s/o: Anyone want to share their VBAC stories -- good and bad?

[citymama]

ETA: I apologize if this thread causes any pain for those with bad experiences with VBAC. Please feel free to ignore.

Original post:
I'm hoping to attempt a VBAC next spring with DC#2. I'll be delivering at a VBAC friendly hospital where there are excellent facilities in case of an emergency, so I feel comfortable with this decision for the most part. A few jitters about uterine ruptures and other horror stories, but I am keeping an open mind.

I had a lengthy, unmedicated labor with my first, but due to her transverse position (she started out breech, shifted to head down, and then stayed stubbornly transverse) I was at 6 cm for what seemed like an eternity. I ended up having a terrible reaction to the pitocin I was given 20 hrs into the labor, and for that and multiple other medical reasons, I ended up with a non-emergency CS. I recovered from it quite easily, was able to breastfeed right away, milk came in within record time - generally, it was as good a CS experience as a "natural chidlbirth"-aspiring mom could have wanted. Healthy baby = no regrets.

The experience has given me new respect for not being wedded to a single childbirth option. If my VBAC doesn't turn out to be a possibility, so be it. I only know one person who had a successful VBAC IRL, and am facing pressure from extended family to go the repeat CS route. (Not that I'm listening.) It would be empowering to me to hear your stories of how your successful VBACs went - or even why you decided against one, if that was the case. Thanks.

[infocrazy]

I had a VBAC with DS2 and DS3 (although that's sort of a different story).

DS1 was officially labeled failure to progress, although what actually prompted the C/S was the fever I got that they couldn't get to go down. We were approaching hour 24 with my water broken, so they were concerned about infection. We couldn't get past 7 though either. Non-emergent CS. All I cared about was a healthy baby, so no issues with how he was born.

DS2 was a VBAC. Labor was about 19 hours, I got another fever, but fortunately, I was at 10 when they came in to check my fever and I delivered DS2 with no issues. The one thing that surprised me was that there still was a recovery. Stupid I know, I just delivered a 7 1/2 lb baby, but I was surprised because I had always heard about CS recovery that I didn't stop to think there would be a recovery from a vaginal delivery. Mostly just pain from doing too much. Nothing too serious, but unexpected.

In both cases, due to my fevers my boys had to go to NICU immediately after birth for monitoring but I was able to nurse when they came back (8-10 hrs)without any major issues.

FWIW, DS3 had to be induced with cervix ripening meds which is typically a real big no-no for post CS. I had a lot of monitoring but no issues with the scar, etc.

I am planning a VBAC with this one too. My doctors have always said that they will not induce, or take any risks, and that I need to be prepared for a CS. I prefer the VBAC but I only care about the health of the baby/myself so if we go end up with a CS this time around so be it.

[Globetrotter]

Just wanted to say congratulations!! I hope it works out for you. Support is really important (from the provider and family).

[sarahsthreads]

My initial CS was "failure to progress", but I had dilated to 10 and was pushing for 2 hours. Basically DD1 was trying to come out ear first. :p

I did a lot of reading after, to try to come to terms with it, and realized that the fact that I had been on modified bedrest for the last 6 weeks probably contributed to DD1 being positioned poorly.

So I found midwives who were willing to do a hospital VBAC. And I worried and debated and asked at every.single.appointment if they felt that I was still a good VBAC candidate. And I went in with the attitude that all I wanted to come home with was a healthy baby, whichever way she had to come out. I knew the risks of both options, and quite frankly both scared me.

I woke up at 12:50 AM one morning, feeling kind of odd. An hour later DH started calling my mom, the midwife, the doula, etc. (I was still not convinced that I was in labor, mind you.) I got to the hospital at 3 AM and DD2 was born at 4:27 AM. No time for any sort of pain relief! I'm pretty sure at one point I was begging them to give me a CS instead. ;) But I found it to be a really great experience, as fast and crazy and painful as it was. I'm really glad I didn't stick with my OBs office, and I'm really glad I didn't listen to all the people (extended family, etc) who tried to discourage me from doing it. I found it to be very healing, as I had *not* prepared myself for a CS the first time around and had a lot of negative feelings over that still.

If we have a third child, I will attempt another VBAC, but I also think that I have finally made my peace with the first CS and would be fine with another if it became necessary.

Sarah :)

[pastrygirl]

I just had a VBAC 6 weeks ago! :) I ended up going into labor just before 37 weeks. It was very slow going, and hospital policy is that they don't augment labor when it's premature, especially since it wasn't obvious (to them!) that I was in labor. I'm pretty convinced that policy ensured my VBAC!

It was about 46 hours total and I used Hypnobabies to manage the contractions. It was INCREDIBLE! I highly recommend it to anyone who wants an unmedicated birth. I did get a shot of Nubain at one point so that I could sleep for an hour. I also got an epidural after about 44 hours, because I was only 5cm and desperately needed sleep if the rest of labor was going to be that slow. Epidural didn't work -- at all! They broke my water after an hour or two (timeline is a bit fuzzy), and my son was born 27 minutes later.

