How many VBAC'ers here on BB?

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What form of pain relief did you choose: Birth pool at pushing stage

What advice would you have for other VBAC'ers:
  • June 6th, 2010, 10:04 PM
    Arimeh
    Member Name: Arimeh
    Date of VBAC: 28/11/09
    I had a: VBA2C
    Baby's Weight: 8 pound 10 oz.
    Baby's Height: 51/52cm? Can't remember
    Baby's Head Circ: 36.5cm
    Type of Pregnancy: OB supported pregnancy until 28 weeks when moved states. Went to independent birth centre and had home visits until time of birth. highly recommend!
    Type of birth: Independent birth centre - ie, not attached to a hospital.
    Did you have extra support: Main midwife, and back up midwife at time of pushing. DH for support.
    What information did you arm yourself with during pregnancy: Hmmm I read a LOT more books this time round (had a failed VBAC first time). Um read silent knife, spiritual midwifery, umm birth skills, a couple of other birthing books, watched births on you tube, and read HEAPS of birth stories here.
    What form of pain relief did you choose: None - unless screaming it out counts.
    What advice would you have for other VBAC'ers: Have faith in yourself. We were born to birth babies. Women have been doing it for centuries, what makes you think you can't?
  • May 6th, 2011, 01:40 PM
    Heaven
    Member Name: Heaven
    Date of VBAC: February 2011
    I had a: VBAC
    Baby's Weight: 3880g (8lb 9oz)
    Baby's Height: 51cm
    Baby's Head Circ: 34.5
    Type of birth: Hospital Birth, Active Birth
    Did you have extra support: Student Midwife/Doula
    What information did you arm yourself with during pregnancy: Read lots of books! Silent Knife, Juju Sundin's Birth Skills, New Active Birth, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. Also read lots of research online about VBAC, I particularly liked The Aus VBAC Study 2010
    What form of pain relief did you choose: Tens Machine, Breathing techniques, Shower.
    What advice would you have for other VBAC'ers: Do your research, know that VBAC is safe and that you can do it! Read as much as you can, trust your body. Don't accept any unnecessary interventions.
  • May 6th, 2011, 05:26 PM
    LisaBear
    Member Name: lisabear
    Date of VBAC: 15.1.2010
    I had a: VBA1C
    Baby's Weight:8 pound 10 ounce
    Baby's Height: 51cm
    Baby's Head Circ: ooh I'll have to check
    Type of birth: Hospital birth.
    Did you have any support: midwife. Dp
    What information did you arm yourself with during pregnancy: not really alot. Spoke to midwife. ReAd a few things but didn't want to get caught up in the scariness...
    What form of pain relief did you choose: gas
    What advice would you have :trust in yourself and those who you have with you.
  • May 6th, 2011, 06:21 PM
    Yeddi
    Member Name: Yeddi
    Date of VBAC: 01 Sep 2010
    I had a:VBA1C
    Baby's Weight: 4.3kg or 9.5 pounds
    Baby's Height: 51cm
    Baby's Head Circ: 35cm
    Type of birth: Hospital Birth Hypnobirth, Active Birth
    Did you have extra support: Doula
    What information did you arm yourself with during pregnancy: I looked up every VBAC study I could get my hands on (the original ones that everyone references) to read for myself, I read birth stories, watched birth videos and learnt about birth in general.
    What form of pain relief did you choose: I got two lots of the saline injections, tried the gas but it made me sick so only had two puffs, and ended up having an epidural at hour 34.
    What advice would you have for other VBAC'ers: Empower yourself, don't be afraid to do what you have to do (including taking pain medication if needed and are informed of when is or isn't the right time to take it) in order to keep progressing and have your baby vaginally.
  • May 28th, 2011, 10:51 PM
    Glass half full
    Member Name: Munchkin_Mumma
    Date of VBAC: 16th Feb 2011
    I had a: VBA1C
    Baby's Weight: 2.96kg
    Baby's Height: 49cm
    Baby's Head Circ: 32.5cm
    Type of birth: Public Hospital. Stayed home for most of my labour though
    Did you have extra support: Doula
    What information did you arm yourself with during pregnancy: VBAC handbook, Silent Knife, Spiritual Midwifery, Thinking Womans Guide to Childbirth and lots and lots of googling!!
    What form of pain relief did you choose: TENS machine and gas & air towards the end
    What advice would you have for other VBAC'ers: Dont let anyone scare you! Do lots and lots of research on natural birth in general, not only VBAC. Trust your body :)
  • May 29th, 2011, 01:08 PM
    JennaJayen
    Member Name: JennaJayen

    Date of VBAC: 30/3/2011

    I had a: VBA1C

    Baby's Weight: 8pd (3.65kg)

    Baby's Height: 52cm

    Baby's Head Circ: 34cm

    Type of birth: Public Hospital, Active Birth after AROM (Artificial rupture of membranes)
    Did you have extra support: My husband, the Midwife and a Student Midwife

