Time restricted for VBAC

[Wednesday]

Hi girls, I am due on the 13th march and I am going for a vbac but I have just read somewhere that the hospital restricts your labouring time because of previous c/s. I am going to Birralea, box hill and they are pro vbac. I am just wondering if anyone has had experience in being time restricted for labour and ended up having a c/s because of this?
Thanks

[Arimeh]

Hi, I'm not going to that hospital or anything, but just wanted to tell you that I'm going for a VBAC in July, and my OB has told me that she doesn't like to let her patients labour too long like, she told me that she would give me a slot of 4 hours and if I haven't dilated any further along, then we would look at options. However if I was dilating at an even pace, she wouldn't intervene. She is very pro-vbac but doesn't believe in taking unnecessary risks, and I trust her judgement. Thats all my knowledge on the subject. Oh and no being induced either, thats a no no apparently cos of the risk of uterine rupture. :-) Good luck with yours, I'm sure you will be successful!! See it and it will be!!!

[Kitty33]

Hmmm... I havent heard about that
I am going for my VBAC ,...... EEKKK ANY DAY NOW!!!!!!
I am a wee bit scared now that I have read that.......
I did ask however about the inducement methods (just in case) and my MW told me they have 2 options... if I am at all dialated.. about a minimum of 1.5 cm they are able to break the waters and the other one was a cathater (sorry dont know if I spelt that right) They pop the cathater just inside the cervix and expand a saline bag on the inside and one on the outside also which creates pressure on the cervix to trigger the horemone for it to start opening..... there is a name .. but forgot

Any info on that time limit thing would be appreicated here too!!! eeekkkk..........

[Trillian]

Read these articles -
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/...fter-caesarean
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/vbac-on-whose-terms

[*Belle*]

Hi there, I actually discussed this with my OB today, and she is pro VBAC. She said that she will only give me 5 hours of labour to see how it was going and if it wasnt progressing then off for the emergency c-section.

ETA she wont let me have a VBAC if I have to be induced due to the pressure she said is 6 times as much pressure on the c/s scar.

[s361768]

I stayed home right till the last min with my VBAC - as I knew about the time limits that they put on your labour and I didn't want to be timed or having bubby on their clock - I also didn't want to be lying on a bed with a foetal monitor on because I know that slows labour etc.

I started labour at approx midnight (almost birthed him in the car),but made it into the delivery room and birthed him at 5:09pm next evening...no medical intervention just a peaceful labour at home and a very rushed delivery

[BellyBelly]

Do you have a doula? Would be worth looking into one who has VBAC experience to help you navigate all that. I have known Biralee to be very pushy with limits... including booking someone in for a c/s when she said no. She was 14 days post dates and every time she would come in for monitoring (as agreed to keep going over the due date) they would say things like, 'but we've booked you in on xx you would be crazy not to take it, we have a great surgeon in...' Do the offer substandard care if you don't have a c/s? Have heard the same pressures several times, one for twins...

Sorry but I wouldn't call 'allowing' 5 hours of labour pro-vbac! You only have to do even a little bit of research and you will find out why - plenty of good books on BB and about (Silent Knife, Thinking Woman's Guide To a Better Birth, VBAC Companion) - or leave your birth up to chance... a very good one you will have that c/s! There are VBAC articles on the main site too.

[{sarah}]

My hospital hasn't mentioned anything about time limits as yet, but knowing that a lot of them impose them I have a plan in place to stay at home as long as possible. I'll have my doula with me to keep me going until I realy really *need* to be at the hospital.

[*Belle*]

sorry I should have said under the circumstances of what happened in the last birth of my child (the head would not go down).

[BellyBelly]

What do you mean Belle, babe didn't engage? Or was engaged but didn't descend? Was your baby posterior? In any case I think the Pink Kit would really help you, as well as optimal fetal positioning - spinningbabies.com. Of my 4-5 clients who have had a c/s, they have all been malpositioned, usually posterior.

[s361768]

You now I reckon Doulas are great for VBAC mums - to give the support, encouragement and confidence that we need to get through it. Doulas are great advocates in these situations.

"Silent Knife" was a great book to read during my last pregnancy, my doula lent it to me and I read it and then kept referring back to the sections of the book that I felt gave me the strength to go for my VBAC.

And I agree that putting a time limit on a woman who has had a previous CS is not pro VBAC!!!

[*Belle*]

Kelly,

I was induced at 41 weeks no sign of labour. Had non active labour for 12 hours then 12 hours of active labour no drugs (hypnotherapy) and she was engaged but got stuck in my pelvis at only 3cm dialated after the active labour of 12 hours In the end I was in so much pain I ended up asking for the Epi, was in transition 6 hours after that however she did get stuck in my pelvis and wouldnt go down. So emergency c/s was performed. I told my OB I didnt want a c/s until absolutely necessary, at this stage apparently was necessary, also I couldnt breathe and thought I was going to die (that maybe common though in transition? im not sure). She wasnt posterior.

The pink kit sounds good, whats malpositioned?

