staying home in labor - a good idea?

[Danielle]

hey everyone!

I had my GP visit today for 30 weeks, it went quiet well, no dramas. The doctor even seems to think that this baby is going to be smaller than my last which increases my chances of vbac providing theres no other obvious problems.

He did say that they wont let me labour for long after previously having a c section, but a natural labour in alot of cases just is long! So how do I avoid them rushing me off for an emergency c section or nagging me to go to theartre if Ive been in labour "too long"?

I had the idea of maybe staying home during my labour to let it progress naturally, but I am really scared, because if I want to attempt Vbac I have to go to a hospital an hour away from here, and they have said i will need to go straight in when i go into labour to be constantly monitored?

I was thinking a birth doula, or someone who knows what is right and not right in a vbac situation? so i can stay home for a bit. Do they do internals and everything? so I would know if it was progressing or not being home? My hubby just wants me straight in the hospital so I am where its safe, but even my GP isnt overally supportive of the whole vbac idea.

[Jesswith6]

Doulas do not do any medical stuff at all..
I can't help you much about being in a VBAC situation, but as a Doula I encourage my clients to labor in a place where they are comfortable and they feel that there is no pressure.
Maybe one of the other beautiful ladies around the forums can help some more.

[Trillian]

A doula isn't medically trained and cannot do any examinations on you at all. A doula is there as a support person for you, to tell you that you CAN do it when you think that you can't. I would still highly recommend one to have with you for the birth though. She can come to your home and travel in the car with you to hospital too if thats the way you want it. I also think that if you are determined to have your VBAC, I think that you would be best off staying at home for as long as you can before heading in, even if it is a long drive ahead of you because you don't have that added worry of them placing time limits on you and wanting excessive monitoring simply because you are having a VBAC. Check out the Doula Locator on the main site and find one for your area, arrange a meeting with the both of you because it seems like your DH has some concerns about it and is erring on the side of the Dr's. If you want to be successful, you need his full 100% support too.

ETA - here are some articles you might find helpful, HTH;
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/...n-doulas-birth
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/...estions-to-ask
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/...ps-suggestions
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/...fter-caesarean
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/vbac-on-whose-terms

[~kaos~]

Hmmm, a vbac should be much like any other labour.... so I can't see why you shouldn't stay at home for some of the early labour stuff. If you go to hospital, they are going to hook you up to monitors....

A doula would definitely be useful to help support you in your labour, and also help you negotiate with the hospital (so they aren't coming at your with all their requests and questions, so you can concentrate on labouring). I would say that all you need is a doula.

But if you really feel that you need someone professional knowledge, there are some independent midwives around that will accompany you to hospital. You could look that if that is the kind of support you want.

[BellyBelly]

A doula is fabulous for VBACs because you have more hurdles to jump when you shouldn't have... they can make sure you have a voice and options... studies show 50% less c/s with a doula.... staying home I agree until you are in well established labour and coping, and there is nothing worrying you. All the best

[blue daisy]

Hey Danielle

at 30 weeks I find it a little hard to believe that your doctor can be thinking that your baby will be a little small, unless of course you have had an ultrasound to confirm growth

this sounds like the beginning of a tactic to coerce you into an elective c/s...especially as he is not very supportive of the whole vbac idea

there are less risks to mother and baby associated with a vbac than a repeat c/s

a vbac is a contentious issue, without real reason. Many mothers feel bullied and made to feel that they are putting themselves (and their wishes for a vaginal birth) ahead of their baby...which is rubbish

you could write a very comprehensive birth plan...to ensure you are not bullied, and surround yurself with a wonderful, supportive, empowering birth team that will do everything to act as your advocate.

if you go into labor naturally there is no reason you need to go into hospital until you feel ready. There is no reason for continous fetal monitoring, or any intervention that does not allow you to labor and birth naturally

the standard 1cm per hour for cervix to dilate on labor is based on text, not fact, and currnet research actually suggest that this is more likely to be 0.5cm per hour (especially for primips)

maybe you need to consider changing your care giver, or at the very least employing a professional birth attendant

sorry for the rant Im just sick of scaremongering

xx

[Danielle]

No, no, dont say sorry for the rant I am tired of it too. All I want is for someone in the medical profession to give me some real information on Vbac's, and not only half answered or dodged questions. No one around here seems to know a great deal about it all.

