Inducing VBAC? also VBAC at Gold Coast Hospital stories?

Hey everyone,
I am hoping for a VBAC and have LOTS of questions, GP is vague & i don't have another appt at hosp until 36 weeks.

Background info.. DD1 was VB, 12.5 hr labour, 8lb12, cord around her neck & got a little slow in the end but otherwise ok; DS1 was 3 hr labour, 9lb13 no Drs just a great midwife at a public hosp, great labour & birth; DS2 was 8lb 13, an 8hr induced labour ending in Emerg. CS due to failure to progress & foetal distress.. he was wrapped in the cord, it was around his legs, neck... that accounted for the FTP & the distress.

So I am hoping for a VBAC this time & seem to be a pretty good candidate, I know I can do it :P but am a bit concerned about medical intervention. So I am interested first in hearing from women who birthed at Gold Coast Hospital in Southport, my other 3 were all born at Caboolture & i don't really know anything about what Southport is like particularly re VBAC & interventions?

Also I have had one appt at the hosp so far & told the midwife I didn't want to be induced this time, she said they wouldn't induce me for a VBAC, but I have since heard from people who have said not true, they know of women who were induced for their VBACs (one very recently). ???

I have never gone into labour at home, was in hosp waiting to be induced when I went into Labour with the first 2 & induced with the third... I would REALLY like to labour at home for a bit this time but worried that since my 2nd labour was quite quick I shouldn't leave it too long to go to hosp? She did say I would have to be monitored but I have read a lot of threads & seems to me most ppl feel you are better at home for a bit?

Finally I am keen to know what my rights are once I get to hosp, say for example I have laboured for a while & they want to do a CS but bub is happy & I am happy to go on, can I refuse any interventions? I don't plan on taking any unecessary risks, my CS last time was absolutely necessary and I have no problem with that but I don't want any UNnecessary interventions that then causes a flow-on effect..

Sorry for the very long post! But I have sooo many questions (more than I thought actually :P)

Hi

I have no experience with the Queensland hospital you mentioned, but I can tell you that you absolutely have the right to refuse any intervention of any kind!! Although it may not seem like it at times, only you are in control of your birth and medical staff require your permission to conduct any intervention (although they may advise intervention). Keep in mind that having an induction increases the chances of c-section quite significantly. It is much safer to let your baby and body determine the correct due date (they are called estimated due dates for a reason!). I know of a couple of women who were scheduled for inductions and simply didn't turn up at the hospital until they had gone into labour naturally a few days later. Trust your body on this one- 4th time around it really knows what its doing!!
I have no personal experience with VBAC, but it sounds like you will be a perfect candidate for one - especially as you have had 2 uncomplicated vaginal deliverys - one only lasting 3 hours. Do you recall the timing and intervals of your contractions of your second labour in relation to how far you had progressed? Perhaps you can use that as a guide for labouring at home. Maybe plan to leave for hospital when your contactions are 5 mins apart or something?

All the best.

XX

Hi Jasp,

I am planning a VBAC after a non-laboring emerg c-section with DS. He had heart disease and growth retardation and needed out ASAP.

Anyway, I am planning on birthing in our major public hospt here in SA (sorry not any good for your qu re local hospt for you) with my private OB.

Her stipulations for VBAC are as follows so I will tell you what my agreement with her is and why;

# no induction - because it can cause a much quicker and harder labor and we dont want to increase the risk of uterine rupture at all. If you haveent picked this up in your reading so far; rupture risk is very small (around 1-2%) but it is significnant for mum and bub if it happens. So we want a more natural progression of labor.

# no laboring at home - again becuase of the risk of rupture my OB wants me to come to hospt straight away. We will be having monitoring 50% of the time to check bub and look out for indicators of rupture. We will have monitoring that is straped to me but doesnt tie me to the bed - can walk around and take it off to have a shower etc. I live over an hour from hospt so I am happy to go in straight away anyway.

# no going too late - OB does not want me going past 10 days overdue. My first was born at 36wks so I am not really worried about this one.

No they cant do ANYTHING to you that you dont consent to. That doesnt mean they wont be urging you to do things they think are in your or your baby's best interest etc.