This time, my placenta is at the front. Im hoping it hasnt attached itself to my c/s scar (in a way I wish I never had the c/s scar then I wouldnt have this worry iykwim). Hopefully at my 19 week scan it will move up so I can still have VBAC.

How do you go about hiring a Doula for a private hospital. I think this would be a great idea for me, however is it true I cant be induced due to my c/s? so many questions.

[BellyBelly]

Sadly an induction doesn't always mean labour will start, you can get failed inductions then the only way out is a c/s. I think babies don't come for a reason and some people have longer cycles than others - an edd is based on an average 28 day cycle and ultrasound has a margin of error - so EDD is quite inaccurate.

No you can't be induced with drugs after a CS as that increases rupture risk. Some do the balloon induction method (foleys catheter) and EPO is used in VBAC women too to help ripen a cervix. Hopefully you wont need it, but still up to 42 weeks is still full term so hopefully you can negotiate up to that at least this time if you are both happy and healthy.

Yep definitely get the Pink Kit it's awesome. Everyone's pelvis has a unique shape and it teaches you how to map your pelvis to find out what shape you have then tell you what are the best positions for that shape... and much, much more. Its wonderful, it puts you back in control of your birth as you have skills and tools you can use!

Doulas you hire privately - check out the BellyBelly directory or the find a doula website

Those books I recommended are bibles for VBAC - if you cant afford the books check out your library - you will be so much better prepared for it and more likely to achieve the birth you want

Good luck - most of these things are available in the BB shop. Go get that birth you want! Its yours

[Ozziehoffy]

Sorry but I wouldn't call 'allowing' 5 hours of labour pro-vbac! You only have to do even a little bit of research and you will find out why - plenty of good books on BB and about (Silent Knife, Thinking Woman's Guide To a Better Birth, VBAC Companion) - or leave your birth up to chance... a very good one you will have that c/s! There are VBAC articles on the main site too.

I agree! I had a VBAC and I don't think that once during any of my appointments with the midwives was a time limit ever mentioned. They did say that they like to monitor more closely but that was it. I personally think that a time limit is only serving to making you feel more pressured and nervous which will not help. I did hypnobirthing and found it to be invaluable and the best thing I did. My labour was actually only 3 1/2 hours... waters did need breaking as that hadn't happened and he was in some distress .. I think he was trying to get out cos I really felt the strongest urge to push just as we were getting into the car to leave for hossy. Also I just remembered that the midwives did tell me to stay home for as long as possible as well cos then I'd be left in peace

[BellyBelly]

Yup, I reckon a pro-VBAC Ob/midwife whatever is one who really wants to help you make it happen and not put restrictions on you. The fact that every Ob has it's own set of 'rules' for VBAC vary greatly just goes to show that we should always do our research and not put all our eggs in one basket. You need to find the right people to do the right job for you.

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/vbac-on-whose-terms

[*Belle*]

Thanks for the Info Kelly,

Cass, I think my OB gave me the upto 5 hour restriction under my circumstance which I explained above, because she let my first birth go for 30 hours before an emergency as it was my instructions that kept her from doing the emergency c/s earlier as she was following my birthplan. like I said I used hypnobirthing for 12 hours non active labour with induction and 12 hours active labour (24hours) before taking the Epi as I ended up in so much pain and exaustion after 24 hours. So Im sorry but I think I lasted 24 hours on my birthplan and did the best I could and my OB stuck to my wishes all the way. I cannot complain about my OB.

[BellyBelly]

Sorry Belle don't mean to sound like I am picking on your Ob. Would have been nice if bub could have been given an extra week, up til the end of full term at 42 weeks as it sounds like bub wasn't ready for labour (not just in terms of gestation but position wise) but you did great with the situation you were given. Sadly first births often go off the rails, I ended up on a drip and an epi with mine as my labour stopped at 5cms and I too had been experiencing labour for days, when he broke my waters there was meconium so I had to have the drip. Luckily she was in a good possie though and was born without a hitch after all that. Second bub I got to hospital at 9cm as I stayed home as long as I could. Pushed him out not long after I got there, then got up and had a shower!

VBAC women should be treated like normal birthing women. The scar is strong and you have more chance of a miscarriage from an amnio (1%) than experiencing a uterine rupture (0.7%).

[SungaiKecil]

The best way to avoid being on a timer, is to turn up as late as possible in labour and decline any VEs. There is absolutely no real need to know how many cms you are, as you may be 3cm and dilate to 10 in 10 minutes or you may be a slower, cruisier labourer. It's all normal.
Anyone who insists on watching the clock in your labour, is not supporting you. They are paying you lip service.
VBAC is no different to any other birth. Women shouldn't be being induced at the rate they are for questionable indications like post dates etc.
Length of labour has been shown to have little impact on the rate of uterine rupture, induction/augmentation on the other hand does have an impact, and a significant one.

The best bet, is stay happy, gestate as long as your baby needs, turn up at the last minute, don't lay down (it makes your pelvic outlet smaller, and is not an optimal birth position), and don't let anyone inside your vagina or strap anything to you to measure a heartbeat.