Seeking VBAC preparation advice

[Anonymous]

I am preparing for a second birth and would like to do a trial of labor for a VBAC. I recognize it is not a guarantee and neither a cesarean nor vaginal birth eliminates risk, but after a traumatic c section and recovery I have decided for a VBAC.

Does anyone have any advice, tips, anecdotes to share that would help me prepare? I am trying to stay limber. I have a doula, am taking child birth classes outside of the hospital, and have worked with a specialist to work through birth trauma.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I recently had a VBAC. The biggest thing is to talk to your doctor in advance about the plan for pain meds - I initially didn't want an epidural and my doctor explained that I should have one placed in case things go south they can turn it on for the c-section. If I didn't have it placed and something went wrong they would have to put me under general anesthesia and I would be completely out and it could negatively impact the baby as well. I had the epidural placed (and they placed it late - when I was already around 9 cm).

Be prepared to understand and discuss what will happen if something goes wrong and make sure your spouse/support person knows your wishes as well.

In the end, a successful birth is what's best for you and baby and remember that as well. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I had a successful VBAC. It sounds a bit woo to say, but the only thing you need to do is to actually believe you can do it. Your body was born to give birth, you got this, you were made for this. I believe in you. Just know in your soul you can do this and block out everything else.

For all the naysayers, does heart disease make you doubt that hearts work? Do stomach issues make you doubt digestion? No. So just bc birth can sometimes go wrong doesn't mean it doesn't work in general.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recently had a VBAC. The biggest thing is to talk to your doctor in advance about the plan for pain meds - I initially didn't want an epidural and my doctor explained that I should have one placed in case things go south they can turn it on for the c-section. If I didn't have it placed and something went wrong they would have to put me under general anesthesia and I would be completely out and it could negatively impact the baby as well. I had the epidural placed (and they placed it late - when I was already around 9 cm).

Be prepared to understand and discuss what will happen if something goes wrong and make sure your spouse/support person knows your wishes as well.

In the end, a successful birth is what's best for you and baby and remember that as well. Good luck!

Thank you for sharing. Question - once the epidural was placed but not on, were you still able to move around? I was taught in a child birth class that being able to stand, move around a little etc… helps move along labor and especially dilation, but I also heard that if they place an epidural then some hospitals say you have to stay on the bed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a successful VBAC. It sounds a bit woo to say, but the only thing you need to do is to actually believe you can do it. Your body was born to give birth, you got this, you were made for this. I believe in you. Just know in your soul you can do this and block out everything else.

For all the naysayers, does heart disease make you doubt that hearts work? Do stomach issues make you doubt digestion? No. So just bc birth can sometimes go wrong doesn't mean it doesn't work in general.

I love this. Did you use any method or approach in laboring? Thanks, -OP

[Anonymous]

Who is your Ob office? Sometimes they are very discouraging.

[Anonymous]

I'm the woo poster and I'm glad you found my words helpful OP.

So I did it all to prepare. I myself had a doula but I still worried every step of the way, got acupuncture to go into labor, etc. My providers were naysayers generally, supportive of me trying a VBAC but essentially setting the scene for another section. I decided to have an unmedicated labor bc my first one I got an epidural and simply hated the sensation of being stuck on a bed with legs that wouldn't move. I had big ideas about how I wanted to breathe and stay calm during labor but all that went out the window during the actual event.

I had an easy labor that was only about 6 hours long from first twinge to baby. I went on to have another VBAC, only this time I declined the group B strep and gestational diabetes testing. Another easy labor, no doula.

It sounds trite to say but you simply have to believe you can do it (and you can!!! do you doubt your ability to digest, think, vomit, etc?) and block out everything else. I also ate 6 dates a day from 34 weeks onwards - it's supposed to help!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recently had a VBAC. The biggest thing is to talk to your doctor in advance about the plan for pain meds - I initially didn't want an epidural and my doctor explained that I should have one placed in case things go south they can turn it on for the c-section. If I didn't have it placed and something went wrong they would have to put me under general anesthesia and I would be completely out and it could negatively impact the baby as well. I had the epidural placed (and they placed it late - when I was already around 9 cm).

Be prepared to understand and discuss what will happen if something goes wrong and make sure your spouse/support person knows your wishes as well.

In the end, a successful birth is what's best for you and baby and remember that as well. Good luck!

Thank you for sharing. Question - once the epidural was placed but not on, were you still able to move around? I was taught in a child birth class that being able to stand, move around a little etc… helps move along labor and especially dilation, but I also heard that if they place an epidural then some hospitals say you have to stay on the bed.

PP here…by the time they placed it I was nearly pushing and honestly couldn’t stand. I remember sitting and leaning into DH, but not walking around. They told me they typically wouldn’t even place an epidural that late but bc of the VBAC they did. I did get one pump when it was time to push - enough that I could feel the contractions but still ease the pain a bit. Pushed for 30 min and baby was out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the woo poster and I'm glad you found my words helpful OP.

So I did it all to prepare. I myself had a doula but I still worried every step of the way, got acupuncture to go into labor, etc. My providers were naysayers generally, supportive of me trying a VBAC but essentially setting the scene for another section. I decided to have an unmedicated labor bc my first one I got an epidural and simply hated the sensation of being stuck on a bed with legs that wouldn't move. I had big ideas about how I wanted to breathe and stay calm during labor but all that went out the window during the actual event.

I had an easy labor that was only about 6 hours long from first twinge to baby. I went on to have another VBAC, only this time I declined the group B strep and gestational diabetes testing. Another easy labor, no doula.

It sounds trite to say but you simply have to believe you can do it (and you can!!! do you doubt your ability to digest, think, vomit, etc?) and block out everything else. I also ate 6 dates a day from 34 weeks onwards - it's supposed to help!

