac attempt.
You should check out the vbac/ebac discussion thread if you haven't already to find other members aiming for vbacs.

Yep, plus the fact that your VB was a big baby.
I know in my case they were expecting a big baby for my VBAC & were reasssured by the fact that I had birthed a 4.4kg baby vaginally. (my VBAC bub ended up being 4.7 )

[joey123]

I had a CS first cause I was in prem labour with twins at 28 weeks, so there was no question of a natural birth. With my second I really wanted a VBAC, but although I had my mum and husband who were very good, they didn't tell me to stand more, walk around and mostly tell the midwife to **** off that I AM getting in the shower and no I DON"T have to have continuous monitoring. So after 26 hours after my water broke I stalled at 9cm (even with the help of syntocin) and ended in a CS. If I was more active and NOT ON MY BACK for so many hours I am very confindent I would have had a successful VBAC. So next preg I know I will.

I wish you all the best. Please get a doula who will remind you of all the things that you know (being upright, etc) but seem to forget when you are in labour and someone that will argue with the midwife so you don't feel like ... they have to look after me, I don't want to argue with them. Please make sure that she knows how much you want a VBAC so if you weaken, she convinces you to keep going if that's what you'll want, etc, etc so you won't have any regrets afterwards.

Take care.

[Julie Doula]

This is one of the best, funniest, yet wisest VBAC birth stories I've read yet:

My Big Ugly VBAC. It wasn't pretty. But it was mine.

"You don't understand, I really can't do this" I whined. "Doesn't he GET IT" I scream in my head "I SUCK AT THIS!". I am caught. The contractions continue to be unbearable and I am fighting them and angry and this is definitely not helping.... I hang off of Brett. My tears are falling on his teeshirt, I grip him, hold him as if his body alone can keep me aloft on the terrible waves. I love him so much. I am so mad at him.... And Meg says "let's do this for one more hour and then we can check again and see". I snarl "HALF AN HOUR! I can't do this for an hour" and I find myself walking back towards my back yard, ending up at the steps to my deck. Pause for hellish contraction.... I stalk to the futon and order Meg to check me. "NOW". Snarling again. I don't care that I'm being rude. Just check me and tell me that nothing has changed so I can screw everything and go to the hospital and start my horrible nightmare that I knew all along was inevitable... I absolutely did not believe I was going to be able to push the baby out. I would push during a contraction (without an urge) and then in between contractions I would float away into my fantasy of how I was going to end up in a hospital room flat on my back with someone using forceps or vacuum on me. I was imagining what position I would be in in the car while I transported. Probably hanging off of the front seat, facing backwards, kneeling on a towel. Yes, that's it. And I would have horrible tearing but it would all be worth it because at least the baby would have come out of my vagina. Yes, that's the thought process of me during pushing. What a birthing goddess I was, eh? I was lost in my self-centered world of pain and agony and despair and self-doubt... I'm still caught in the disbelief world... I still am thinking that something is going to happen that will necessitate transfer to the hospital. Time passes. Push. Rest. Fear. Rest.

And then, I can't quite put my finger on it, but something changed. A realization came upon me. And it went something like this.

No one else can push this baby out for you.

I didn't like hearing that. Even if it was only the Voice In My Head saying it.

No one else can push this baby out for you. You have to do it. The only way out is through. You have do it. I have to do it. Me. No one else can do it. It has to be me.

WAAAAIL!!!! *WHY* can't someone else do it for me? PLEASE! That would be sooo nice, can't someone else, why not Brett, he can do it.... not me, I don't want to.

No one else.

No one.

And then I started to really push. Up until then it was mostly fake, "I guess I'll push but I don't really buy into this whole 'baby is coming out' myth that y'all are believing" pushing. It was the pushing of someone who didn't believe it would happen.

I still didn't believe it. But I knew it had to be me. So I pushed. I pushed through that pain. I now understand exactly what that phrase means. I want to go back and read through all those birth stories I read when I was pregnant the first time and jump up and down and point and say YES, YES I know what that MEANS now, I really KNOW! I know what it means to push through the pain of a contraction. I did it. No one else but me.

Huge hugs, courage, strength and wisdom to all you awesome women preparing for VBACs.

What does VBAC stand for again? Very Beautiful and Courageous.

[LisaL]

What a great story. Im hoping to have a VBAC and have started my research and its so fabulous to know that so many of you have done it and done it so well. I went into spontaneous labour with DD on a thursday, but she wasnt born til the saturday via emergency c/s. It was all about her positioning, posterior with her head tilted back which made her stuck in the end. But I feel alot wiser now, and like someone said, even if I end up with another c/s so be it, but I still want to have labour, i want my baby to tell me when its ready to come out and I want to feel the contractions.

My ob is supportive, and has laid down the law in so far as she is happy for me to VBAC subject to a few conditions one of them including no epidural! I can do this, and if this baby wants to come out through the birth canal Im going to do my best to make it happen.

Lets keep each other going ladies,
Lisa