Please I need some help in getting any and all information I can to help support my decision to have a VBA2C. I will try and give as much relevant information as I can and the information as to why the dr's at the hospital I have been going to say why they will not support me in trying for a VBA2C. xx Please bear with me!!! xxx

I come from a small country town on the border of NSW/Vic. I am currently 27+2 weeks pregnant! As soon as I found out I was pregnant I straight away wanted to have a VBAC. So my husband and I started reading information about risks etc. I rang the hospital where I gave birth via "elective" CS to my daughter, (I wanted to have a VBAC with my daughter, however the Ob told me that the risk of uterine rupture was too risky, especially as my daughter was going to be at least 9 pounds minimum!! She was born 6 pounds 5 ounces!!!!! And I regret not doing my homework and insisting on seeing another dr who was pro VBAC!!) and a couple of local dr's and asked if there was someone who was a supporter of VBA2C. I was told straight away that as I have had 2 CS I will have to have another CS.

So I began looking at other hospitals that were in the "local area", the closet being 30 minutes away the furtherest nearly 2 hours. I found that 2 of the hospitals told me that I would be supported in my decision. One of them being the 30 mins away hospital and the other the 2 hours. Of course I chose the closet one.

So I have been going for my anti-natal check-ups to the hospital for the past 10 weeks only to be told by the dr during my first registrar appointment that they are not going to support me in my wanting a VBAC, telling me again that the risk of uterine tearing is too high. One of the doctors said that I have a 1 in 20 chance of dying if I decide to proceed with my trial of labour. Mind you I have had my 2 children at different hospitals and they havent seen my surgical reports to know whether there is notes about the strength of my uterine wall. They have asked me to get the notes faxed to them from the other hospitals.

My question is (to anyone that can help me find out statistics and facts), what is the risk of uterine tearing after 2 CS? The dr today wouldnt give me a statistic but would only keep telling me that she is just trying to keep me alive by suggesting a CS. The only real statistic I could find was a US study that out of 3 million VBAC, 1580 mothers died due to complications after having (or during) a VABC attempt. Thats makes the percentage 0.07%. Does it being a US study make a difference. I cant find any Australian studies or percentages. And yet when I asked the dr to back his statement of the 1 in 20 chance of dying with evidence he couldnt.

Just so that you have all the information about me that I think would help in seeing the full picture, I will give you a little info about my previous pregnancies etc.....
My first birth was emergency CS due to "failure to progress", I hate that phrase. I dilated 3 cm's in total, 2 by myself at home and 1 after being induced and connect up to oxytocin for 12 hours. I was in labour for a total of 48 hours before they decided to give me a CS due to my sin's heart rate dropping.

My second was "elective" CS as I touched on previously, but do regret not pushing for a VBAC or seeing another more supportive Dr.

All 3 of my pregnancies have been complication free and other then having a high BMI, put so nicely by the Dr today. I have had no problems throughout any of them. In actual fact with this pregnancy I lost 10 kilos in the first 13 weeks and my weight has not changed since. My BP is never far from 110/70. The baby's heart beat has always been very strong and both my previous children scored apgar scores of 10/10 and 8/10.

I feel that having a VBA2C is the best option for myself and my baby, however they are starting to scare me a little and yet in saying that I dont want my decision to be based on scare tactics. I am the kind of person who understands facts and has little belief in someone who cant back it up!! I am also one listen to a mother's opinion due to her experience over a dr who admits to me that they enjoy and prefer to perform CS over a natural birth!!!

I have been booked in to see the anesthetist on Friday so he can discuss the dangers of an emergency CS with me due to my BMI, more scare tactics???? And the dr today booked me into a GP (my first visit) as well on Friday (I dont have a regular GP) but now Im wondering if she is going to tell him to try and convince me to have a CS as well!?!??!!

I just need someone to either give me hard evidence of the success rate of VBA2C or to point me in the right direction to finding it so I can go into these appointments with facts and not be persuaded into something that is not necessarily the best and only option!!! Thank you for reading my long winded story and any help you could give me would honestly be greatly appreciated!!! thanks in advance xxxx