Csection Mums, will you VBAC or Section again?

[SaraAbi]

I was hoping for a vbac after emcs for pre-e last time but after several trips to hospital with high bp I ended out with an elcs at short notice. I do feel like I've missed out as never experienced a contraction, but hey ho it obviously wasn't meant to be and how can I complain when I have 2 beautiful girlies to show for it!

 

[whit.]

Right after I had Sophia I thought I would go for a VBAC but I don't think it's worth the risk. I understand there are risks with everything, but don't think it's for me. I also don't think any hospitals around me will do them.

I like my perfectly intact vag.

 

[soph77]

I like my perfectly intact vag.

After 2 sections - me too!! She is a pristine environment!

 

[queenlavera]

I had an induction with painful pitocin induced contractions, dilated to 8cm then LO heart rate started dropping so off to emcs.

If I am lucky enough to get preggo again, I will definitely go for a VBAC only because I would like to avoid surgery if possible.

 

[caz81]

Ive had 2 emergency sections now. I tried for a VBAC after first section but exactly the same problem happened. I cant dilate beyond 1cm and babies got in massive distress each time. Im not planning anymore but if I get pregnant again I would definitely plan a section. Because of how traumatic my first birth was I became very set on having a vbac, because that then didnt happen I felt like a double failure- I wouldnt want to go through those feelings again, so aside from the fact that medically I should have a section emotionally it would be better as well.

 

[MrsM17]

Ooh I think about this a lot!

I had an elective for breech so also had no contractions etc... I had planned a hypnobirthing water birth when we found out he was breech at 37 weeks. I was deverstated.

My experience was great though apart from a few niggles (they took my lo and hubby away more or less straght after he was born) we were apart for best part of an hour after his birth which I strongly disagree with.
Apart from that I recovered quickly and its left we wondering if I should do it again..........

The other part of me so wants the water birth and to actually birth my child. When I watch OBEM its the natural births that really get me crying the c section ones leave me a little cold xx

 

[stepmum]

I had an EMCS with LO and I will be going for an elective next time

I know the risks are tiny of rupture etc but I have health anxiety so for me they are terrifying.

I did labour halfway though before I got my EMCS as they didn't believe I was in labour because it was in my back. That's enough for me, I do feel a bit cheated but it is what it is and I can't go back and undo how LO was born so section all the way now

 

[Lauki]

I'd love to have a home birth.. But the midwifes say my pelvis was too narrow for a babies head to get through without any complications. Sophie got totally stuck, and had to be pushed and wriggled loose during my EMCS..

So I guess it'll turn out as an elective!

 

[nicb26]

I think about this lots. Lo was elcs as discovered she was breech at 37+ weeks. I never experienced labour so feel like I missed out, esp when other mums ask how my labour was, I feel a bit like a fraud! (even though I'm a huge needlephobe and generally squeamish, so cs was actually extremely terrifying for me, even though it was straight forward). So that pushes me to vbac. But then, what if I rip etc, or end up with emcs. I already have csection overhang so I kind of feel my compensation for that is to be intact down there iykwim. Also I read an article saying in vbac you are slightly more likely to have a stillbirth than if you had csection. Only a small risk, but even so. Argghhh I don't know!! x

 

[mummy2lola]

I've been told I have to have a cs next time and I'm fine with that.i experienced contractions for many hours back to back and didn't dialate past 2cm so it felt like it was all for nothing and I'm happy never to do thy again lol xx

 

[lisa1980]

I'm undecided.

I had an EMCS after around 16 hours of labour as LO's heartrate kept dropping and at one point it stopped (terrifying)...they were about to take me for a crash section when it picked up again but his blood sample showed he was getting quite unwell so I jumped at having a section (I'd have let them do it there and then in L&D by that point tbh).

I had contractions augmented with pitocin as I was dilating slowly...got to 8cms in the end before it all went pear-shaped.

I feel totally fine about the section though. I don't feel at all cheated or as if I 'failed' as I made the correct choice (the only choice IMO) at that point for LO. All the deliveries that I've seen where a similar situation went terribly wrong kept replaying in my head, so I had no doubt at that point. The section itself was fine and recovery not a problem (except for a dural leak headache which has to be fixed but it wasn't hard to rectify). I went home the next day and didn't need any pain relief at home.

All in all a section was much less traumatic than I thought it would be, and I'd be happy to have another one but I wouldn't mind trying for a VBAC assuming the problems which occured this time might not happen again.