Thanks so much for sharing!

[Anonymous]

I'm in your corner OP, you got this. Labor is manageable. The great thing about pain is that you don't need any advance preparation - you get through anything life throws at you in the moment. Do you walk around worrying that someday you might get a finger caught in a car door and how you might cope with that?

Just eat the dates and it's all going to be good. What an exciting time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the woo poster and I'm glad you found my words helpful OP.

So I did it all to prepare. I myself had a doula but I still worried every step of the way, got acupuncture to go into labor, etc. My providers were naysayers generally, supportive of me trying a VBAC but essentially setting the scene for another section. I decided to have an unmedicated labor bc my first one I got an epidural and simply hated the sensation of being stuck on a bed with legs that wouldn't move. I had big ideas about how I wanted to breathe and stay calm during labor but all that went out the window during the actual event.

I had an easy labor that was only about 6 hours long from first twinge to baby. I went on to have another VBAC, only this time I declined the group B strep and gestational diabetes testing. Another easy labor, no doula.

It sounds trite to say but you simply have to believe you can do it (and you can!!! do you doubt your ability to digest, think, vomit, etc?) and block out everything else. I also ate 6 dates a day from 34 weeks onwards - it's supposed to help!

Thanks so much for sharing!

I would never take advice from someone who declined the gestational diabetes and group b tests. That is just stupid. Those tests are the standard of care for a reason and it’s to prevent complications and optimize outcomes for you and your BABY! Signed, a mom who was group b positive and had GD. Also, I believed I could have a vaginal birth and ended up with one and major pelvic floor trauma. Chose a scheduled C for the next baby and was much happier with the outcome. Ymmv.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm in your corner OP, you got this. Labor is manageable. The great thing about pain is that you don't need any advance preparation - you get through anything life throws at you in the moment. Do you walk around worrying that someday you might get a finger caught in a car door and how you might cope with that?

Just eat the dates and it's all going to be good. What an exciting time

So untrue. I had a malpositioned baby and prolonged labor and was in so much agony I was fantasizing about throwing myself off the roof and was literally having sensations of being surrounded by dead relatives. When she was yanked out of me with a vacuum and no working epidural I felt so badly that I was dying and being ripped apart that I saw my entire life flash before my eyes like people experience when they are dying. Turns out that was pelvic floor muscles getting ripped off the bone and my vagina ripping apart on the inside and my labia being torn. Everyone’s experience of birth is completely different. For me, labor was manageable until it was not. Don’t extrapolate from your own experience how someone else’s will be. We are all individuals with unique and different experiences.

[Anonymous]

I think the biggest thing is to try and see many different practitioners at your OB's office. I went to a large practice, and one doctor, in particular was a big proponent of VBACs. As it happened, she WAS on duty the day I gave birth. But I had floated the idea to a couple of other doctors, and they also seemed at least hypothetically supportive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the woo poster and I'm glad you found my words helpful OP.

So I did it all to prepare. I myself had a doula but I still worried every step of the way, got acupuncture to go into labor, etc. My providers were naysayers generally, supportive of me trying a VBAC but essentially setting the scene for another section. I decided to have an unmedicated labor bc my first one I got an epidural and simply hated the sensation of being stuck on a bed with legs that wouldn't move. I had big ideas about how I wanted to breathe and stay calm during labor but all that went out the window during the actual event.

I had an easy labor that was only about 6 hours long from first twinge to baby. I went on to have another VBAC, only this time I declined the group B strep and gestational diabetes testing. Another easy labor, no doula.

It sounds trite to say but you simply have to believe you can do it (and you can!!! do you doubt your ability to digest, think, vomit, etc?) and block out everything else. I also ate 6 dates a day from 34 weeks onwards - it's supposed to help!

Why would you decline group b and gestational diabetes testing? I know for group b you need to be given an antibiotic at a certain point, but it's to help your child not get the bacteria...And the results of untreated gestational diabetes can be stillbirth or autism. I'm amazed your OB agreed to this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the woo poster and I'm glad you found my words helpful OP.

So I did it all to prepare. I myself had a doula but I still worried every step of the way, got acupuncture to go into labor, etc. My providers were naysayers generally, supportive of me trying a VBAC but essentially setting the scene for another section. I decided to have an unmedicated labor bc my first one I got an epidural and simply hated the sensation of being stuck on a bed with legs that wouldn't move. I had big ideas about how I wanted to breathe and stay calm during labor but all that went out the window during the actual event.

I had an easy labor that was only about 6 hours long from first twinge to baby. I went on to have another VBAC, only this time I declined the group B strep and gestational diabetes testing. Another easy labor, no doula.

It sounds trite to say but you simply have to believe you can do it (and you can!!! do you doubt your ability to digest, think, vomit, etc?) and block out everything else. I also ate 6 dates a day from 34 weeks onwards - it's supposed to help!

Why would you decline group b and gestational diabetes testing? I know for group b you need to be given an antibiotic at a certain point, but it's to help your child not get the bacteria...And the results of untreated gestational diabetes can be stillbirth or autism. I'm amazed your OB agreed to this.

Because she is woo and doesn’t believe in science. She says providers which means she probably did a homebirth with a CPM. No OB would allow you to decline those tests because it’s a liability to them and they are the ones who get sued. Besides - OP would be the first person to sue her provider if her child got meningitis, sepsis, or died as a result of untreated group b strep or had any other poor outcome like shoulder dystopia, stillbirth, or macrosomia which can be the direct result of untreated GD. Some people are just not very intelligent and make poor decisions that will optimize their child’s chances of being born alive and healthy l, don’t be one of them. I mean just the fact alone that she had a VBAC but declined those tests is all I need to know to figure out that she did a homebirth. (Which is also incredibly risky to do as a VBAC or a FTM without a proven pelvis).