Hey folks! With my third baby's due
date quickly approaching (and hopefully 2nd VBAC), I've
been thinking a lot about my last birth. Will going into labor be
similar? Will it go as fast? Will I be fortunate and not have any
major complications?
I enjoy reminiscing about my VBAC with
my second baby because it was one of the best experiences of my life,
as cliché and corny as that may sound. One thing that really
bothered me, though, when I first told family and friends about how I
wanted to have one was their lack of enthusiasm due to ignorance.
This was a really big deal to me, after all! I suppose I'm getting a
bit ahead of myself, though.
So, what's a VBAC? VBAC stands for
Vaginal Birth After Cesarean. Yes, this is actually a “thing”
now. Gone are the days of “once a c-section, always a c-section”!
Speaking of which, let's talk about some other myths and facts
surrounding VBACs and c-sections.
*Most women with a prior c-section are
great candidates for a VBAC. In fact, according to ACOG (American
College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists), women who have a trial
of labor after c-section (TOLAC) have a 60-80% success rate for
vaginal birth.
*Although far too common in our society
nowadays, the fact remains that cesareans are major abdominal
surgery. With VBAC, women can “avoid major abdominal surgery and
lowers their risk of hemorrhage, blood clots and infection. It also
shortens the recovery period and reduces women’s risk of
experiencing maternal morbidity or mortality during delivery in a
future pregnancy due to repeated C-sections.” (ACOG)
*Naturally, there are factors that
could impede VBAC success. ”There are certain conditions that can
make VBAC less likely if TOLAC is attempted, including advanced
maternal age, a high body mass index, a high birth weight and a
previous C-section that resulted because the cervix failed to
dilate.” (ACOG)
*The most talked about risk with VBACs
is uterine rupture. This is a very valid concern as it can cause both
fetal and maternal death, but, it is very rare at less than 1%
occurrence in those going through TOLAC.
Clearly, there are advantages,
disadvantages, and risks to consider whether you decide to try for a
VBAC or opt for a repeat c-section. More and more women, though, are
opting for VBAC, myself included. Now that you understand more about
the medical aspect of choosing between the two ways to birth, I want
to share some of my own personal reasons as well as some fellow mom
bloggers who also chose to VBAC!
As for me, I always wanted to
experience vaginal birth. Don't ask me why, because I couldn't tell
you, but it's just one of those things I always wanted to do. I also
really wanted to have a drug-free birth, but that flew out the window
once I hit about 7/8 cm dilated. Those Pitocin contractions (I opted
to get induced) are no joke! (Seriously. So much different than going
into labor on your own!) Still, I cried when I gave in to getting the
epidural.
Long story short, labor went pretty
fast, but after 3 hours of pushing, we decided to do a c-section. I
never got the official records, but from what I understood, my
daughter hadn't really descended right and her head and shoulders got
stuck funky, which is why I wasn't making any progress pushing. She
actually had a red spot on her head at first from where she was
hitting my pubic bone!
Anyways, I was bound and determined to
have a VBAC with my next baby. I didn't see any reason not to. It's
not like I had to have an emergency c-section. I did lots of
research. It just felt right. I felt like it was my second chance,
literally and figuratively, to have the birth experience I was hoping
for.
We moved back to Indiana after our
first daughter and I found a very VBAC-friendly doctors office.
Despite my diet-controlled gestational diabetes, I was able and
fortunate to have a perfectly smooth, drug-free VBAC at 40+3 weeks
going into labor on my own! Again, it was one of the best experiences
of my life. I am so glad I was able to experience it and am hoping
for another smooth VBAC delivery again any day now!
Jessi
from The Coffee Mom
My
first baby was frank breech, and that resulted in a scheduled
C-section at 39 weeks. It wasn't an awful experience, but not the
best by any means. Recovery was harder and being a new mom I felt
like there wasn't much after support for C-section moms as far as
what I was and was not allowed to do.
A
few years later, when I was pregnant with my son, I decided to have a
VBAC. Since nowhere in my town would do them, I had to go to a larger
city about 20 minutes away. The care was amazing and I was able to
have my VBAC at 41 weeks. I was told if I didn't go into labor on my
own by 42 weeks, I would have another C-section since they can not
induce. The whole experience was wonderful and recovery was much
easier.