Oh yeah - I have read a few different things, that vbac is 70-80% successful then I read elsewhere that it was only 40% successful, does anyone know the true figures?

And I would really like to stay home while I labour, but my GP is making me feel like it would be unsafe because I am high risk after a previous c section I just want to be safe as well. I think hospitals should offer more info on vbacs, I cant find any anywhere, only on C sections and a normal natural birth nothing assosciated with vbacs.

[BellyBelly]

Have you got some good VBAC books?

Silent Knife

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth

[{sarah}]

I'm reading New Active Birth at the moment which has got great strategies for coping with labour at home. Maybe grab a copy to read before you go into labour?

I'm intending on staying at home as long as possible this time. When I got to hospital with Alexzander I was around 3-4cm and they made me stay. Had I known better I would have stayed home until much later. I intend on doing so this time, because I'll be having a VBAC as well & don't want to be on a timer from the very start of labour. I would think that it would stall or slow labour if you knew you had a time limit.

[blue daisy]

hey Danielle

you are not putting your baby at any risk at all hun...going into the hospital is the risk, medical intervention increases the risk factors to you and your baby

there is plenty of info out there. Birthrites offer a informative and supportive advice regarding vbac

you are aiming for a natural birth its everyone else (doctors and other health professionals) that want to label you a walking risk factor. Birth has risks. Life has risks. The risk of uterine rupture is not a common thing in vbac if a woman is left alone to labor naturally. Medical induction increases the risk of rupture, as does a prolonged and slow to progress labor, as this puts a great deal of pressure on the uterus, and causes tension in the weakened scar

I could go on

x

[BellyBelly]

I think the whole misoprostol disaster is so fresh in doctors minds with the ruptures that they have just labelled all VBAC women a rupture risk, even though it is so minute.

[blue daisy]

as Kelly said

misoprostil has its place with PPH, but is not a safe drug for induction, as the research indicates

sigh

x

[EmmaM]

Hi, I'm 40weeks as of tomorrow and have had a previous C-sec, 22 months ago. The baby was found to be breech 3 weeks ago and was successfully turned. So I'm hoping for a vbac too! So far the dr's seem pretty positive and have told me that the chance of achieving this is 60%. I don't intend to go into the hospital until I absolutely have to, and the dr so far agrees.... Good luck. I will try and let you know how things went if I go into labour soon...

[{sarah}]

Good luck Emma, can't wait to hear all about it

[Katstribe]

Ok well i had my first vbac nearly 14 yrs ago, I did go to hospital about 4hrs after labour started ( i started labour at 3am and didn't know if i was in labour or not as it was my first natural) anyway they said come on in and i did. I had 11and a half hours of labour all up no dramas what so ever. I then followed that with 3 more vbac's all successful and with no intervention but at the hospital.
My last one was a c-sec due to breech presentation and they talked about trying to turn bub but the place where they send people from here said they wouldn't touch me as i had had a previous c-sec! Hence i had the c-sec and now i am expecting an unexpected bundle at the end of April! My doc that did the last c-sec has already suggested i have a repeat c-sec but i have done some research and i will be going natural as long as this bub is head down.
The statistics are definately on my side for a vba2c so they are def on your side too. This is what i have

chances of uterine rupture go from 0.07% after one c-sec to 0.09% after two c-secs, a non significant difference.
However the rates of hysterectomy we significantly increased in the multiple c-sec group from 0.2% to 0.6% as were transfusion rates whcih went from 1.6% to 3.2%!

So in my opinion our chances are much better going natural than what they are going back under the knife! The docs jsut see it as more convenient for you to go under the knife because if anything goes wrong they are already there! Whereas if you go natural and something goes wrong they have to be rushed in, in other words much less convenient!!!! My doc said this to me and as i daid to him thats great for you but it is hugely inconvenient for me to have another c-sec wheni have to go home with 7 children and won't have the timeto recover properly! I have talked to my midwives and they are fine with me going for a natural birth, and the way i see it they are the ones who will be there so thats all that matters.

