Normal Birth after a c-section anyone?

[saraheeyore]

Well just been reading the other post on c-sections so thought it was ok to post this question as well
I know people thats had normal virginal births and i know people thats had c-sections but problem is i don't know anyone thats managed to have a normal birth after a c-section so i'm hoping for either some advice or just some information from real people not just the medical chances and theories. would appreciate some thoughts either from sucessful ones or non sucessful ones to help me decide what i should do. I am 10 weeks pregnant now so i have a while to think about it

 

[lalagrace]

depends on the cause of your first c/s. I am a nurse in OB/GYN, and if the reason for your first c/s was a breech baby then your chances of having a NSVD really increase. We have a fair number of women at this practice who have done it with out any problems. You just need to ask your doc if they do VBACs. Some docs will, others never do. There is nothing wrong with asking for a trial of labor, then if everything goes well great!
good luck either way

 

[DRS_Are_Best]

My first was a c-section because I failed to progress -- then developed pre-eclampsia making it necessary. My plan was to do a VBAC, but when I became pregnant with twins, after talking with my OB, decided I was better off with a second c-section. But I would have chosen to attempt a "natural" delivery if my second was a singleton.

For the record, I went into labor on my own the second time (was induced the first time) and, after 16 hours of trying to STOP labor, failed to progress again (didn't dilate AT ALL [still 0cm]). Chances are, a VBAC would have failed in my case.

If you are serious about it, talk to your OB and learn the pros and cons. Do additional research. If it works for you, I wish you all the best....

 

[bumbershoot]

Check out ICAN! There are plenty of women on there who have VBACs, including homebirths. It's too bad you didn't find it before this pregnancy, mainly b/c people are very blunt, speak honestly, and sometimes that's hard on people when they are pregnant and hormonal, but you can find out the real risks (nowhere near as high as many OBs and some midwives like to say it is...they haven't looked at the actual research, or don't *understand* the research (that's worse)), what to watch for when choosing practitioners, and so on.

There are also facebook groups for VBAC as well as yahoo groups.

 

[LuvBaloo]

My first was c-section after labour didn't work, and baby was going into distress.
My second was natural. My doctor did have me go to a specialist later in my pregnancy to confirm that it was okay to try natural. The only thing they advised me on, was to go to hospital early in the start of labour to get checked out, instead of staying home until contractions 5 min apart. I did go to the hospital, and they checked me out and sent me home telling me to come back at 5min apart.

Also, my sister had c-section with her first (also after labour didn't work and baby was going into distress because cord was around neck), and then natural for her 2nd and 3rd.

Having done both, I think natural is much better. Recovery time is faster afterwards. This might be TMI, but with natural I tore quite badly, which was sore for quite a while after (until healed completely) but it was much less painful than the csection.

 

[Jenvenza]

Well just been reading the other post on c-sections so thought it was ok to post this question as well
I know people thats had normal virginal births and i know people thats had c-sections but problem is i don't know anyone thats managed to have a normal birth after a c-section so i'm hoping for either some advice or just some information from real people not just the medical chances and theories. would appreciate some thoughts either from sucessful ones or non sucessful ones to help me decide what i should do. I am 10 weeks pregnant now so i have a while to think about it

I am sorry - but that really made me laugh.

 

[disny_luvr]

I can't wait to hear what you decide. I had to have a c-section with my twins because Baby A was breech. I hated the recovery with a c-section and told my DH that if I had to have a c-section again I probably wouldn't have anymore - maybe it just seemed hard since I had two babies to care for. I was curious and I asked my OB/GYN doctor at my last appointment that if I decided to have more children would I have to have a repeat c-section because I already had one and he said no. He explained that (the practice that I go to) actually recommends VBACs because they always feel that a natural birth is more safe than a c-section.

On a side note, my friend is due to have a baby later this month. Her first labor resulted in a c-section, and she, too, is having a VBAC.

 

[saraheeyore]

thanks all my first was breech and i have read up quite a bit but its better to hear real stories. the midwife did say about a trial of labour. I know i need more control of what happens this time as last time was just a blur and i didn't have a clue what was going on half the time. Only found out she was breech 1 day before due date and was taken in for c-section next day. Found a good midwife who says we can go for a chat and have more say in what happens if i have another c-section which makes me feel a bit better about it as i feel i miss out on a lot. Took them ages to show me my baby and i didn't know if she was a boy or a girl for ages at the time we had to keep asking

 

[suzcruz]

just to play devil's advocate, my friend had an unplanned c-section with her first child, mainly due to his size and failure to progress. with her second, she had a VBAC. i think she was surprised at the recovery time for a V birth and chose a planned C for her 3rd child. With the planned C, she had control over the date and could be prepared, But the trial of labor sounds fine if that's what you want & the medical professional agrees!

 

[ScotsMinnie]

I had the same worries when I fell pregnant with my second baby. I had to have an emergency c section with my first DD as after 31 hours of painful labour (due to epidurals not working). I eventually had to have a general anaesthetic as they started the section before my spinal block took effect! Basically DD was back to back and would not come through the pelvis.

