Uterine rupture???

[Wednesday]

I was just wondering if anyone has had a uterine rupture or know someone who has with vbac? I have been given the choice to have a cesar or have the baby by vbac. Truth is I have no idea which way to go as I didn't even go into labour with my first born and instead of getting induced (as I was a few weeks overdue) I had an emergency c-section. So I have no idea what a contraction feels like.
I recovered well from my cesar and was out of bed within six hours and hardly used any medication, I was home within three days as I was doing so well. I am so scared of vbac because of the rupture? Help me choose??

[Trish]

Hi, I had a VBAC with my last birth and am planning to have one again this time around. I am also planning a homebirth with this baby just as I did with my last.

The risk of uterine rupture after a c section is actually pretty low. Alot lower than your OB would have you think alot of the times.

I will give you a coupleof links to the articles Kelly has put on the site about VBAC's. Ultimately it's your decision, but I'd far rather go though a natural child birth than a repeat c section if it wasn't truelly warranted.

http://www.bellybelly.com.au/article...fter-caesarean

http://www.bellybelly.com.au/article...on-whose-terms

I failed in my VBAC,I had fully dialated and was given the ok to start pushing but baby's head was too high and I had a temperature so had to have another caesarean. I guess the question is what do you want to do? For me, I was grateful to have had the chance to try for a VBAC, it was something I was determined in succeeding. If you do choose to go for the VBAC, you will be monitored the entire time which may help ease your mind a bit. I had a midwife with me the entire time.

Also my attempt for a VBAC ws done 11 months after my previous caesar.

Good luck

[Alan]

Hi Wednesday
If you email me I will srnd you some articles on VBAC

alan@yourmidwife.com.au

[BellyBelly]

The risk of rupture is 0.7%, and for me, the risk of surgery is not worth such a miniscule chance that there will be a rupture... and besides, the study that came up with that figure was a rupture from all causes, inductions included. You can rupture without having a previous caesarean, and to put it even more in perspective, you have around 1% chance of miscarriage from having an amnio - but lots of women do it... would be great if lots of women were having VBACS!

It's also very important to place yourself in the care and environment which is going to give you the best chance of success. In the vast majority of private hospitals with a private ob you are less likely to acheive a VBAC. I'd highly recommend hiring a doula or private midwife to support you. A professional birth support person results in 50% less c/s - thats from lots of studies from around the world.

[Mother Goose]

Kelly/Alan, (not that I'm PG yet - too much ill health to get over first) BUT, in Vic, would ALL private hospitals/Ob's require constant monitoring for a VBAC? I was stuck on CTG the whole time when induced and I never want to go through that again...

Also, Alan - would you support a VBAC homebirth?

Sorry for hijacking!

MG

[Von]

I can deffinatly understand where you are comimg from. I was faced with the same decision 5 months ago. I howeverv knew i wanted a vbac as unlike you my recovery was awful...Anyway i found an ob who was rather supportive but i was never told how low the risk was of a rupture i was actually told something totally different...while in labour i started to freak out as the epi wore off and as i was having pain in my previous scar of course i thought i was experiencing a rupture and instead of being told that the epi had worn off and it was just contractions i was experiencing i was rushed to theatre for an emergency c/s.
I still haven't got over the anger the resentment towards the medical professionals and everydai i still am runnung over the birth in my head thinkuing of what i could have done different,,,,So i have now enrolled in a doula course so i can learn and fully understand birth for my next vba2c...
I know it is a hard decision to make but only you know how you will feel both emotionally and physically after each type of birth, for me a c/s made me feel some what as a failure
Von

[BellyBelly]

Yup MG most do but some negotiate Check out the breech birth article for ideas on Obs who will be more likely to accommodate, and the VBAC article in the birth section, Under Whose Terms?

Many private midwives do HBACs, not sure if Alan does or if he's taking on more clients atm. So if he can't do it, let me know if you want some names, or check out the Maternity Coalition website.

[Von]

Just a quick question about hbac...do you think a private midwife would take me on if I have had 2 previous c/s?. My friend who is a nurse said no and my OB refuses to let me try for a vba2c next time round so looks like a hb is my only option but apparently it would be considered a high risk...

[Trish]

Von, I am having a homebirth with this baby as I did with my last and had no shortage of midwives ready to take me on. I am sure that will have the same thing with finding a midwife to support you.
I am so sorry that you had such a unpleasent experience with your VBAC. I hope and pray that next time around you get the birth experience you are after hun and a bit of closure too

BTW, Alan will and does support VBAC's, including homebirth vbac's. I know this because we have spoken about him supporting me if I wanted him to. He was also happy to support a homebirth breech bub too But as Kelly said I'm not sure that he is taking on any new clients right at the moment.

[BellyBelly]

rupture risk 1 c/s - 0.7
rupture risk 2 c/s - 0.9

[christy]

I just wanted to put my 2c in too!! I had a VBAC in November, and I decided after much reading that the risk of surgery was greater than the risk of uterine rupture, Kelly & Alan both gave me heaps of great info about it.

Also with the constant monitoring I have information which talks about the problem with it and how it causes women to have difficulty with labour. Personally it was my biggest battle with our hospital & midwives, in the end I agreed to having it on for 20 minutes and then off for 20.... but I had monitoring for the first hour I was in hospital as I sat on a fit ball and leaned against the bed, didn't even notice it was there & then I jumped into the shower & was monitored again 2 hours later... so as long as things were going really well they didn't keep going, near the end the midwife wanted to monitor me more & I didn't care at that pointI didn't even notice what she was doing... mainly because I ignored here LOL, I let my birth support do all the work on what was going on & I just focus on the birth.

[Alan]

MG
Yes most hospitals would require constant monitoring and yes I would happily support a VBAC homebirth in fact I would encourage it. I know from experience that often obs will offer a "trial of scar" This is OB talk for "we will let her think we will let her have a VBAC in this hosp but after she has been in labour for an hour or so we will convince her that her scar is about to rupture and she needs an emergency CS"

[Mother Goose]

Thanks Kelly and Alan. That is certaintly interesting Alan - not surprising though. I am not looking at even TTC for sometime - I really have a lot of ill health to get over and want to be in the best possile condition to give myself the best possible chance. But forewarned is forearmed
Does the risk of UR drop as time passes after the section? For example, is it less likely to occur 3 years post section as opposed to 1 year post section?

Christy - I like your negotiation with the hospital - I will have to keep it in mind and try something similar.

Alan i haven't had a caesar, but what do you think the chances of you moving back to the UK, to Scotland and just happening to be nearby and available for my next homebirth (i'm not even PLANNING a pregnancy just yet) would be? 80-90% chance??

Bx

[Alan]

Sorry I am staying here. This is a fantastic country. Why not come visit us for a holiday and a birth

[Alan]

MG I dont think the chances change from what i can remember

[castle]

Sweetie, don't forget that you can have a rupture during a "normal" delivery--not a VBAC!
I've had 2 VBACs and was told the risk of rupture was minimal. I had intermittent monitoring with both. Please PM me if you have any questions!