We're not having another one for a while so I've got time to think about it I suppose

 

[Celesse]

Next baby will be another VBAC. I had a pretty hard recovery following my VBAC forceps delivery and ended up with retained products and nearly 2 weeks of sepsis and a scrape...... but it was still easier than a C-Section recovery. I liked my labour and I can't wait to do it again, even though baby was back to back the entire time and came out sunny side up with a little help from forceps. Hopefully next time I can convince baby to face the right way round and do all the pushing myself.

 

[Quackquack99]

I'm undecided. I had an emcs so I experienced labour and I personally didn't find it that bad. I'd love a vbac but it all depends on the position again.

 

[MrsPOP]

I had a water birth vbac, it's was the most wonderful
Experience ever I was totally convinced on elective till I was 24 weeks and I spoke to a vbac mum, I decided to get a doula and go for it. My experience was amazinggggg I was the 1st person to gently lift my baby out of the water, he saw me and heard me and I watched him take his 1st breath, no lights rough surgeon or suction pipes down his nose, I walked out 5 hrs later without a single chemical hazing any of my birth, just a complete contrast to my eldest sons birth, I actually didn't realise I had hang ups over my c section till I had my vbac and then realised what I'd missed. I feel at ease now it was what it was but given the two birth vbac all the way again, my birth story is linked below xx

Thats amaaaazing! How did you manage to get your Consultant to agree to a waterbirth VBAC?

 

[Gbobs]

I went into labour but had a c-section after we discovered LO was breech. I had it a lot better than others really as I only had a few hours of contractions before theatre was ready for us and my C-section was very straightforward with no complications. I really feel for those ladies who go through all of labour only to have to have a section at the end.

However, I really feel like I missed out on the giving birth part so would love to have a VBAC.

 

[Quackquack99]

There's a lady on here called chuck and she is the vbac oracle. Especially if people are really undecided what to pick next time x

 

[ahcigar1]

If I had a second LO I would go with another csection, but only because my body physically couldn't handle labor, because of a rare issue of my body not releasing the contractions. But I would insist that my baby stay with me. Unless there happened to be a same issue as last time. I would not allow to go to nursery or anything. I would insist on them allowing me to hold my LO immediately.

 

[SnowWhite90]

would love to have a VBAC... I am still a bit disapointed I had to have an emc. :'( I would have loved to experience pushing her out.x

 

[helen1234]

I had a water birth vbac, it's was the most wonderful
Experience ever I was totally convinced on elective till I was 24 weeks and I spoke to a vbac mum, I decided to get a doula and go for it. My experience was amazinggggg I was the 1st person to gently lift my baby out of the water, he saw me and heard me and I watched him take his 1st breath, no lights rough surgeon or suction pipes down his nose, I walked out 5 hrs later without a single chemical hazing any of my birth, just a complete contrast to my eldest sons birth, I actually didn't realise I had hang ups over my c section till I had my vbac and then realised what I'd missed. I feel at ease now it was what it was but given the two birth vbac all the way again, my birth story is linked below xx

Thats amaaaazing! How did you manage to get your Consultant to agree to a waterbirth VBAC?

I'm in the uk, think it is still harder else where but my consultant was ok with it. We have a vbac clinic where we meet with a vbac midwife and debrief and go through what happened to warrant. C section before and if there's a chance of re scurrying the next time, I had pre e and deceleration of babys hb,
I traced the process back and am convinced it was Down to my positioning had I been up and Walking more I think the outcome would have been different.
From studies I've read up on, the more procedures you have. Induction, waters broke, bad positioning etc the mote likely to lengthen the labour and tire baby so I just old them this and they agreed, I was the 1st woman in my hospital to have a water vbac, and it was hard to get off monitoring once they'd started I don't labour well lay on my back.

Funny the reasons I've read about ruining your lady parts my baby was nearly 10lb and my lady parts are fine and dandy, trust your bodies, new birth new baby new scenario. You get one chance to birth these babies and if babies had a say in vagial birth or c section they'd say vaginal, being born onto a plastic sheet and whisked through the air to be nasaled or straight into mummy's arms and hear mummy's voice heard 1st.

 

[SabrinaKat]

I wanted a c-section anyway (psychological problems with being left to bleed whilst having a mc in 2009 and overall physical worries), so the emergency c-section was welcome as my last week of pregnancy (wk 36) was horrible due to the onset of pre-eclampsia. If I got pregnant again (am 44, so unlikely, but would be welcomed!), would be more than happy for a c-section again. My feeling is that I got my 43-year-old body ready for pregnancy and it was routine/normal until high BP at wk 32 and then only bad at wk36, that I did my job and was able to bring a normal, healthy perfect LO into the world. I do understand that others may wish for/want other deliveries and more power to them, but for me - am happy with my choice and delighted that LO and me are safe and sound!

best wishes