When i fell pregnant again I really wanted to have a natural delivery. I was told that it would be possible. Hospitals here are very reluctant to schedule C sections. You can't request a section. The NHS are trying to get their C sections rates down.

As time went on it became very obvious to me that baby was back to back again and I started to worry. By the time I got into the third trimester and baby was big it was very clear that baby was not in the right position and was in fact in the same position as DD1. I saw the doctor and shared my worries and was told that baby was not back to back. (She was - you could see her fett sticking under my skin). My worry was another emergency section due to the horror i experienced the first time. I was told that I WOULD be trying for a VBAC and they would not schedule a section under any circumstances.

So my labour starts and in contrast to the last time it went very quickly. Afetr 2 hours I was 10cm and just arrived at the hospital. So no pain relief was available. I pushed for 2 and a half hours and nothing happened. Surprise surprise they found she was back to back and totally not coming down. My pelvis seemed to be a problem again. So they decided on a section. I was scared but the anaethetist was a young girl and i told her about the last time and she was amazing. It went slowly so i was sure i was numb and it was a totally different experience.

I did feel annoyed that they had made me go ahead with natural labour knwing the chances of it being a success are slim.

I was also disappointed that I didn't get the chance to experience natural labour but I am grateful for a lovely delivery none the less.


So if there is a chance that you could get a VBAC then go for it and push your case. I would have loved to get one. But at the same time whatever happens try to make the best of it. The end result is the same hopefully and you don't get a medal for pushing a baby out the natural way!!!

As long as mum and baby are healthy then it really doesn't matter.

As for me I am not having any more so I will never have a natyral delivery but I di have 2 beautiful girls so can't complain too much!!! (except for the lovely scar line! My battle scar!)

Good luck and enjoy your pregnancy!

 

[Eyore4Ever149]

Find yourself a midwife and explore VBAC- the C-section rate is waaay too high in our country- higher than anywhere else.
Read books my Ina May Gaskin or Henci Goer
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Spiritual Midwifery
The Thinking Womans Guide to Childbirth
Birthing from Within by Pam England
do a google search on natural childbirth for lots of good info.
or go to babycenter discussion boards and search on "VBAC"
Best wishes! Its totally possible! You just have to have the right support system and team around you. A midwife, a doula, a supportive husband, and an educated you are the best mix.

 

[cathyce2]

I had a c-section with my first child after 36 hours of labor and no end in site. She was also a rather large baby. My entire body ached for days.
I planned a repeat c-section with my second, but she had other plans and arrived 6 weeks early, completely unmedicated and almost before the doctor. I was up and around in a matter of hours. If I had to do it again (which I'm NOT) I'd prefer the VBAC but my experience is influenced by length of labor, size of the baby, and knowing after the fact that my premie is perfectly healthy.

 

[zarvgirl]

Just thought I would share my experience....

My first delivery was an unplanned c-section after 20+hrs of labour didn't progress fully, due to my uneducation of the event and believing the medical professionals would be there and walk me through the experience, I even pushed for over an hour!!

Our first was a big boy, 9lbs 12 oz.

I then had a VBAC for our second child. It was a typical labour, perhaps not the easiest birth, I only realised this though after having our third child.

I think all births are different with each women, I certainly healed faster from my last birth then either before. But who knows what would happen next time if we were to have another.

Good luck with your decisions. The most important thing 50 yrs. down the road is that you had the children, whatever way!!

 

[LisaNJ25]

I tried to for the last 2 but no luck. They didnt want to come out at all. I never had any labor symptons.

 

[lunalibre]

I will second the recommendation to find the ICAN (International Caesarean Awareness Network). Those ladies are fantastic!

I had a c/s with my first (dr did an unnecessary intervention, which led to cascading interventions, which led to the c/s). I had a natural VBAC with my second. I had a rotten recovery from the c/s, so the VBAC was a snap in comparison.

Spend some time thinking long and hard about what sort of birth *you* want, then make sure you go to a care provider who does *lots* of the birth style you want. It sounds simple, doesn't it? I sure wish I had known that with my first one!!! I went with a "nice" doctor who said all the right things. It didn't even dawn on me that, of the 6+ women I knew who used her, NOT ONE had a natural birth. Gosh, that should have been a HUUUUUUUGE clue that I was using the wrong person. Hindsight.

Anyway, second time around I found a wonderful birth center with on-call OB backup and lots of support for VBAC. It was me, DH, the midwife, and her assistant at the birth. Perfect. :

The "Birthing From Within" book is great for getting your confidence up. Women have been giving birth naturally for thousands of years. You can do it too!

Best wishes for a healthy pregnancy and a safe delivery!

 

[2Monkeys]

I had a c-sect with my first due to the size of her head and failure to progress. B/c her head size was too big for my pelvis, I had a scheduled c-sect the 2nd time around. His head was the EXACT same size as my DD!! My goal was healthy mom & babies, so I call it a success!!

