Has any one had a VBAC?

Sarah - posted on 06/19/2012

Hi I successfully had 2 vbacs after a csection. The reason I was such a good candidate is because my children were premature only 1 and 5 lbs for the vbac so they suggested I would be okay and I was. I think they just have to tell you all the "bad" things that could go wrong for their own security! Good Luck, I am sure you will be just fine,

Amber - posted on 06/19/2012

I had a c section with my first, it was an emergency c section due to failed induction...I honestly blame the doctors. They kept upping my pitocin (my water broke so i didn't feel the need to be put on pitocin so quickly), and i had 7-8 level contractions slamming my babys head into my only 4cm dilated cervix, no wonder he went into fetal distress causing an emer. c/s!! I am now nearly 33wks pregnant w/my 2nd and am attempting a VBAC!! It was late, but I found a doctor willing to take me in and help me. Hes been highly recommended. Also, you ladies may or may not find this interesting..but MOST ( i believe all) states have ICAN - International Cesarean Awarness Network, mine is ICAN of Atlanta (im in GA), but if you google ICAN and your state, theres a forum board with a ton of knowledgable ladies who have gone through it all & to hear the experiences and success stories is inspiring. Check out it out! There honestly is more of a risk of complications with a scheduled c/s then a VBAC. And the chances of cord prolapse are just the same as a UR, so its weighing your options. I know women on the forum who had 3 c/s before having a successful VBAC..so there is hope!

Christine - posted on 06/17/2012

They have to deliver at home/with a midwife because NO hospital would agree to a vbac after that many c sections. Many places will do a vbac after 1 c section (big hospitals), many of those same hospitals will do one after 2 even but after that it's considered pretty risky (hospitals even consider vbacs after 1-2 "risky" though I think that is sort of over hyped). Anyway I did a ton of research on vbac vs c sections when trying to decide what I wanted to do and found that c sections are INCREDIBLY damaging. They thin out the uterus.. one surgeon said they cut open a woman who had had 3 c sections and they could see the baby through the uterus it was so thin. It creates a ton of scar tissue. The uterus becomes weaker with every incision. Contractions are very very aggressive on the uterus. If you did a vbac you would want to be in a hospital where they could monitor you and do an emergency c section on you if you did rupture. The faster you get the surgery the less likely there is to be damage to you and your baby. If you ruptured at home by the time you got to the hospital your baby could have brain damage or die and/or you could lose your uterus. They want you in the OR within minutes. After as many as you have had your uterus is not strong and holding a full term baby (because when they plan c sections they do it a couple weeks early and your baby is smaller.. the further along you get the bigger your baby and the more stretched out your uterus is) and going through contractions will be very rough on it.

Christine - posted on 06/17/2012

And just to be clear I totally support vbac and am a big advocate for them! I just want everyone to make the right decision for themselves I just want them to do it with all information at hand!

Christine - posted on 06/17/2012

YES! There is a lot of fear mongering as far as vbacs go. The risk of rupture is actually more like .5% (for low risk people, meaning they have had one c section with a horizontal incision and waited at least 18 months since the last delivery and are under a certain age and no other complications going on etcetc) AND there's a risk of it happening even if you've never had a c section before so it is sort of crazy how big of a deal they make of it. That said, the poster's risks are different because she has had two c sections. Also she didn't list her reasons specifically for getting them before but depending on what they were they could be more likely to repeat during labor next time which also affects the chances of a successful vbac.
Most small towns will not offer vbac as an option.. I am in one right now and have to drive 3 hours to do my vbac!

Christine - posted on 06/17/2012

Many women have had a vbac but not as many have one after 2 c sections. The risks are different if you have had more than one c section and it is considered higher risk so you shouldn't necessarily compare women who have had vbacs after one c section to yourself who has had 2 c sections not that I discourage you wanting to know what a vbac experience is like, just pointing out there is a difference between vbac after 1 and 2 c sections. That all said I think the risk of vbac after 1-2 c sections is overhyped. It is there but it seems overhyped. My advice to you if you want the vbac is to research ALL the factors that would make you even higher risk because if you have other factors making you higher risk you're less likely to find a doctor that will agree to it. If your hospital does not agree to the vbac you might consider transferring to a bigger hospital when you get further along (this is what I have to do to have a vbac after one c section.. i have to drive 3 hours! Because the town I live in will only offer me a c section).



