VBAC vs. Cesarian - Need Advice/Anectotes!

[Emmyjean]

Hi ladies - it's been a while since I posted here, but I really could use some insight based on previous experience, or just some general opinions from the peanut gallery!

I'm 34 weeks now with my second little boy, and just to give some background - my last birth experience was terrible. I went into labor on my own almost two weeks late. Long story short(ish), I labored for 36 hours total and the last six hours of that was working on getting from 9 to 10, which never happened. My kidneys started to swell, my epidural wore off and I started to become feverish so they did an emergency C-section - at which point they couldn't numb me completely and had to knock me out because I could feel the surgery once they got inside. I was therefore unconscious for the birth of my own child - one minute I was lying on the table, the next, in the recovery room and they'd already whisked him away.

That was almost two years ago. My new bundle is due in about a month and my doctor is sort of pushing me to try VBAC - but I don't think I could handle facing another experience like the last one. I went into parenthood so behind on sleep and energy, so discouraged, that I really feel it made the first few weeks way harder than it should have been. I sort of want to just say I would like to just do a C-section, but know it sounds bad because VBAC is better and carries little risk these days.

I just really don't want to face another long, long labor only to have it end the same way. I'm sure this question gets asked all the time, but...any insight? Stories? Advice? I have to decide sooner than later, obviously, lol. Thanks ladies.

 

[ILUVSHOPPING]

Oh my! How traumatizing! I'm going for a vbac this time around, but in the event that labor doesn't kick in soon enough I'll have a cesarean on the 12th. With my last pregnancy I went through 3.5 days of induction and I didn't dilate one bit.
I can certainly understand why you'd rather go for a c section and totally avoid this happening all over again. I can't offer much insight, but I can offer ***hugs***

 

[mummy2o]

I tried a VBAC with DD, but it ended up with a semi-planned emergency c-section as they had the crew on standby just in case.

A bit of background my son was 16 days late, this was after 4 failed inductions and having my waters broken. I got to 10cm but he just wouldn't push himself out. Far to comfy. Tried ventouse before an emergency section and it took me ages to recover. I mean 6 weeks plus.

With DD her VBAC didn't go well. Not because of anything I did. Things were going alright my end, but she wasn't happy being in labour and her heart rate kept dropping to below 90 at times and wasn't picking itself back up quickly enough. So for her own health she was cut out. But prior to that everything was going well. I had lovely staff, felt secure in their hands, etc. It was just a shame that it didn't happen according to plan. Since it was semi planned my recovery time was about a week and a half. I felt great, despite my scar getting infected but soon sorted that out. I did give birth at two different hospitals though so that might have made a difference. This time I don't get a choice as my hospital only lets you attempt VBAC once, plus even if they did allow for more due to the timescale my body wouldn't of had enough time to recover.

 

[sethsmummy]

hey hun i had a traumatic first birth so opted for an elcs with my second. I have just booked my section date for this baby which will be the 6th January. I just made a list of pros and cons and figured out what would work best for me and my family. I refuse to be induced which my consultant was more than happy with (i have GD so would have been induced at term). So we have agreed that my section will happen at 38+5 BUT if i should go into natural labour before then i have said i want to give it a good shot.. but if there is no decent progression or something even starts to look like its going wrong like with my first son.. then ill be taken straight down for a section. xx

 

[sethsmummy]

oh or if i change my mind at all if i go in in labour then theyll do a section straight away. I have just to let the midwife know when i call x

 

[Emmyjean]

Thanks so much for the insights, ladies.

I don't have a burning need to do a natural birth the way I know some women do - it's not important to me, as long as he comes out healthy and we all leave the hospital happy. I just feel sort of like people expect me to want to give it the old college try before automatically going, "Get him out! C-section please!". I know I shouldn't care what people think and normally I don't, but this is giving me pause.

I think that might be a good plan, actually, to just set a deadline - if I don't go into labor naturally by such-and-such date, then just do the CS. I definitely don't want to be induced - I've heard too many negative things about it, it seems like it causes problems - and since I'm apparently problem-prone anyway, lol...

Thanks again! You ladies are great.

