WTT after c section - vbac or elective section?

[clarsair]

My natural homebirth turned into an emergency c-section after LO's head appeared to get stuck. I really really want a VBAC next time but also have the worry that there may be something physically wrong with me and can't manage it.

 

[MummytoSummer]

That seems to be the biggest worry I hear from women that have ended up with c sections, that they're worried their bodies physically just can't do labour! It's what I worry about. There must be a reason why my body did what it did first time round, I can't see why it'll be different next time!

A separate worry I have is about my scar and how that will be during pregnancy. I had a huge bump with Summer and I think to myself if I get as big with next one, how will my scar ever cope with stretching!

X

 

[cleckner04]

I was induced at 40+3 because I started to get really high blood pressure and they thought it was best to get her out soon. The induction took 25 hours and I only progressed to 7 cms in that time. Emma's heartrate kept dropping and I had to be on my left side, with an oxygen mask on my face almost the entire labor. Imagine how that would be for 25 hours straight. Eventually her heartrate dropped enough to be super dangerous so we decided to get her out. Although by that point I was begging for them to cut her out anyways..

I really don't know what I'm going to do next time. I plan on being healthier with my next pregnancy and maybe that will help me avoid getting high blood pressure. So maybe I'll actually have a chance of going into labor on my own. I think if I can avoid a c-section I will. But I really don't see how I'm going to go through all that again, plus have Emma at home IYKWIM. She's never had a babysitter. Not once. She's been with me her entire life. So that part of it freaks me out too. If I have an elective c-section we can just plan it out by the day/hour so I have someone here I can trust to take her. I know absolutely no one here. It's just DH and me. And he's deployed now so it's just me. So we'd have to get my mom or DH's mom to fly here to take Emma. It's all so complicated. I wish I could just see in the future and know if I am capable of pushing a baby out on my own.

Sorry that was a big jumble of thoughts there..

 

[MummytoSummer]

Oh wow hun, that must have been quite frightening for you and I can understand why you're even more scared of it happening again, with nobody but your dh around as you say it's worrying to think what you'll do with Emma (she's gorgeous by the way). I know what you mean about wishing you could see into the future to know if your body is able to go through a full labour. It's def very tempting to just think that at least with a planned c section you know when, where and what to expect. I'm a big planner and like to be organised so in that sense an elective section would suit me!

I hope next time you get the birth you want!

X

 

[OmiOmen]

I had a planned c-section (I hate the word elective because it is not like I wanted one) but I wanted a drug-free home birth so it is not at all what I wanted. I had pregnancy induced hypertension, was told I was on the edge of getting pre-eclampsia and I had a breech baby (they would not consider trying to turn him due to the other problems), I had strep-B too but that did not really have anything to do with the c-section. I defiantly want to try a VBAC next time, I really did not like having a c-section, especially the recovery part.