Some OB's put a time limit on a VBAC labor to limit the stress on the c-section scar. Mine is happy for me to take as long as I need - she thinks that as this will be my first labor it could easily be 24 hours or more (yippee for me!).

There is heaps to think about with going in for a VBAC - thankfully you know you can deliver your babies yourself already. VBAC seems to be quite a contentious issue so be prepared for some fairly strong responses from people both for and against it...

Hope that helps a bit.

Rachel

I'm also planning a VBAC in SA and have very similar stipulations as the above. Because my first labour stalled at 4cm I've been told that reduces my chance of a successful VBAC. If you have had a VB previously (and you have had 2) that means that you have a much greater chance of a successful VBAC.

I've also found there are lots of 'gentler' forms of induction that you can do at home such as nipple stimulation, DTD, accupuncture, chiropractor, naturopath, rasberryleaf tea etc. I'm organising all those things now to help this come along on time before she gets too big.

My midwife is happy for me to labour at home for a while, or as long as I am comfy and as long as there are no unusual discharges or pain. But I can also get in contact with her very quickly once I am in labour and only 15 mins from the hospital.

You can refuse interventions, my hospital wants me to have my waters broken and a scalp monitor on bubs which means that I'm not allowed in the bath and have limited movement. I know that I am going to refuse that and ask for the intermittent external monitoring so I can be more active in birth. I also don't want my waters broken atificially so that is another reason to refuse it.

I have heaps more information if you would like it, but hope this helps in the meantime.

Hello,
I had a VBA2c in March. You can refuse any intervention. With a VBAC the hospital will want to do continious monitoring when you are in labor. I decided to refuse continious monitouring and requested intermitted monitoring with a hand held doppler. I agreed to have the oxytocin drip put in to get labor established but as soon as I was having conractions I told them to take it out. The midwife said it had to stay so I asked for the ob who told the midwife to take it out (My labor continued well and my son wor born 3hrs later) Anyway its your body and your baby and you have total control as to what can be done to you.

I'd really reccomend reading lots of info on the ican and birthrites website.

With induction an VBAC it really depends on your Ob and hospital policies wether they will induce you or not.
You will not be given the prostaglandin gel (to soften your cervix) as research has shown that this increases your chance of uterine rupture.
Some ob's will use the oxytocin drip. My ob used this (he is really into VBAC and doing lots of research and studies into vbac) but he only used half the normal dose. This does depend on your ob though. There are lots of studies and info on the websites and it simply comes down to what risks you are (and arn't) prepared to take.

I'd also reccomend you consider hiring an independant midwife. I had an IM and she was fantastic. It was a huge relief for me knowing that I had someone there who could guide me and give me a medical opinion that was not shaped by hospital policies.

Good luck with your VBAC! :)
Jules

Thanks everyone for the replies & advice :)

I have reaad so much in the last week I think my brain will explode! Don't know why I didn't give it much thought earlier but glad I have now. In the past I just went with the flow, which is basically doing what I was told.

Best of all is good to know I dont have to agree to anything
- Ryatha I'm with you re the waters being broken & continual monitoring, that is one I would be refusing too... I don't mind being monitored, but I would like an active labour as my second was & it was great. 50% of the time and doppler monitoring sounds great :)
I am also going to try & negotiate with them re a 'time-frame' as I don't see why, if bub & I are both doing well, there should be any need to speed things up just becasue it's not happening quick enough. Rachel it's good to know your OB is happy for you to take up to 24 hrd (lets hope it doesn't take quite that long ;) )
My biggest issue now is avoiding going too far post-dates, all my prev bubs were late although I think there may be an issue with dates with some of them, DD was 'on-time' but brown, wrinkled & peeling! I very much want to avoid induction so will be doing as much as possible to bring it on..
Thanks Jules :) very inspiring to hear of your VBA2C, and especially interesting re the oxytocin, I will definitely keep that in mind.
Oh & any info is welcome Ryatha :) DH thinks I've gone mad but I find it empowering to find out as much as I can!
PS one last thing - did / does anyone else find their scar area is tender? Mine has always been a little tender, (I never worried about it as I never planned number 4 :p ) - it will be 7 yrs by the time this one rolls around, but I wonder if that tenderness has any bearing on a succesful VBAC, or if it is irrelevant?

Thanks again everyone :D