 

[RaspberryK]

I'm all for vbacs usually, perhaps if you are comfortable with vbac then you could maybe say if you go into labour on your own before x date/days past edd, then you'll try for x no hours, before you would want to have c section.
Maybe discuss the epidural/spinal options before hand and why it may not have worked etc.
Perhaps a discussion about what the problem was with not fully dilating etc?
Get everything all talked through before making any decisions and know that you can change your mind at any point.
Xx

 

[sethsmummy]

I think thats the best way to go hun. That way you have a date set but you know you can still try if you go before.. and you can always change your mind at any time if you do decide you definitely want to try natural. You could ask them to book your section for your due date too to give you as much time as possible xx

 

[amyleigh89]

Hi, poor you. My birth was similar in so far as they had to knock me out half way through emcs after being induced for 3 days and not progressing past 3cm. My epidural hadn't worked the whole way through but they assured me it would be a much bigger dose so not to worry. They were wrong. I didn't feel them cutting but once they were inside I was in a lot of pain. I refused a GA until DD was born as I wanted her to have skin to skin with my hubby but they have documented I was screaming. I suffered with PTSD and this time felt i needed the control of an elective.

Had I previously progressed further along in labour a think I would have tried for a vbac. I honestly don't think there was room for DD in my pelvis, she never engaged properly even when on the synto. Some women are built differently but I think for you to have got to 9... There is every chance you could go the whole way this time.

No one can make the decision for you as no one really knows how you feel or how traumatic your last birth was. At the end of the day the choice is yours. Maybe you could write a list of what you want from this birth or what yr main fears are. That might help you decide.

A good bit of advice I was given after having DD is that actually... We have the final decision. Midwives/doctors will tell us what they think but if we want something strongly enough we can push for it.

I hope you come to a decision soon xx

 

[Emmyjean]

Hi, poor you. My birth was similar in so far as they had to knock me out half way through emcs after being induced for 3 days and not progressing past 3cm. My epidural hadn't worked the whole way through but they assured me it would be a much bigger dose so not to worry. They were wrong. I didn't feel them cutting but once they were inside I was in a lot of pain. I refused a GA until DD was born as I wanted her to have skin to skin with my hubby but they have documented I was screaming. I suffered with PTSD and this time felt i needed the control of an elective.

Thanks so much. This is exactly what happened - I didn't feel the incision, but once they were cutting into my uterus it was like something out of a horror movie. I had tears running down my face and all I could do was choke out a few words to my husband about how I could feel the knife, and then I was out. They didn't even warn me, I don't think...it was just bam, and then I was waking up after it was all over. So very disappointing...

It was weird - the day nurse left her shift telling me I was at 9.5, almost 10 and would be pushing within the hour. Then the night nurse came in and checked an hour later and said I was at 6 - I was baffled and so frustrated. Still don't really understand how that could be...the day nurse must just have been wrong, but by that much? I wonder now if it had something to do with my kidney/bladder issues making everything swell up down there. Who knows, doesn't matter now.

They loaded me with the highest dose of Pitocin they could, because my water had been broken HOURS before and you know they don't let it go beyond a certain amount of time afterwards for fear of infections. I progressed from 6 to 9 in a matter of about 3 hours and then just stalled out, and they couldn't wait anymore.

I'm sorry you had such a bad time, too...at least we know we're not alone in that boat, right?

 

[minties]

I went for the repeat section with Sophie. I stalled at 3cm dilated with my son and it was exhausting being in labour, not sleeping, then having an EMCS and then looking after the baby etc.

I'm very happy with my choice, and it went so smoothly. I enjoyed her CS thoroughly.

 

[amyleigh89]

You're right... Somehow it does make it better to know you aren't alone. Not sure about stats for your hospital but i had a meeting with the head of aneasthesiology (who ive insisted performs my spinal) in the uk and in my particular hospital used to have a 5-7% chance of needing a GA during a emcs. It's not reduced to 1% which makes me feel loads better.

Have you had a meeting with an aneasthetist? Maybe that would help you regain a bit of trust?

It's a scary thought but they can't guarantee a natural birth - even women who've done it lots of times can end up with an emcs - at least with an elective you can try until spinal is in correctly and you are 100% happy.

X