    What information did you arm yourself with during pregnancy: What To Expect When You're Expecting, and also lots of Googling and reading of the BellyBelly threads

    What form of pain relief did you choose: Heat packs followed by a shower and back rubs, then Pethideine and gas and air at the end

    What advice would you have for other VBAC'ers: Don't be disappointed if things don't go to plan, and be prepared to veer away from your birth plan and do/use things you didn't intend to do, it won't make you any less of a woman or mother to do things you never intended doing.
    Have a really good support person there.
    Don't spend the entire labour on your back - spend as much time as possible on your feet, even if it means that you are doubled over in the shower or shuffling from one foot the other/rocking etc - and if you have to go on your back like I did to be examined then focus on your breathing. I ended up giving birth on my back because I went from 5cm to fully dilated in 20 minutes while having monitoring done as they were having trouble picking up my DD's heartbeat while I was standing up.
    Don't just dismiss the gas after 2 or 3 puffs, as it can take up to 2-3 minutes to start working, and it does make you feel queasy at first, but once it is working you can feel like you're floating outside your body.
    Trust your body - when you feel the urge to push, tell your midwife/doula/support person straight away, if your body tells you to stop pushing then stop and hold it (or backpedal) even if the midwife says to keep going, there's usually a good reason for it and your body will tell you when to start pushing again. I felt the urge to push 20 minutes after having the pethideine injection when I was 5cm dilated, the midwife didn't believe me until I couldn't hold it anymore and had to push while she was examining me and she got the shock of her life when she saw my baby girls head lol and my DD was born just over 20 minutes later.
    I highly recommend drinking raspberry leaf tea or taking raspberry leaf tablets, make sure that they contain 500mg of the active ingredient though as otherwhise you might not be getting the right dose. I started taking the tablets at 28wks and found that they calmed down my irritable uterus a lot though they may not do that for others, and I think they helped my body get ready and start to dilate at 37wks, although the 3wks of pre-labour after that weren't very fun lol
    I ended up having a 4hr 43minute labour, so they must have done something to help!
    As I had Gestational Diabete's during pregnancy I also had to start expressing - it's recommended to start at to 36-37wks, but I started at 35wks using a manual pump and had almost 150mls of colostrum stored in the freezer by the time DD was born and by the time DD was 6 hours old my milk had come in. So when you start the nipple stimulation methods to bring on labour, try using a manual pump to get the colostrum flowing and store what you express in the freezer in case of emergencies.

    GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE GOING FOR THEIR VBAC!
  • May 29th, 2011, 01:25 PM
    alomumma
    VBAC
    Member Name: alomumma
    Date of VBAC: 10/10/2009 and 07/11/2010
    I had a: VBAC and HBAC
    Baby's Weight: 9p5 and 9p12
    Baby's Height: 50cm and 53cm
    Baby's Head Circ: 36cm and 38cm
    Type of birth: Hospital birth and Home birth
    Did you have any support: hospital midwife and independent midwife, plus a group of cheerleaders (family)
    What information did you arm yourself with during pregnancy: Reading, research, lots of inspirational youtube videos
    What form of pain relief did you choose: gas and nothing but walking and moaning for HBAC
    What advice would you have :Believe in the fact you are a woman and we are built for this. Trust in your magnificent body and use your pregnancy to tune into it and don't separate your mind from your body, work as one
  • May 29th, 2011, 03:42 PM
    joey123
    Member Name: Joey123
    Date of VBAC: 19 April 2011
    I had a: VBA2C (DDs 12yrs and 22 mths at time of VBA2C)
    Baby's Weight: 440g (8lb 14 and a half oz) BIG!
    Baby's Height: 54cm
    Baby's Head Circ: 35cm
    Type of birth: Hospital Birth/Active Birth - I laboured at home until I was pushing, then went into the hospital (the longest 15 min drive EVER!)
    Did you have extra support: Doula
    What information did you arm yourself with during pregnancy: The Business of Being Born DVD, The Silent Knife Book, Journey into Motherhood (a book full of positive birthing stories), listened to podcast 'pregtastic'.
    What form of pain relief did you choose: Nil!! oh other than water.
    What advice would you have for other VBAC'ers: Get a doula. It means that you don't need to worry or think about anything except labouring.
    Also, stay at home for as long as you can, this way you don't have the pressure of the hospital telling you you're taking too long - this is why I ended up with my 2nd CS. I got to 9cm, and they told me I was taking too long and baby was stuck. I really don't think that she was - neither does my doula, after reading my hospital notes. Giving birth naturally is the most amazing experience and I really wish every woman was able to experience it.
    Don't let the hospital tell you baby is too big for you. I was told after DD2 was born that she was too big for me and that is why she got stuck ... yet DD3 was even bigger and she made it out! Go figure.
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