Any ladies with a previous c-section?

[gypsy1981]

I had my first scan yesterday and also my first consultant appointment. I was pretty set on trying for a VBAC but after speaking to the consultant I find myself swaying towards a repeat section.

Is there anyone facing the same decision and what are you leaning towards? I know I don't have to decide for a while yet but I'm finding it hard to decide which is the best route. Just wondered what other people's situations/decisions were.

 

[Kookie33]

Hiya, I'm in similar position whereas I'm kinda switching from wanting a c sec to now wanting to try a vbac. I found out at my consultant app that in my first labour I had progressed to 6cm and if it hadn't been for fetal distress I would have, hopefully delivered naturally. What I was explicit about was never wanting an induction again.

I was given two options.... Planned C sec at 38 weeks or see if I progress and deliver naturally by 40 weeks and if not then have a planned c sec at 40 weeks.

Think I'm going for latter to try and see if I can get vbac but having the reassurance of planned c sec if not.

 

[MishC]

I'm having another csection. I had decided this before I was even pregnant. It actually turns out I need a section as I have a placenta previa but even before I knew this I had opted for it. My decision was based on previous experiences, I got severe pre-eclampsia and hellp with my daughter so in a bid to avoid this I chose a section at 38 weeks.

 

[sethsmummy]

at the moment i have my heart set on a VBAC. I want the normal vaginal delivery iv never had. I haven;t spoke to my consultant about it yet.. but i dare say we will at 29 weeks. He wrote on my notes at my first visit "delivery @39 weeks" so i think he presumes i will go for another section. But i dont want to be away from my children longer than i have to be. x

 

[DocMcStuffins]

I had a emcs with dd1 and had the choice between a vbac or elcs with dd2, for me it was an easy decision and I chose to go for an elcs.

It was the best decision I made and I had the most wonderful experience.

I don't feel I missed out on anything at all.

My recovery from both sections was great but I was out of hospital within 24 hours after my elcs and needed no painkillers at all.

I was up and about doing everything as normal straight away.

The actual procedure itself was lovely. I walked hand in hand with my oh into theatre, there was lovely relaxing music playing, my oh took some beautiful photos of our dd being born and I was having skin to skin and breastfeeding before even being wheeled out of theatre!

This time I was again given the choice to vba2c but again I've jumped at the chance to have another elcs!

It's a totally personal choice but for me I have only had wonderful c section experiences a and like I said I don't feel I missed out on a thing. I laboured for 80 hours with dd1, my waters broke, I had painful contractions, got to 7cm and did everything but push. I actually like the fact that my foof is in tact! Lol!

X

 

[gypsy1981]

Yes I specified that I definitely didn't want to be induced again too. He said I have a 70-80% chance of a successful VBAC as the only reason I had one first time round was because the induction failed and my daughter got distressed. I never actually got into established labour but was contracting for 43 hours due to the induction drugs.

The thing that worries me most is that I haemorrhaged after my section and the consultant told me yesterday that this was because my uterus 'forgot' to contract due to being overtired from the contractions so I'm more scared of this happening again than anything else. I just keep thinking that a planned section would be less stressful on my body and the recovery time would be shorter.

I think he said I could plan a section for 39 weeks or I could go up to 42 weeks and then have a section if I didn't go into labour naturally.

Did you have a long recovery time after your first section?

 

[DocMcStuffins]

Also you won't get the stage where they'd induce you. After a c section they will not induce you as the risk of rupture is much greater.

If it gets to the stage where they want baby out they will just schedule a c section.

X

 

[gypsy1981]

I had a emcs with dd1 and had the choice between a vbac or elcs with dd2, for me it was an easy decision and I chose to go for an elcs.

It was the best decision I made and I had the most wonderful experience.

I don't feel I missed out on anything at all.

My recovery from both sections was great but I was out of hospital within 24 hours after my elcs and needed no painkillers at all.

I was up and about doing everything as normal straight away.

The actual procedure itself was lovely. I walked hand in hand with my oh into theatre, there was lovely relaxing music playing, my oh took some beautiful photos of our dd being born and I was having skin to skin and breastfeeding before even being wheeled out of theatre!

This time I was again given the choice to vba2c but again I've jumped at the chance to have another elcs!

It's a totally personal choice but for me I have only had wonderful c section experiences a and like I said I don't feel I missed out on a thing. I laboured for 80 hours with dd1, my waters broke, I had painful contractions, got to 7cm and did everything but push. I actually like the fact that my foof is in tact! Lol!

X

This reassures me re the ELCS - he said it would be a totally different experience for me compared to my EMCS as I had an awful recovery after this. I had been so set on trying for a VBAC but now after hearing that my uterus didn't contract like it should I'm scared of going through labour again. I read something over his shoulder on my notes which said my uterine structure had been left 'impaired' from the haemorrhaging so I feel like it would happen again if not properly managed.

 

[DocMcStuffins]

I found recovery after both was great but my recovery after my emcs was slightly longer. I needed painkillers for the first week. I was still up and about doing everything within a few days.

But like I said after my elective I was home from hospital within 24 hours and didn't have any painkillers at all. On day 3 we even went for a day out. I was driving again really quickly and would have been sooner had my insurance covered me! Lol

X

 

[gypsy1981]

at the moment i have my heart set on a VBAC. I want the normal vaginal delivery iv never had. I haven;t spoke to my consultant about it yet.. but i dare say we will at 29 weeks. He wrote on my notes at my first visit "delivery @39 weeks" so i think he presumes i will go for another section. But i dont want to be away from my children longer than i have to be. x

This was my original reason for wanting a VBAC, I wanted to experience a vaginal delivery as this is going to be my last child. It is a tough decision.