Good luck and i hope you get the vbac that you want, it is well worth the fight!!!!

[~kaos~]

No, no, dont say sorry for the rant I am tired of it too. All I want is for someone in the medical profession to give me some real information on Vbac's, and not only half answered or dodged questions. No one around here seems to know a great deal about it all.

As for trying to get information - I've had friends that were in exactly the same position as you - they wanted info on VBAC's, asked a lot of questions and didn't get any or really vague answers. They kept asking questions and ended up with the head OB - which was great for them because they started getting the answers they needed, but I think it is pretty silly that that is where they had to go to get their answers and that it isn't readily available.....

Keep asking. Read articles. Inform yourself. VBAC is not as dangerous as people make out to be. It is the big emergency that needs such close monitoring that everyone (doctors) has made it out to be.

I hope you have the birth you dream of and get the answers you need. I'm sorry you're having such a tough time finding the info you need. It sucks that you must struggle in that area - it must put of bit of a taint on your pregnancy when you have to fight like that....

[Tobily]

^ I agree with Kaos - when it comes to VBAC we really need to take responsibility for finding out the answers ourselves...because the people who we'd expect to be able to give us these answers cannot.

Lots of reasons - they are trained to view vbac as a risky endeavour regardless of the research that shows otherwise, and because of this it's out of their comfort zone to encourage women who want one. They are not the source that's going to provide you with balanced and factual information. If you want that you need to seek it out for yourself But that's a GOOD thing because when you do your own research you form your own views - which will be stronger than those you just take on from others opinions

As far as success rates go, they are different everywhere because there are alot of variables. The views of the OB/midwives, the policies of the individual hospital will affect their vbac rate. Your individual chances are affected by your choice of caregiver, your choice of hospital, the level of support you have, how long you spend in hospital, and most importantly the level of confidence you have in your body to do the job You can ask about the rate at the actual hospital you are going to...this will give you a good idea if you're in with a shot there or if you need to look at other options (which TBH sounds like a good idea anyway in view of the lack of support thusfar).
All the best hun, you can do it.

[Danielle]

Hey,

no I dont have any vbac books, are there any good ones I could use, becuase I have no info on vbac's, my hospital here and caregivers have no infoo available on it as they don't support it. I feel like I am fighting a never ending battle with the public health system. Because even my doctor told me that even if I do go to Nambour to try for a Vbac (which they do there), that they wont allow me to labour for a long time or anything anyway, so he seen it as pointless to try I guess. Sounds like Nambour hospital is pretty quick just to get you in thearte quickly if you've had a previous C section, its the only other hospital I can go to anywhere else is too far to travel. I have heard Buderim and Nambour have some really good private hospitals that fully support vbac's, but I don't have health insurance or that sort of money. It's starting to get me down, I feel like I am going against what my GP and Ob want and that I am being a pain and unreasonable. I wish I had medical caregivers that would support my decision, and were able to inform me on everything that goes on with it all.

I have only had the one C section with my 1st, posterior and 10lbs 2oz, labour just failed to happen. I went to my ante natal classes before I had her and felt very deflated when a C section was scheduled. So I really have no idea about birth, what goes on with it, let alone the implications that could arise with a vbac. Is there anyone that could tell me what goes on in hospital if your having a vbac?

I had a big cry to my husband yesterday, because I am 30 weeks pregnant, the obstetrician has already said he doesnt want me going past term because of my previous c section. And the ante natal care I am receiving is pretty bad for someone who may be trialling vbac. I have a growth scan at 34 weeks on the baby then back to the public Ob at the hospital here at 36 weeks and my GP in between, whom none of them support Vbac, so what am I meant to do? I feel like I am runing out of time I need to be informed, I just really want some medical support and I feel like Im on my own.

Also does anyone know what the midwives are qualified to do, I am thinking of hiring one before I go to hospital if I go into labour. I dont even have a clue where to find a midwife, or how much they are either... hmmm the public health system sucks! I rang the womens health centre here to see if they had info on Vbacs, they gave me some web links which had absolutely nothing on them only about normal births and c sections. Guess the government must not be very supportive of Vbacs huh?

Its so dam frustrating!