My friend had an emergency c-sect her 1st time b/c of severe pneumonia and a breech baby. Her dr encouraged her to do a VBAC, which she was very excited about. However, they did NOT do an ultrasound to determine the size of the baby. After SEVERAL hours of pushing, she had to have a c-sect - the baby turned out to be 9 lbs, and the mom is very tiny!! She also ended up with an abdominal wall hernia, which she had to have surgery for later.

All that to say, I would talk to your dr at length and make sure this is the right decision for YOUR situation.

 

[Tam1067]

I had three c-sections after my first labor failed to progress. My ob-gyn discouraged VBAC because I have large babies and a small pelvis, and she feared by uterine rupture and a repeat c-section for me. So I had two scheduled c-sections for the last two, and all went well.

Here is my warning--

My brother's wife had an emergency c-section with her first because the baby went into distress during pushing. When she was pregnant with #2, her OB encouraged her to try VBAC and said she was a good candidate for one. Her first baby was about seven pounds, and her labor progressed normally until the baby went into distress, so she was not considered high risk. She thought about it and made the choice to attempt VBAC.

During labor with baby #2, she felt horrible ******l area pain, complained, and was ignored by the nurse who did not believe her that the pain was anything out of the ordinary. Then her blood pressure went very low, and the baby went into distress, so she was taken in for another emergency c-section.

Her uterus had ruptured, and the baby's head was in her abdomen by the time the doctors had her opened up. His APGAR was a 2. He appears normal now (this was in October), but she was truly minutes away from bleeding out herself and losing the baby, or having a baby with serious disabilities. Neither the two doctors nor the nurses working had seen this happen, so they were not prepared for it.

Though VBACs can be good, I just hope that women do research and consider all the options. You should also have the baby's size checked because large babies are much more likely to cause uterine rupture during VBAC attempts.

 

[LuvBaloo]

thanks all my first was breech and i have read up quite a bit but its better to hear real stories. the midwife did say about a trial of labour. I know i need more control of what happens this time as last time was just a blur and i didn't have a clue what was going on half the time. Only found out she was breech 1 day before due date and was taken in for c-section next day. Found a good midwife who says we can go for a chat and have more say in what happens if i have another c-section which makes me feel a bit better about it as i feel i miss out on a lot. Took them ages to show me my baby and i didn't know if she was a boy or a girl for ages at the time we had to keep asking

That medical team was just plain bad. Its not hard to say "girl or boy" when they pull the baby out. They should have told you right away. With my c-section, I was frozen from the neck down. After baby was out, they quickly checked that she was okay, then handed her to my sister (she was in the room for the birth) and then my sister carried her over so I could see her and kiss her and then my sister and baby left with the nurse and went back to the room, where the rest of the family was. As soon as the freezing was gone, I was taken to my room where baby and family was waiting, and I was able to hold her and then try nursing.

 

[momof4kid]

You need to first check with you OB if he/she does allow VBACs. I'm an OB nurse and in the past two years the number of OBs that do them, or even allow a woman to try for any length of time is very low. However, one year ago, I had a VBAC. I was upfront with my docs from the begining and it helped that my first two were vag deliveries. So the reason for the C/s was not a narrow pelvis or anything and the incision on my uterus from my C/S was bikini (it yours is Classical (up and down) you don't have a choice, you'll need a C/S b/c of the risk of your uterus rupturing.) At my hospital the OB has to be in the hospital at all times while you're in labor, so this is a big reason docs are not wanting to do VBACs anymore. I had a major, but rare complication w/ my c/s, so the VBAC was MUCH better. First step is to research, then if you do decide, find a doc who will allow you the try and have a VBAC.

Good luck, and remember it's all about the end result; a healthy mom&baby

 

[brytorlyn]

My first delivery was an unplanned C-section for non progression of labour combined with pre-eclampsia. I had a healthy baby boy, 9lbs 11oz!

For my second child (4 years later), I read EXTENSIVELY about VBAC deliveries and I went ahead with a very supportive OBGYN and although they did end up requesting that the surgeon on call not go too far away from the hospital I did end up with a normal ******l birth after about 19 hours of labour. The labour was slow and they were concerned at one point because I seemed to get to 6 or 7 inches very quickly and then I just stopped progressing but my doctors were a little more patient and it paid off. I had a gir, 8lbs 6 oz!

I also went ahead 10 years later to have one more baby..and that also was a nice normal vag. delivery. A 7lb girl.

I didn't think that the c-section was a big deal and had a fairly smooth recovery and I thought that maybe I would stick with the sections and avoid painful labour ( although I did have 13 hours with the first child before the section). But after I had my second child ...WOW!!!! Although the labour was plenty painful enough...I was on my feet showering and feeling great the next morning and that was a much quicker recovery than the section.

I would recommend that you read and get informed and if your doctor isn't enthusiastic (some doctors are not informed and stick with old fashion ideas) try consulting another doctor.

Check out a website called vbac .com. It seems informative. Keep in mind that C sections are not without risks to mother and child.