My husband is set on me having a section as he says he can't shake the feeling that something will go wrong if I go through labour again and he's scared of losing me.

 

[DocMcStuffins]

The reason for my emcs was 'failure to progress' so although there was every chance I would have laboured successfully the next time I just knew in my heart my body probably wouldn't do it and the thought of attempting it and then just winding up with another emergency section was enough to make me just want to opt for an elective.

X

 

[Kookie33]

I was so convinced I would want a elcs because my emer c sec recovery was fine. However what did scare me was when the consultant mentioned that when I was stitched last time my organs may not be in the same 'normal' place so when cut some may be damaged and require surgery.

Has this happened to anyone? X

 

[DocMcStuffins]

It's not happened to me. My consultant just said that my scar looked great when opened up last time and that she could see no issues with a third c section.

X

 

[gypsy1981]

The reason for my emcs was 'failure to progress' so although there was every chance I would have laboured successfully the next time I just knew in my heart my body probably wouldn't do it and the thought of attempting it and then just winding up with another emergency section was enough to make me just want to opt for an elective.

X

I know exactly what you mean, I have that exact same gut feeling.

 

[gypsy1981]

I was so convinced I would want a elcs because my emer c sec recovery was fine. However what did scare me was when the consultant mentioned that when I was stitched last time my organs may not be in the same 'normal' place so when cut some may be damaged and require surgery.

Has this happened to anyone? X

Not that the consultant has mentioned to me but tbh he didn't seem very clued up on my history. He didn't even know I'd been taken back into surgery to clear the blood clot until I told him. Did he mention why they think that?

 

[sethsmummy]

at the moment i have my heart set on a VBAC. I want the normal vaginal delivery iv never had. I haven;t spoke to my consultant about it yet.. but i dare say we will at 29 weeks. He wrote on my notes at my first visit "delivery @39 weeks" so i think he presumes i will go for another section. But i dont want to be away from my children longer than i have to be. x

This was my original reason for wanting a VBAC, I wanted to experience a vaginal delivery as this is going to be my last child. It is a tough decision.

My husband is set on me having a section as he says he can't shake the feeling that something will go wrong if I go through labour again and he's scared of losing me.

aww bless him but at the end of the day its ultimately your choice

I had an elcs (which was lovely and recovery was fab) due to ds1 ending in being a forecep delivery as he wasnt descending properly and a lot of my care was substandard from that hospital... they injured my son, they injured me so i was terrified of that happening again.

But now i am head strong.. i want that perfect birth.. and now i have my mind in that set i know i have a better chance of it happening. I will be fighting to not have continuous monitoring as this would mean being strapped to the bed and im not having that (had this from even before labour with ds1) xx

 

[gypsy1981]

I did ask him about the monitoring as that concerned me too as I'd hate to be stuck on the bed for a whole labour. He said they do monitor continuously but you can still move around and use the birthing ball, etc while it happens. My dream labour for my daughter was a water birth and I'm only just coming to terms now with the fact that I'll never experience that.

Totally understandable you'd be scared after experiencing that, I'd have gone for a ELCS after that too.

 

[Kookie33]

I don't think it was specific to me, just a general 'things may not have gone back in their true location' kinda thing..... But I suppose that's a risk you take.

I am do unsure... As I mentioned if you'd asked me weeks ago I would have said elective section all the way x

 

[sethsmummy]

I did ask him about the monitoring as that concerned me too as I'd hate to be stuck on the bed for a whole labour. He said they do monitor continuously but you can still move around and use the birthing ball, etc while it happens. My dream labour for my daughter was a water birth and I'm only just coming to terms now with the fact that I'll never experience that.

Totally understandable you'd be scared after experiencing that, I'd have gone for a ELCS after that too.

as far as i have read there is no evidence that it is better for the continuous monitoring than someone checking with a doppler every 15/20 minutes.

My original labour was a nightmare. I was induced due to pre-e at 40+6.. i had umpteen people do internal examinations, i had several cathaters placed and removed as i wasnt allowed to the toilet, they didnt listen to me when i said i was cramping in my legs with every contraction, my epidural failed. Then when in theatre i ended up being pulled half way down the bed! they tried vontouse which failed.. then messed around long and ended up using foreceps which cut my sons head (he is now being assessed for autism and we cant rule out this being part of the cause for this and other problems he has) and they damaged the inside of me which took years of severe pain to recover from. I could have joined part of a mass complaint against the hospital and the maternity services but i never thought of it and we didnt know the long term repercussions for my son at the time. The hospital was put under special measures and almost closed down!

Thankfully where i live now the hospital and staff are fantastic so i feel more able to try and have the birth i really want. xx

 

[Ashersmomma]

I had a last minute scheduled C-section with DS. They thought he was going to be big(11lbs+) based on scans(he ended up being 8lbs 9oz), plus he just would not drop at all. Had him at 40+3.

I've gone back and forth between having a vbac or a repeat. I haven't talked to my OB yet, but I'm sure it will come up at one of the next appointments. I would like a natural birth, but I'm afraid of something going wrong and being taken in for a c-section anyway. I actually had a great recovery after DS. I heal quickly and have a high pain tolerance, plus I have my parents close by if I need anything when DH is back at work(they live a mile away )
And of course I've never been to worried about C-sections. I don't think anyone on my mom's side of the family has had a natural birth since my mom and her siblings were born. I'm actually more worried about a natural birth.
I will probably make my final decision after talking to my OB. He is great, and I trust him to help me make the best decision for my baby.