VBAC info/support

[urbanbumpkin]

My midwives said they would be happy to have me back to try for a home birth again after my CS (they said this while I was still under their care in the 10 days after the birth) and just said 'no hurry', but nothing specific.

It was 8 months after my CS when I got pregnant so it will be nearly 18months between births. No one seems particularly worried, but there was nothing 'wrong' at my previous birth (just failure to wait at 10cm dilated) so no real complications to look out for. And my scar was nice and neat and healed very well.

Some consultants freak out at anything under a year between having a CS and getting pregnant again, others like 2 years between births.

It is a bit 'how long is a piece of string?' ish!

 

[Quackquack99]

Now thats a question with no real answer I'm afraid other than when you feel ready!

Every area/country/MW etc may give you a different answer but the usual one seems to be (in my experience of ladies here on BnB) of wait a year after a CS before getting PG again.

There were 8/9 months between my CS and getting PG again and I had not 1 incidence of scar pan or even a twinge in memory.

Thank you for your reply. Do you think there a correllation between the length of time between pregnancies? Ie the longer I wait the better chance I have of a successful vbac. Or is there anything I can do to have a successful vbac? Its just that my c section and hospital stay was traumatising. I'd love just one more baby but I'm petrified of a section

 

[chuck]

I wish I could say QQ.

I haven't seen any research to suggest that there's any difference in success rates correlated with time between pregnancies....doesn't mean there isn't though

Remember pregnancy takes a lot out of body aside from your poor womb having been stretched and then cut! Your whole body needs time to recover and get back to it's level of fitness.

You have to do what feels right by you.

 

[Celesse]

Dumb question... when do you start rasberry leaf tea when planning a VBAC? Does it need to be later/earlier/same as when uterus is not scarred?

 

[labydird]

Any time after 36 weeks is best as you are officially full term

 

[chuck]

I'd say the same...RLT is only a uterine tonic it shouldnt have nay negative impact on anything...as always though if you dot feel good or the BH are bad stop taking it.

I started taking the capsules at around 36 weeks and inserting SFO foofally and taking EPO orally.

 

[mrsraggle]

I started it at about 32 weeks last time, am planning on the same this time; just one cup moving upto 4 cups a day at 37 weeks. The doctors told me my contractions were fantastic with Ellie, it's just everytime I had a contraction her heart rate was dipping!

Anybody got a VBAC birth plan I can nosey at as I want to start thinking about mine now? Thank you

 

[Celesse]

There's quite a few pages earlier in the thread, about pages 6 through 12.

Mine is currently a 1500 word epic and I need to condense it to a yes/no bullet point list.

 

[chuck]

I didn't have a written one in the end..my ME arrived and I told her what I wanted and she wrote it down in the labour notes...that way I knew she bothered knowing it.

The MW at the hospital did read it although she still insisted on a managed 3rd stage. huff. stoopid blood loss.

 

[mrsraggle]

Thanks. I've written a bullet point list and I'm going to summarise right at the top so that if they read only a bit they get what I definitely do want and what I definitely don't want.

Last time my community midwife wrote it with me in my notes and they did seem to take note of it at first.

 

[chuck]

The problem having someone with you that understands what you want and why then enforce it and not cave to 'authority' when MW/Dr says we just 'need' to do X Y Z or tries to do it without asking.

 

[mrsraggle]

My husband isn't the best at being an enforcer I'm afraid, although he does feel a bit more confident this time round.

 

[angel2010]

My oh is the same with authority figures, which is why a doula is a must have for us next time!

 

[tannembaum]

I had such a horrible "consaltant" appointment on Thursday
I saw a Dr I have never seen (instead of my actual consaltant) after my growth scan.

She said babys growth is ok but the head is still measuring on the small side, I asked if this was a problem to which she replied "I don't know, your baby should be okay" WTF!!