That all said I have done a vbac and plan to again. It was a great experience for me! I had an epidural though so I didn't experience all the pain.. I got one around 6 CM and gave birth about 2 1/2 hours later. My OB recommended having an epidural so they could get me to OR faster if I did rupture. This time I am going to try to not get an epidural and I may not be quite as enthusiastic about vbacs after experiencing the pain of it all :p but I still would prefer it to a c section. Healing was great for me too, I only got one stitch and barely tore at all.

I think how the healing process goes depends completely how much you tear.. there's different levels of tearing and how long healing takes after delivery totally depends on if you tear or not and how much.

Degrees of tearing:

No tearing

First degree tearing: the skin of the perineum and the tissue around the opening of the vagina or the outermost layer of the vagina itself, but no muscles. These tears, called first-degree lacerations, are often so small that few or no stitches are required. They usually heal quickly and cause little or no discomfort.

Second degree tearing: go deeper, into the muscles underneath. These tears need to be stitched closed, layer by layer. They'll cause you some discomfort and usually take a few weeks to heal. The stitches dissolve on their own during the healing period.

Third degree tearing: tear in the vaginal tissue, perineal skin, and perineal muscles that extends into the anal sphincter (the muscle that surrounds your anus).

Fourth degree tearing: goes through the anal sphincter and the tissue underneath it.



So severe tearing may cause tons of pain too, though I don't think it's super common to tear that much. Just pointing out it can happen! Pain and healing time is an important thing to a lot of people but that wasn't personally a factor for my decision. Just thought I'd mention it in case it is for yours.



So why did you have the c sections the first two times?

ElisaBeth - posted on 06/13/2012

I have had one c-section, it was horrible and as soon as I found out I was pregnant with my second I voiced that I DID NOT want another; I was told I didn't have a choice in the matter and that it was the hospitals policy, and that a second c-section was safer for me... I got online and started searching and came across the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and they state several times that a VBAC is much safer for a woman than a repeat c-section. That the risk of rupture is only like 1%, ect ect. The 'dangers' doctors fill our heads with are so miniscule, but it gives them an edge and helps them scare women into a repeat, which is convenience for them. It is sickening. I am six months along and have JUST found a doctor that is on my side, he is a Perinatologist. I will have to travel over an hour to Cedars Sinai in L.A. to have my VBAC, but it will be SO worth it.

I just wanted to put it out there; you DO have a choice and these articles speak for themselves.

http://www.acog.org/Search?Keyword=vbac

Cecially - posted on 06/12/2012

I've had 6 c-sections and had given up hope of ever doing anything else...but i was just reading online the other night about women who had vbacs after 4,5, and 7 cesareans!!! There is a website that promoted vbacs where i found this info. Most of the women on there did have midwifes and homebirths tho!

Catalina - posted on 06/12/2012

I really appreciate all the comments and advice... my husband and i are actually TTC right now. Im just trying to do all the research and get all the advice i can. Im just waiting for that BFP then i get to start praying for a successful VBAC. thank you so much for all the support :}

Amy - posted on 06/12/2012

After 2 c-sections, I was pregnant with my 3rd child, I wasn't looking forward to another surgery and asked my doctor about delivery my last child. She said that after 2 c-sections it was too risky to have a VBAC, however my children were all born very close together, so that may have had something to do with it. Good luck with your new bundle of joy, and remember that the delivery is over in a day, and then you have your whole life to love that beautiful baby, no matter how it comes.

Happy - posted on 06/12/2012

@Catalina, I just read your last post. That nurse is an idiot and you may feel free to tell her I said that!

Janice - posted on 06/12/2012

My first was breech and delivered via planned c-section. I had zero complications with my c-section or recovery. My second was a Vbac. Labor wasn't too bad. I didnt have any drugs for most of it. When I finally wanted the epidural at 7cm it took 20 minutes for the anesthesiologist and I had progressed to 10cm by then. They gave me a shot of epi-meds just for a few moments of relief but it caused my son's heart rate to crash and so he was delivered in only 2 pushes with forceps. Because of the forceps my recovery was awful! The forceps ripped me inside & up the front and I had lots of stitches. I was in more pain than with my c-section but I was also chasing my toddler (25 months when I delivered) around instead of resting so I'm sure that complicated my recovery. I was at the grocery store carry my son in a wrap at 4 days old. I know for sure I wasnt out shopping before 10 days with my daughter.



I'm still glad I did the Vbac. If I have a 3rd I want to have a vaginal delivery again. I'm positive that my issue was due to the forceps. My son is now 6 months and I have been back to normal for quite awhile now.