From the epidural on was quite traumatic for me, because no one could tell me why the epi didn't work, and I lost the Hypnobabies groove. But other than that, I'm thrilled with how things went! I don't recommend getting stitched up without pain relief. They asked me if I wanted a new epidural, but I didn't want to wait for it so I told them to just go ahead with the stitching. OUCH.

ETA: My c-section sounds like yours -- easy recovery, milk came in quickly, healthy baby, etc. No regrets. My VBAC recovery was much, much worse.

[theamazingtrace]

My first was a completely unmedicated hospital birth, everything went about as well as we could have hoped. Second kiddo was breech, I did not attempt a version, but tried acupuncture. Unsuccessful, so I ended up with a C/S at 39 weeks. I told my OB all along that I would like to have a VBAC with any future kids, and he was fine with it. DD3 was a VBAC, but I did need pitocin to get me started, as she was ~a week past her due date.

In all honesty, I don't remember the C/S recovery being awful (although definitely longer than with my natural births), but the cramping while nursing became exponentially painful for me (sorry...).

Good Luck! You can do it.

ETA: I requested a local anasthetic while being stitched up.

[BabyMine]

I loved my VBAC. M was an emergency c- section due to his medical complications. When I was given the option for a VBAC with TT I jumped at it. I was in labor for 36 hours. I managed the contractions at home until they got to painful. I went in at 6-7 cm dilated. This was at 5am and I didn't deliver until 5pm. It was an amazing experience. Of course I wouldn't have been disapointed if I had another c-section but I am happy that I was allowed to have a VBAC.

[smilequeen]

My VBAC was really great.

My first son, my water broke about 3 days before my due date. My OB wasn't in a rush to get him out or anything, but when I didn't go into labor overnight, they started an induction. I had about 24 hours of hard but non productive contractions and never got past 4 cm (started at 2 I think?). So I guess failed induction (although not really elective) would be my reason.

My OB was semi supportive. She offered up the VBAC right after DS1 was born. She always had the "it's your choice" attitude. BUT, at the end she also asked me every appt if I wanted to schedule the c/s or do the VBAC. She made a lot of fuss over how big she thought DS2 would be. But I stuck to it.

As it turns out, I had a very long early labor with DS2. I was having contractions every 3-5 minutes for 2 days straight with no progress. I went to L&D twice and was sent home twice. By the end of the 2nd day I did finally go in and was 5 cm. DS was born about 3 hours later. I only pushed for 30 minutes. So, the end of my labor went shockingly fast. And perhaps if I had waited longer the first time (although DS1 does have the kind of head that still makes people say "no wonder he was a c/s" LOL)...And DS2 was smaller than DS1. 7 lbs 12 oz. Not this 10 lb baby that was predicted (and to be fair, I was H-U-G-E so I thought he'd be over 9 lbs too).

My c/s really was not that difficult. I was up and fairly normal as soon as I got home. I did not need the heavy meds. But the VBAC recovery was still 100x easier.

[daphne]

I loved my VBAC experience. My OB was very supportive of my VBAC decision & estimated my dd's weight to be a manageable 8lbs, 2oz. I went into labor at 9am & started off w/pretty intense back labor. My contractions were 2 mins apart & 30 secs long from the start. Headed to the hospital a few hours later. I was only about 2cm dialated, so I labored for a couple of hrs before asking my epidural, which was effective & amazing. A couple of hrs later (I chatted the entire time w/my l&d nurse), I was 10cm dilated. Pushed about 6 times & delivered my 9lb, 6oz dd! Loved every minute of it! (fwiw, i had a 2nd degree tear & was uncomfortable for a couple of weeks after).

[jjjo1112]

I had a pretty standard vaginal epidural with DS.
With DD1, I had an emergency C/S for a decel that she did not recover from. I was 9cm at the time and was a little dissappointed.
After I had DD1 I started working as an RN in labor and delivery. After learning so much about labor and the process and all the uneccessary things that doctors do-I knew that I would be trying for a VBAC with number 3.
My VBAC this past February was great. It almost turned into a C/S. When I showed up at the hospital, I was 5-6cm and the baby was transverse. I was so upset thinking that I would need another C/S but after spending some time in various positions, DD2 switched to head down and I delivered vaginally 2 hours later. If I was with any other doctor, they would probably given me something to stop contractions and wheeled me away for a C/S.
I have no problems with medically needed C/S but I will be trying for another VBAC for any future children.
Good luck.
Jackie DS 9/05, DD 12/06, DD 2/09

[SammyeGail]

I personally don't have a story, but my oldest sister had 5 kids! she had to have an emergency C-section with her twins, but had 2 VBAC with her 2 children after them. I don't know her recovery stories, I don't remember her running into any problems.

I have twins and chose a C-section for specific reasons I won't mention, I just wanted them to be 'delivered' safe and sound! I didn't want to run into any problems. If I had been pregnant with a singleton I would have strongly tried for a natural birth.

It ended up not mattering anyway ;), I had to have an emergency C-section due to fast onset of pre-eclamsia.

Good luck to everyone!! Take care and be safe.