advice please on my VBAC situation

[LoolaBear]

i had a planned c-section with my twins back in 2009 due to them both being in completely the wrong position.

last year when i fell pregnant my midwife said i could have a home birth if i wanted, nothing else was mentioned to me.
sadly i lost my little angel at 17 weeks.

this time though, my midwife hasnt said anything to me yet but whilst i was at the hospital the midwife who saw me there and the consultant said to me because ive had a c-section if i want to attempt a VBAC i will HAVE to be bed bound due to having the be hooked up to a fetal monitor, i will HAVE to have syntocin drip to speed things up so that a long labour wont cause stress on my scar, and that i would more than likely HAVE to have an epidural.

now the thing is what i dont understand is what is so different to my last pergnancy when i was told i could have a home birth if i wanted?
i dont mind so much having to go into hospital, i would probably have planned this anyway as im a panicker and being in the hospital would calm me down, but i would like to be able to keep up on my feet and move around as much as possible instead of being bed bound. i dont want to be put on a drip unless i dont progress naturally and i want to try and cope with jsut gas and air.

do i really have to do everything that i have been told i HAVE to do? i mean if they are going to force it all and not allow me to have any say in how i labour i may as well choose another section which i dont really want to choose.
the only reason they have given me to having to do it all is just that i have had a previous section, and it was a planned one as well so its not like it was based on medical grounds (i.e an emergancy)

please ladies help me as i want to be able to have a say in my labour but it feels like that are forcing something completely unnatural on me that i dont want to do. xx

 

[poppykat]

Hi hun, hope you do not mind me replying.

I was training to be a midwife a few years ago but became ill so had to leave the course. I saw VBAC's whilst I was doing my training; the first was a home water birth, very natural and very little intervention, ended with a beautiful home birth. The second was in hospital but the lady declined continuous monitoring with the CTG and had the normal monitoring and low risk lady would have. Again all went to plan and lovely birth followed. The third I feel the women was pushed into having a very medicalised labour: continous monitoring, epidural 'just in case' ended in another section and synto used, womens labour was very stop start and she ended up in theatre with another section.

Any kind of moving off the point. I am in no ways an expert but I feel like as long as this pregnancy stays low risk (apart from previous section) then there is not really any need for you to have the medicalised high risk labour they are suggesting you have. I think the next time you have a consulants appointment go and tell them exactly what you want and get it in writing that this is agreed as it may be that when you are in the labour they will still try and push you to have the medicalised labour.

Hope that helps a little. If I can help in any other way just let me know. Don't let them bully you into anything you do not want to do!!!

Hope the rest of your pregnancy is happy and healthy




x

 

[LoolaBear]

thank you so much.

im classed as a high risk pregnancy due to being slightly over weight and also being asthmatic (didnt know my inhaler could cause low birth weight ) and of course previous section but i was told by my midwife as long as i learn breathing techniques my asthma shouldnt affect me during labour.

think i might have a word with my midwife when i next see her, she seems to be a little more on the ball than the so called medical professionals at the hospital!

the only reason that they said iwould have to have such a medicalised labour was due to the risk of my scar rupturing, so nothing to do with my asthma or that so perhaps they are jsut being mean and pushy. x

 

[indigo_fairy]

Uterine rupture is the main thing my MW and consultant have harped on about, its not a high risk though, only 1 out of 200 women, 0.5%. I'm currently planning a VBAC at home still. You certainly don't have to have all those things they have told you, it's your choice not theirs

 

[chuck]

Odd that they would suggest synth when it in creases risk of UR!!

You have the right to birth how and where you like and to have a supportive midwife - I doubt you'll find a supportive OB. I saw an OB who was horrible and since my pregnancy has been uncomplicated I haven't bothered seeing them again to have them scaremonger and look down their noses at me.

Usually recommendations are that you labour in hospital with constant monitoring and a cannula fitted just in case. Ergh. In case of what?

You can labour in hospital if you want by will nO doubt have to fight against having those things. You can labour at home and transfer last minute to avoid too much intervention in the hospital.

BUT you do have the right to HB if you want here in the UK. Im choosing to HBAC to avoid fighting against unnecessary interventions. If me or the baby get sick I'll go to hospital but nit before!

 

[Samantha675]

She is talking out her ass. Synth will increase the chances of a rupture since it causes unnatural contractions. Do some research on the iCAN website. It's a support group for vbacs and has loads of info you can use to fight for the birth you want.

 

[tristansmum]

i had a c section and hope in a future pregnancy to have a vbac. not at home... i'd rather be in hospital due to the small risk of uturine rupture (for me the risk of it happening at home away from theatre and doctor is not worth the risk). However, i'd be tempted to say no to the CTG. I had this last time due to being induced and having obstetric colestasis. I found labouur difficult being bed bound. Also they don't like giving symtocin due to the extra pressure it can put on your scar so i'm surprised too hear of this as an automatic thing (understandible IF you end up induced or nothing happening but not as standard!!).

Any remember you ask to see another consultant if you are not happy with this one! It is your right!!

 

[lozzy21]

I was going to say the same as the other girls, using the synth drip increases your chance of UR as its foricing your body to do something it may not be ready to do. Natural labour your contractions slowly build up (in most cases) so your body has chance to get used to it. When they use synth your contractions start on full whack so your body doesnt have chance to get used to it.

 

[Mervs Mum]

In the UK they dont use synt on VBAC women. A first time mum (ie no previous surgery on her uterus) having an induced labour (synto) is more likely to have a rupture than a woman having a spontaneous VBAC. A VBACer shouldnt be agreeing to an induction under any circumstances IMHO. You dont HAVE to do anything. You dont HAVE to have constant CTG or an epidural. You cant be made to do anything. I have recently supported a water VBAC (in hospital) and she had agreed the pool and intermittent CTG prior to labouring yet they still tried to keep her on it for a long time and were very hesitant about the pool. We had to REALLY push. Make sure your birth team are well briefed on what you do and dont want.

 

[LoolaBear]

thank you everyone for the advice.

luckily the consultant i saw was a member of my official consultants team so it will hopefully be someone different when i next have an appointment i will see.
i dont see my proper consultant until im in labour.

i am going to make sure that i write a clear and consice birth plan that i wish to follow as much as possible and will print copies of it to hand out to every single member of my birth care team.

i dont mind being in hospital as i am a worrier and worry that if something were to go terribly wrong i would much rather be in the hospital than half hour away. but hey thats just me and i got scared crapless when i found out how much blood i lost during my c-section.

but again thank you all for the advice, i feel more at ease with it and will definately make sure i will be pushing for the labour I WANT if my body allows it to happen. xx

 

[chuck]

MM I was told by the consultant MW at the VBAC clinic that IF I got to 'needing' induction I would get 2 x sweeps, then if needed and favourable AROM moving onto pitiful and/or synto.

She wrote down the risk of UR for pit/synto on my notes too.

 

[RyliesMummy]

I would really love a WBAC! I've looked into it and my hospital does do water births and the MWs are fully waterbirth trained.. Now to get everyone to agree...

 

[Nashysgirlxxx]

I would really love a WBAC! I've looked into it and my hospital does do water births and the MWs are fully waterbirth trained.. Now to get everyone to agree...

Thats what i'm going for too x