She then asked me if I had thought of a birth plan and if I wanted a VBAC, I told her I was having a VBAC and my birth plan was in my notes and had been okayed by my consaltant. She gave it a read and told me I wasn't allowed to do any of it!!!
I explained that the hospital is getting waterproof trace machines in Dec so I've been told its fine for me to have a water birth. She then back tracked and said "oh if we have the machines it should be okay"

She then asked if I had seen the anesthetist yet which got me quite worried so I asked WHY I would need to?? She said people with a slightly higher BMI NEED to have an epiduaral early. I don't want an epi and told her so but she still wanted me to see the anesthetist. Luckily he was too busy to see me.
The last anesthetist forced me into having an epi during my labour last time and I will not let that happen again.

I was basically in tears at the end of the appointment. I asked her if I could see my actual consaltant for my next appointment as it is potentially my last appointment before I have LO, to which she told me it probably wont and I'll have an appointment at 41 weeks WHEN I am over due!

I was in there about 3 mins, my BP was raised but she didn't say a thing about that, she didn't examine me or anything!! It was shocking!!



Some good news from my scan though Pudding is now head down!!!! And has an estimated weight of 5lbs (dd was estimated this weight at 37 weeks!!) So hopefully pudding will be bigger than dd

 

[chuck]

ergh how horrible...dont go back to them. Write a letter to the dept outlining how you feel and how awful and contradictory they were and you will not be following their recommendations.

 

[kcbmama]

Hey chuck, thanks firstly for starting this thread. I am currently 35+4 weeks pregnant with my 2nd following a traumatic c-section with my 1st & am planning to have a VBAC.
I am particularly interested in the monitoring side (EFM?) on the CTG as I would like to negogiate with my consultant the usage of it whilst in labour.
3 consultant appointments ago I was told I would have to have the monitoring and I left the appointment quite distressed at the thought of being strapped to a machine with no option to move, the 2nd one I asked about mobility to which I was told I would be able to 'move' about, but nothing was specified (why I didn't ask!!!) and at my last appointment I completely forgot to ask when I was informed my named consultant would in fact have left by the time I was due! I am booked in for a growth scan at 37+5 weeks to discuss the options available to me and I plan to use that as my opportunity to discuss the monitoring in more depth.
Anyways, came across this site https://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Intrapartum-Fetal-Monitoring.htm which I thought some of the other VBAC hopefuls might find useful reading.
I'll provide a highlighted portion of particular interest:

All decisions to use continuous electronic fetal monitoring should be discussed with the patient and the reasons for offering it should be outlined. It is important to note that these criteria are only for the offering of continuous electronic fetal monitoring, not its mandatory use, and the pregnant mother is entitled to have the last word on whether or not she wishes to use it. Where it has been recommended and declined, this fact should be carefully documented in the partogram and clinical record.

Sorry for the long post too x

 

[chuck]

Hey chuck, thanks firstly for starting this thread. I am currently 35+4 weeks pregnant with my 2nd following a traumatic c-section with my 1st & am planning to have a VBAC.
I am particularly interested in the monitoring side (EFM?) on the CTG as I would like to negogiate with my consultant the usage of it whilst in labour.
3 consultant appointments ago I was told I would have to have the monitoring and I left the appointment quite distressed at the thought of being strapped to a machine with no option to move, the 2nd one I asked about mobility to which I was told I would be able to 'move' about, but nothing was specified (why I didn't ask!!!) and at my last appointment I completely forgot to ask when I was informed my named consultant would in fact have left by the time I was due! I am booked in for a growth scan at 37+5 weeks to discuss the options available to me and I plan to use that as my opportunity to discuss the monitoring in more depth.
Anyways, came across this site https://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Intrapartum-Fetal-Monitoring.htm which I thought some of the other VBAC hopefuls might find useful reading.
I'll provide a highlighted portion of particular interest:

All decisions to use continuous electronic fetal monitoring should be discussed with the patient and the reasons for offering it should be outlined. It is important to note that these criteria are only for the offering of continuous electronic fetal monitoring, not its mandatory use, and the pregnant mother is entitled to have the last word on whether or not she wishes to use it. Where it has been recommended and declined, this fact should be carefully documented in the partogram and clinical record.

