Ways to better your body for VBAC?

As the title suggests I am wondering if there is anything in particular women can do to help their body prepare for a VBAC. Are there any particular yoga/pilates disks that you can get, particular exercieses prior to pregnancy and also while you are pregnant that can help?

I have ordered Silent Knife and am very keen for its arrival so I can get reading, but it would be helpful to others as well if there are certain things we as women can do to reach our goals of a VBAC or VBA2C.

Thanks all
Nae x

Nae, in New Active Birth there is a chapter of general yoga excersises that are aparently great for building strength and helping to relax you during pregnancy, and they are also very useful positions for labour. If you practice them during pregnancy then they are easy to just 'fall into' whichever is most comfortable at any particular time during the labour.
I have only had a go at them a couple of times because it can take a while to do it all properly and I find that when I'm not chasing after my toddler I am lying down either reading or sleeping, LOL! But the couple of times I have done them they have been great.

Hi there,

rather than physical preparation, I'd suggest mental preparation - eg Calmbirth.

Have a lovely birth anyway,
Melissa.

Hi Naenae,
Good luck with your VBAC :)
I will swear by the raspberry leaf tea, i bought a bag of R leaf from the T store and started drinking 1 strong cup a day at 36.5 weeks, i made sure i drank at least 1 cup every day. about 10 days after starting the tea I had 2 pre labour days about 1 week apart, thought they were going to get more intense and didnt.. the 3rd time 1 day before my due date another day of pre labour pains and up and up the pain went! Then Smack!! it was on 4 minutes apart at home :)
Went to the hospital and they told me she was prosterior :( and went to move for theatre prep .. BUT.. they checked me and I was 6.5 nearly a full 7cm dialated so we stayed hopefull she'd turn.... and boy did she turn!!! somersult of all time!
and the rest is history :) other than the MW showing me my bits in a mirror that made me push like there was no tomorrow!! lol.. sorry that one is just such a motivator when your trying to get over the line
apologies for the epic tale but i hold close that the RLT softened me up to perfection for a successful VBAC :) the only excercise i really did was running after my 15 month old that had just learned to run!
Good luck honey!

The mental preparation is just as important as the physical. General physical activity (depends on what you were doing before) is great to maintain strength and flexibility. Pilates and yoga are good to look at but may be challenging if you are starting from scratch.

The mind needs training as any block coming from the mind can decrease your chances of a successful VBAC. Try hypnobirthing, calmbirthing, meditation etc. They were fabulous tools for my DS who was breech (and then a c-section at 7cm - he got stuck). For my DD - it was quick :D She was a successful, drug free VBAC with LOTS of vocalisation (using the techniques from JuJu Sundin). There was no time for the hypnobirthing / breathing techniques but the noise was great to release any fears and tension.

HI Everyone,

thanks so much for your replies.

I feel a little sheepish as I am not actually yet pregnant but was hoping to start preparing myself physically if possible so I am in the best possible position to go for a VBAC when I did actually get to that point. Sorry I should have made that clearer :redface:


Michelle and Midwife Melissa - where can I find information on calmbirthing and hypnobirthing are there books or dvd's that you get? Meditation would be great but every time I try to meditate I fall asleep :redface: not that falling asleep would be an issue when your in labour :lol:

Snacks - Thanks for the suggestion I will be getting a book on N.A.B I was hoping to read it anyway so I am glad you mentioned it as it geives me an extra incentive to get it :D

Kitty33- I will make sure to remember the rasberry leaf tea for when my time comes. I think it would be mighty tasty too.

I would really like to hear from anyone else if anyone knows exercises or can recommend reading - anything basically.

Thanks again

Nae x

Never too soon to start preparing ;) I never got to do all the preparation I wanted because I ran out of time :rofl:

I'll get back to you with the details but you can google for the calmbirthing courses (where do you live - some of the hospitals have people who advertise but there are also courses all over the place) and the book is hypnobirthing using the mongan (?? sp) principles. I will get back to you on that one.

Hi there
If I could have my time again I would have:
1. improved my fitness/ endurance for a long labour (i had another marathon slow exhausting labour)
2. got lots of work on my pelvis by someone experienced with preg women (as both babes got stuck)
3. addressed all my fears and lowered my expectations for a "really good birth", just a birth not a caesar would have been good....

Hope that helps...
R x

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Hi there,

rather than physical preparation, I'd suggest mental preparation - eg Calmbirth.

Have a lovely birth anyway,
Melissa.

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I was just about to post the same thing :)

You'll probably find that it's unresolved emotional/spiritual and mental issues that prove the biggest obstacle to your VBAC.

Calmbirth is a great idea...also check out 25 Ways to Awaken your Birthpower..do lots of reading about normal birth too, don't focus too much of your reading on vbac - a vbac is just a normal birth so reading lots of positive stories about normal birth is also a really good way to get into a good frame of mind.
Good luck :)

Hello,
I have problems with my lower back. So it was really important for me to see my chiropractor regulary to ensure my coccyx was in the correct position! I also listened to a hypnobirthing DVD each night. Got myself an independant midwife and great OB. The result was a succesful VBA2C! :)
Julie_ann_jules

I'm going for a VBAC at the moment and this is what I am doing:
- going though a midwife clinic with a birth centre rather than my ob and a normal labor ward
- have organise a student midwife to act as my doula in addition to DH
- doing a hypnobirthing course that starts next week (pricey but mum is helping with the cost)
- started aqua aerobics one a week
- will do yoga when I finish work (about 6 weeks away)
- organising pregnancy massages and getting a chiropractor to look at my hips
- eating healthy and being very positive.
(wow, thats more than I realised!)

OK if there is anything I've missed I'll let you know. I'm really focussed on getting ready mentally and physically and looking at areas that I may have ignored last time (like everything! I had my head buried in the sand)

Good luck on your quest, keep us updated how you go

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I'm going for a VBAC at the moment and this is what I am doing:
- going though a midwife clinic with a birth centre rather than my ob and a normal labor ward
- have organise a student midwife to act as my doula in addition to DH
- doing a hypnobirthing course that starts next week (pricey but mum is helping with the cost)
- started aqua aerobics one a week
- will do yoga when I finish work (about 6 weeks away)
- organising pregnancy massages and getting a chiropractor to look at my hips
- eating healthy and being very positive.
(wow, thats more than I realised!)

OK if there is anything I've missed I'll let you know.

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Calmbirth :) And reading books like birthing from within, gentle birth gentle mothering, ina may's guide to childbirth. Enjoy!

Melissa.