ETA: I personally would never vbac at home. If I happen to be the .05% that is going to rupture, I want to be close to an OR. I absolutely HATED when they made me come off my labor ball and in I had to stay in the bed to be monitored but better safe than sorry.

Happy - posted on 06/12/2012

ACOG now fully supports a trial of labor after 2 previous c-sections given that certain conditions are met. If your state allows it, a midwife will be your best chance of having a VBA2C. If your state does not allow a midwife to attend VBACs, find an OB that is up to date on the latest research and up to date on the latest ACOG recommendations. I have had one c esction followed by 2 VBACs and would do everything I possible could to avoid another section. The risks for both Mom and baby are higher with each repeat section than a VBAC, the recovery time is night and day and it is much less traumatic for baby to be born vaginally than to be removed when baby is not ready. Good luck!

Lisa - posted on 06/11/2012

I had two c-sections one due to not progressing the second the same. Well my youngest had different plans and she came Vbac whether anyone wanted it or not and it was fine and had my tubes tied the next day and still recovered better than with the C-sections!

Tami - posted on 06/11/2012

Ive had 2 c sections. First emergency & second from failure to progress & going over the due date.
My OB says after 2 c sections they wouldnt allow VBAC. Too risky. So dont get your hopes up, but Im sure every doctor could be different

Serena - posted on 06/11/2012

Had an emergency section on my first pregnancy (twins) then had 2 vbac after both went well but the first vbac I tore badly and found the recovery worse than the section, was very nervous about the second vbac but it went like a breeze was perfect after a week or so. All Labour and deliveries are different and you should do what is right for yourself. Hope all goes well :-)

Louisa - posted on 06/11/2012

I had a vbac at home for my second. There are not words to describe how much I loved my home birth.

I did tear since my baby was 10 lbs and it took a little while to heal from that. Two months later it's still a little tender but I'm up to running almost 3 miles at a time whereas after my c-section it took me this long to be able to walk around the block without pain. As far as I can tell everything "down there" is back to normal besides the tenderness of the small scar on my perineum.

Good luck! Doctors really like c-sections because they cost more, they're faster and more predictable so they don't risk missing dinner with their family. It's not usually in your best interest that they push a c-section. They don't have to recover from it after all!

Denise - posted on 06/11/2012

My first child was born by c-section because I went into premature labor at 32 weeks and he was breech, my other three children were born vbac, I found the vbac were so much easier than the csection, faster recovery time. my labor and deliveries went by very fast and easy. My last child, my daughter was born in 1 hour and 30 minutes from the time i went into labor and delivered her.

Catalina - posted on 06/11/2012

Well thank you for responding. Im getting more confident. After a vbac does everything down there go back to normal? The nurse at my doc office said no one would want a scar and a messed up down stairs. But im sure the experience would be well worth it.

Peta - posted on 06/11/2012

My first child was an emergency caesarean, my second a vbac. The two are like chalk and cheese. The vbac was so much easier to heal from and I was up and managing everything so much more quickly. The caesarean made everything much harder to deal with! I have a close friend who had a vbac after 3 caesareans and feels the same way. Vaginal birth is much easier to recover from and makes life after the birth so much simpler. It makes sense, a caesarean is major abdominal surgery and requires 6 weeks of complete rest in order to recover well. No new mother has that luxury!

Catalina - posted on 06/10/2012

I had the bikini cut for both of my c-sections. And they say that since i had 2 of my kids c -section then i can only have one more. But i want four kids so im really going to push for a vbac but kinda nervous with all the risks my doc filled my head with. Did you have your vbacs in the hospital or home birth?

Michelle - posted on 06/10/2012

My first son was born with c-section. I had the up and down one...belly button to hair line area. I've had 5 vbacs after that. I had a horrible time with my c-section. I had staples in in it and it just was plain out horrible. I was scared on the vbac thing, but didn't want another c-section. Never wanted to go through that again. I didn't have no epidural. I had the rest natural. My last 2, i was induced.I did however heal a whole lot faster than the c-section, that is for sure. My cut from that is still touchy.It has been almost 16 years since then. Each delivery is different. They all weren't the same. Some took a while to have. One , I did have a 3rd degree epesionomy( believe I spelled that wrong). My daughter...I was in and out. When I went to the hospital, I was 9 cm. She was the easiest.

Sarah - posted on 06/10/2012

Yes, although I only had one section. For me the vaginal birth was better as far as recovery goes and I found breastfeeding much easier too.