Sorry for the long post too x

Thanks for the info...it's always useful to see it in black and white isnt it...you CAN say NO and they have to abide by it.


The monitoring doesn't automatically mean on your back in bed but you will be limited to moving around the bed area by the cables and you'll undoubtedly get told off if the trace isnt good because you're moving around.

I opted for intermittent monitoring (but then again I opted to HBAC)
that way the MW had to pay attention to me and my body not some beeps whistles and print outs.

It is difficult to face down OB's sometimes but if you do not want CFM then say NO!! Make sure your birth partner wont be coerced by the OB either.

Have you been told an OB will attend you when you are in labour at the hospital?

I only ask as I was told outright that I wouldn't be seen by an OB in labour unless there was a problem so why bother following the recommendation they want when they wont even be there LOL.

 

[Celesse]

I'm getting my monitoring / internal wishes documented at 36 week appointment. That why I can just point midwife in the direction of my notes (or get OH to do it for me) and they will know I've had that discussion already.

 

[princess_bump]

I too have been investigating continuous monitoring, our story goes like this;

DD1 born by emcs after 40 hours of labour. I 'progressed' to 3 cm, before her heart rate dropped and we were whizzed to theatre. our actual section was fab, super positive, the care before and after, wasn't great!

This time round, we begun by preferring the repeat c-section route, simply because i was left constantly monitored, on my back for the last 9 hours of labour, whilst in hospital. they wouldn't let me move. clip on on baby's head and i was told 'had' to stay there - too tired to do anything tbh. they kept moaning, that my high bmi meant they couldn't get her heart beat correctly, after hours and hours of attempting the trace and blaming MY tummy, it turned out their monitor was BROKEN! this has been brushed under the carpet since.

this time, at the risk of not wanting to go through this again, me and hubby preferred c-section route, though open to vbac and was happy to discuss with vbac clinic.

16 vbac mw was a bully, totally useless, said i have to vbac, no other opinion and on their terms, with constant monitoring. i demanding to see the head consultant, although this is no longer offered!!

19 week consultant - totally fab! she suggests all the great things i say about how i vbac should be, i don't want induction, no epi, just g&a, bouncing on the ball. monitoring done whilst moving. agreed continuous monitor doesn't help in vbac, and to do the monitoring for half an hour ever 2 hours - we're super happy with this! leave feeling positive and ready for vbac!

36 weeks we see registrar - consultant away, notes read continuous monitoring, registrar nice enough but can't understand my concerns! (at this point it's my head+brick wall!)

38 week mw app - spent nearly an hour telling me how dangerous it is not for constant monitoring and the hospital policy is that if i haven't gone at t+10 they will break my water and then put drip under controlled conditions!!!!!!!!! (yes, the hospital policy of no inductions have suddenly changed!) i told her i'd refuse this, and she said then you'd be left till t+14 then section. DD1 was a big baby, leaving DD2 for this long i'm super unhappy with!

So, after being left with an app to see consultant at t+3 i come away pretty unhappy. after a few phone calls, and actually speaking to a lovely mw, we are seeing the consultant tomorrow instead.

basically i want a definite answer, if no continuous monitoring with high bmi is dangerous for baby, then we're going for section.

anyone else feel like you're hitting your head against a brick wall? no one can give you a definite answer and the hospital employ what can only be described as bully boy tactics.

i'm totally happy either way, vbac or repeat section, i just want the safer option for our individual case.

Right, that was a total ramble, what i was trying to say it, guys, you don't have to accept any thing, water's being broken, internals, sweeps and monitoring! if your unhappy, kick up a fuss, it's certainly helped us... though shall be interesting to hear what is said tomorrow... straight from the horses mouth as such! i want the consultant to document our vbac plan in writing, as fighting in labour to say, stop being monitored isn't helpful for anyone!

 

[tannembaum]

Good luck for tomorrow, hope things go the way you want and you get some answers