Melinda
from Unfrazzled Mama
For
my first baby I had hoped to go for the natural/no pain meds birth
and, unfortunately, had to have a C-section at the last minute. My
water broke on it's own and I was all set in my hospital room to
deliver vaginally, but the doctor decided to check to make double
sure the baby was head down. He felt something off, and decided to do
an ultrasound right there and it turned out that she was breech. All
the other doctors had missed it. So then I had to go for an
"emergency" C-section that night. I never had any
contractions even though my water broke. So with my second, I
definitely wanted to try to successfully experience a natural birth,
not to mention avoid all the risks that come along with multiple
C-sections.
Abigail
When
I was pregnant with my first son, at my 38 week visit, the midwife
had a hard time finding the heart beat of the baby...there was
nothing. I was sent for an ultrasound and from then on everything was
fine. They monitored me for a whole day and nothing seemed wrong.
The
next day they came to my room and said they would send me home but
another doctor came in and said I was having a c-section that day. I
freaked out. The more I said no the more they bullied me and told me
I was putting my son's life in danger. So we did it.
The
spinal shot was the scariest thing I've ever done. It took long to
heal and I felt like I wasn't what a real mom should be. I spoke to
other moms and they discussed things like contractions...I didn't
know what that was. The moment they give you the baby after
birth...mine was taken away....so yeah.
With
my second I was in another country, and I pushed hard for a VBAC, I
wanted to know what it felt like to give birth the way God intended.
Thankfully, the doctors there were more open to this option. I had a
completely natural birth with no painkillers, no bullying...My labour
was 4 hours long and went very smoothly. Now I'm pregnant with my
third and unfortunately I'm in my country of origin, Malta, where I
had my first...and I am very concerned. There are no birthing
clinics, no doulas for a homebirth....
Marcie
from Marcie in Mommyland
With
my oldest, I had placenta previa and was on hospital bed rest for the
last 2 months of my pregnancy. Because of the previa, we knew I'd
need a c-section. We ended up having an emergency c-section at 35
weeks. After being on bed rest, recovering from the c-section was so
difficult and I dreaded just thinking about how to recover from
surgery while tending to a toddler if we had another baby.
I
always thought I'd need to have another c-section for my 2nd baby.
So, when my doctor told me I'd be a great candidate for a VBAC, I did
a ton of Googling. Since my first pregnancy/delivery was so intense,
I wanted a completely different experience with my second. I ended up
hiring a doula, which was the smartest decision for our family! Since
I'd never been in labor before, I relied on her a lot to help me with
the last 5 weeks of pregnancy (which I hadn't experienced before),
labor, and vaginal delivery. I love that my kids came into this world
in very unique and distinct ways.
As
you can see from just the few examples here, there are many different
circumstances that lead up to each of these c-sections. But, for the
most part, the reasons for wanting a VBAC are similar. A lot of women
simply want to experience vaginal birth and I, and more and more
mothers, doctors, doulas, etc., feel we shouldn't be denied that
experience unless truly, medically necessary.
With
that being said, I would like to close with this: This post is not
intended to offend anyone. I am not trying to put down anyone who
elects to have a repeat c-section. I do not know your situation. It
may be what's right for your body and your family. I'm simply hoping
to 1) Enlighten more mothers of their options who may not have even
known VBAC was a possibility and 2) Answer those questions that
people had who didn't understand why a woman wouldn't just opt for
another c-section. (Which, by the way, is NOT the “easy way out”,
like some like to ignorantly say! Cesareans are abdominal surgery and
as such require several weeks to months of healing time!)
*Sources
-https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/News-Room/News-Releases/2017/ACOG-Releases-New-Guidance-Aimed-at-Making-VBAC-Available-to-More-Women
-https://vbacfacts.com/2012/01/16/myth-risk-of-uterine-rupture-doesnt-change-much-after-a-cesarean/
-https://www.vbac.com/what-is-a-uterine-rupture-and-how-often-does-it-occur/
