When was your elective c/s booked?

If I have another baby I will have to have a c/s at 37 weeks due to the scar rupture during this VBAC attempt and the subsequent repair job. I don't think I will be risking it though - no more babies for me :(

Sarah, I say go with your gut instinct. If you feel that your baby would benefit from not being born until at least 40 weeks then go with that. Based on your past history I don't see why they would not agree with letting you book an elective cs a little later than the standard 38-39 weeks.
Im sorry you did not get your VBAC with Juliette and if you do decide to have an elective cs with #3 you know there are things you can request to help make it more special and less traumatic for both you and your baby so putting into place your "ideal" caesarean birth plan may help you to make peace with deciding to have an elective cs next time?

Oh, and back to the original question: my elective cs was at 38+1 weeks but only because I had PE and OB's wanted her out. She was born absolutely fine with no breathing problems too BTW.

Sarah

My first (Julia's birth) was emergency c/s after induction at 41 weeks.

My 2nd was booked as elective c/s on Tara's original due date so 40 weeks. I didnt go into labour with either of the births.
Maz - well said hon.
This is the reason why I did not attempt VBAC, after getting PND from traumatic 3 day labour only ending up in emergency c/s and long recovery afterwards, there was no way I wanted to be a failure again and go through long recovery. I made the best decision and Taras birth of a positve one. And instead of needing Panadine Forte for 6 weeks I only needed them for 3 days after the c/s with Tara's birth and recovered 3 weeks quicker full recovery time.

Did your labours begin hard Sarah?

I only ask because i do understand why you might not want to go through another VBAC attempt, but if your labours are manageable at the start (some women have a long prelabour and others go straight to hard and fast painful ctx) it might be worth "booking" an emergency c-section. That way baby can choose their birthday, they get the hormones and squeezes of some labour, and you can know going in that you're DEFINTIELY not going for the VBA2C, just waiting for bubs to let you know they're cooked, kwim? The risks of early, mild labour would not i imagine be greater than the late-PG braxton hicks ctx in terms of rupture, and it would just be a matter of you calling the Ob and heading in to be prepped for theatre.

Perhaps when the time comes you will feel differently anyway, your DD is still quite a little sweetie ATM. Time might make you decide a 39week c/s is fine, or that you want to have a VBAC afterall. And perhaps it won't. I usually find women become far more certain of things when they're actually pregnant, because the options look different once you're "there".

Could discuss this with your Ob? Give them a call and discuss it all with them? Babies definitely benefit from labour, but it's important for them to be born to a MUM who's in the best condition, physically and emotionally, too.

I will admit i feel sad at the idea of you not going for another VBAC, because you soooooo deserved one last time and didn't get it. Your VBAC journey was one of the most inspiring i've ever read, here was a woman fully informed and ARMED with the tools to allow Nature to do what Nature is supposed to do. The fact that the birth itself ended up being a c/s somehow seemed irrelevant. You set out to attempt VBAC and my GOODNESS you did! I have linked your posts to several friends via email and one of them is planning her VBAC in 3 weeks or so! You are an inspiration not because of the destination you aimed for but because of the road you built yourself. If every woman approached birth the way you approached your VBAC the WHO guidelines would probably seem grossly excessive! Your first c/s, i might be misremembering, but was it for FTP? Something which in retrospect you felt wasn't justified? But with DD you did EVERYTHING you could hun. Your c/s WAS justified. You didn't fail and nor did your body. For whatever reason, she needed to be born that way. It is so hard when one has had the same result despite completely different approaches, not to stack them up into a conclusion. Have you considered that perhaps DS could have come vaginally but DD would STILL have needed to be a c/s? That it isn't that VB cannot happen for you, but that it wasn't allowed to happen with DS and plain couldn't happen with DD?

If i am out of line, you must whack me smartly back. I would never discourage a woman from having the birth she WANTS to have. I just wanted you to know that for me, and for a few women i know who have also read some of your words, you were a powerful inspiration for VBAC, and not because you had success, but because you faced down the fear to try. You did absolutely everything you could to give vaginal birth a go, despite the comments from others, and i cannot tell you how much respect i have for that.

You have definitely done more than most do, and if next time around you want try a 3rd approach, whether it be pre-labour c/s or during-labour c/s that is completely justified. But never feel that the 2nd approach was a failure Sarah, you laid a solid path to success and that is all anyone can do, and far more than most actually do.

Big hugs

Bx

hey

my first C/sect was emergancy so didn't book

with the twins my Dr didn't like to book he liked you to go as long as you can he would see you daily if he had too. (lucky he didn't charge more and also had no gap) I went into prem labour but the plan was surposed to be at first sighn of labour i was to call him he would confirm labour and do c/sect. i think he had priority at his hospital cause he seemed to get anything he wanted.

so yeh didn't have a due date for the c/sect.