I just got back from a birth!
During Cesarean Awareness month, I love it! I just got back from an amazing twin HBAC. Mom had two prior children, first born vaginally, the second born via cesarean for faliure to progress. Mom has history of VERY long labors, even on pitocin. I knew I was in for a long haul when her labor started. I got a call around 10:00pm Monday night saying her water broke. Contractions were not that regular, but strong. Since her water had broken, the midwife decided she would stay as well, so mom had two labor supporters! She did amazing. We walked a lot to get the contractions regular and strong. When mom got tired, she would lay down, and her contractions would back off and she would catch little naps. Then we would get up and walk some more to get things moving again. We did this dance all throughout the night, and into the next morning. It was so amazing watching her labor. She was very peaceful and calm the whole time. Eventually, we thought it was about time for her to get into the birth tub. She was having really intense contractions with lots of pressure. We got her in the water, and her contractions STOPPED! So we had to get her out and walking again. The midwife wanted to do an internal exam (she had not had one this whole time) to see where she was at since she had seemed so close just a few minutes ago. She was at about a 7-8, but the baby’s head was not pressing against the cervix… mom still had the bag intact. I guess the "breaking" earlier was just a large high leak… cause when her water really did break, it went EVERYWHERE! She had a lot of water. Labor picked up after that, and mom started to need even more support. We got her in the shower, since labor had just about come to a halt the last time she got in the tub, we wanted to keep her upright as much as possible. Mom did amazing. She started having some pain around her incision, but the midwife was really good at assuring her it was just adhesions from her cesarean breaking up. Finally, about 11:00AM the next day, mom finally had the overwhelming urge to push. Back in the water she went, and was very relieved to find it did not stop her labor this time. She started pushing, and just three minutes later twin A was born, head down. It was a girl! Mom had been waiting to find out the sex of the babies, and only had one ultrasound to confirm the twins. She was beautiful, 7lbs 5oz, and covered in vernix. Mom held and cuddled the baby, and soon she felt the urge to push again. It was time for twin B. This little one was frank breech, but there were no complications with the delievery at all. Twin B was born just a few pushes later, a BOY! He was covered in vernix, just like his sister, but was much larger. He weighed in at 8lbs1oz. Mom did beautifully, without even a skid mark. We got her out of bed, all cleaned up, and snuggled in bed with her two new babies! Both babies were nursing well when we left this morning, and they were even letting mom get a little bit of rest!
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One more looking forward to make a VBA3C!
I am very impressed with this story and would like for that to be my success in may when I have to give birth. The doctor will schedule me for another c-section but my plans are to stay home in order to try normal birth. I hope that I am not going to regret this decision because I am very afraid that my scar would open. Please have any advice for me, give it with no hesitation because no one in my family wants to support my idea, neither husband or doctor.
VBA3C
Why stay with a care provider who doesn’t want you to vaginally birth? Don’t know your history or how recently your c/s were, especially the last one, but I do know that almost every woman I’ve heard of who stays with a doctor who wants to schedule a c/s ends up with a c/s no matter how long she stayed at home to "beat the doc" at his/her own game. You need to surround yourself with positive and supportive people, even if those only exist online for you. The only way I even knew having a vbac was even remotely possible was because of this online community. I decided to homebirth 7 days before my due date because of scare tactics my formerly pro-vbac doctor was shoving at me. My baby was born at home because there was no hospital or doctor who wanted me to vbac, and I searched high and low. I found a midwife whose specialty was breeches and my dentist husband caught the baby, everything was beautiful and perfect, and it happened because I got a ton of support from ican people online and because I knew this was the right decision from the medical papers and studies I’d read. Also, I became very in-tune with my body because I’d had the same worry as you do about uterine rupture and scar tearing, and I knew that I’d recognize if something was going wrong and I’d use the hospital if I needed to, because they have a purpose (but I didn’t want to go there if nothing was wrong). You can do a vbac! Do all your homework and gestate in peace, and before as well as when the time comes you can make the right choices, even if the right choice ends up being a repeat c/s in certain situations! But don’t give up on yourself or your body, and learn all you can—and don’t let the negativity get to you or Sweet Baby!!!
Trying to Avoid C-Section #2
I have a son that was delivered by C-Section 11yrs ago on April 27th. I’m currently pregnant with my 2nd child( a girl) which is due July 23rd. I’ve been told that due to my C-section 11yrs ago I won’t be able to deliver her vaginally. So they’ve scheduled to take her July 17th. This was a big disappointment for me because I wanted to experience a vaginal birth at least once. I’m contemplating waiting to the last minute when she’s just about out and then go to the hospital so that they’ll have no other choice but to deliver her vaginally. But I also have the same concerns about my scar. I dont see the big deal being my scar is so old. Does that even matter?
Trying to avoid repeat c/s
The reasons for a repeat c/s in a mother whose last c/s was 11 YEARS ago is strictly legal, imo. With more information from studies and medical papers you’ll get confidence that you’re making a good decision. However, retaining an OB or any care provider whom YOU hired—if he or she doesn’t believe in VBAC (doesn’t really think it’s important or ignores the literature) then you’re playing with fire. I think the most vulnerable people are babies and children, and women in labor—so switch to a supportive doctor or midwife for a better possibility that you’ll be pleased with the outcome and the experience. Even if it’s at the end of your pregnancy. YOU are the boss and the customer, so what are you willing to do? A care provider will always do what he/she believes is best, so why boobytrap yourself in staying with one who isn’t on the same page as you are?