VBAC vs C/S- What swayed your decision?

[NaeNae]

........ the percentages of attempted VBAcers who end up with emergency surgery is scary!

I would be interested in seeing your info on this because I have always heard the opposite, so if you can pm me this information that would be really good. Maybe start a new thread and ask a Mod to Poll it and see how many attempted VBAC'ers here ended up with another E-C-Section I for one would be very interested to see the results.

The offer for you to borrow "Silent Knife" still stands.

Good luck with your C-section

[Jennifer13]

I think at the moment the one thing that worries me about VBAC is the risk of emergency c-section. I would rather have a planned c-section than an emergency one and the percentages of attempted VBAcers who end up with emergency surgery is scary!

My ob said that 75-80% of his attempted VBACers were successful and didn't need another c/s. And that's in an area and with a private hospital that generally has dreadful stats on intervention and c/s. In fact, the hospital policies were what put me off trying for a VBAC in the hospital in the first place (I'm having a homebirth).

Check with your care provider as to how many of their VBACs are successful. It will either give you a good idea of how supportive of VBAC they really are, or at least how they compare to others in your area. Ask around, others in the field are likely to know who has a good reputation for a VBAC or not. M/ws are usually a great source of info!

[glenny_c]

Thank you girls. I definitely have some more work to do!

NaeNae- I have PM'd you

As I said to NaeNae- I think my main issue is that I have lost all faith in my body's ability after dd's birth. So when I see stats I immediately put myself on the neg side of them.

[Miss E]

According to my OB the VBAC success rate in Australia is around 50-60%. But he said world wide it is more like 70-75%.

[farmgirl77]

Hi,
I have been struggling with a similar decision.

DS was born by emergency cs after labour failed to progress (I was induced after my waters broke but not contractions). I was mentally and physically very exhausted after the event, having not really slept for 48hrs by the time my DS was born. I think that this contributed to my BF issues and to some extent my PND (although there was lots of other factors as well).

Now pg with DS #2, another emergency cs is my least prefered option of giving birth. So I'm having to decide if I try for a VBAC or if I go for an elective cs. I guess for me there are a few confounding factors in that my ob will not let my pg go past 40wks due to health reasons (so at 40 wks I would be booked in for a cs anyway if I decided to try for VBAC but dont go into labour before 40wks). I also have a low placenta, and a scan at 34wks will determin if it is still low and if so, that will prob mean that I have no choice but a cs.

However, ignorning all the other factors, I've still been grappling with what decision to make. My ob is pro a repeat cs. I would like to birth naturally, but do not want to end up having to have an emergency cs. I am concerned about the public perception of 'elective cs' (and in some ways just hope that my placenta is still low so that the decision is taking out of my hands - how bad is that!). My gut feel is that I will go with an elective cs, even knowing the risks. I guess I dont trust that the outcome will be different from last time if I do attempt VBAC.

Not sure if this will have helped at all, but good luck in your decision.

FG

[Me+him+bub]

farmgirl: I had grade 2 placenta previa and had one last scan at 36 weeks and placenta was totally out of the way, don't give up just yet!

glenny c: How are you going?

[glenny_c]

I'm ok thanks hon. Still undecided but I've decided not to let it stress me, I've got plenty of time to make the decision but I need to relax about it. I've been stressing so much I'm not sleeping which is crazy. My dd deserves better than a stressed out mum.

[Tegam]

Hey Glenny when you get back from OS think more about it.


I'll be your doula if you want one

[Me+him+bub]

I can also be your student midwife too! i start my midwifery masters in Jan, I am sure Tegam and I could help you through either way

[Melbournemumma]

My first ds was delivered by emergency c-section after failure to progress. He was so stuck that he never desended. I was 3cm when I arrived at hospital for my induction and I was 3cm when I went down to the theatre to have him 9hrs later.

With my second DS I considered VBAC but when I took into account my previous labour, my small pelvis, my ability to produce big babies combined with my mother's history of not quite dialating enough I decided that I would have a 2nd c-section. By c-section was great. I had my ds2 and my DH in the theater with me the entire time and in recovery (unlike with DS1) and my physical recovery was fantastic. I went home from hospital 5 days later with no painkillers and really had no dramas, even when dealing with my 2yr old. I just told him I couldn't pick him up cause I had a sore tummy and I got down to him as much as I could

Whatever decision you make, remember that it's your decision and you should never feel bad for making the best decision for you and your baby.

[glenny_c]

Thank you MelbourneMumma.

and thanks Tegam and Me + him- So much support, I feel really touched. xx

[AnnaBelle]

The best shower of my life was after giving birth to my DS2 !!
I stood there in the birthing room with water dripping over my body thinking OMG I have done it!!
I cant believe I have just given birth an hour ago and now I am having a shower & walking around!!

My DS1 was an emergency cs after an induction at 13 days ++ and in distress at 6cm

My DS2 arrived with no drugs and I was fully dialated when i got to hospital about 4 1/2 hours of labour

My bubs are 22 months apart.

Saying that I was prepared to have a cs if i didnt go into labour naturally as i couldnt be induced and my OB was going
to give me 1 week over - so i was the most nervous about actually going into labour - i wondered if my body would do that
- acupuncture!!! and a pregnancy massage did the trick!!
But at the end of the day - I think each baby and labour is different and if your baby is going to come it will of its own accord-
I decided that i wanted to give my body achance to have this baby by vb and if it didnt happen i was at peace with another cs
- so glad i gave my body the opportunity to do what it was meant to do..
So Glenny your decision is yours just be at peace with whatever youdecide and you cant go wrong xo

[RainbowBrite]

I would have definitely tried for a VBAC with my DS4 and I tried many avenues to try and get one but unfortunately due to the fact I had to have a classical c-section with DD3 no doctor would let me try.
I soon accepted that is the way it would be and was ok with it.
Even though it was another emergency c-section it was a lot better than my first.

Whatever decision you make, remember that it's your decision and you should never feel bad for making the best decision for you and your baby.

I agree!

[smekko]

Hi Glenny

I am in the same situation as you. I had an emergency c-section with my DS and my babies will be 16mths apart. I laboured all day and was fully dialated but he wouldn't come down. They are happy for me to try for a VBAC with lots of monitoring and I have to go to a different hospital, but numerous midwives and doctors have said that it is highly likely I have an incompentent pelvis. They can't guarantee that it wont happen to me again. I would really like to have a natural birth, but I have to consider that I could end up having a emergency c-section again. I had a lot of trouble with my milk coming in with DS and although I didn't find the recovery that bad. I know it would be a lot better if I just had the c-section and not the labour and lack of sleep before hand. I don't like the fact that I wont be able to pick up my son after the c-section, but I know that with my supportive DH being home with me, all will be okay.
Good luck with your decision and do what feels right for you not what others think you should do.