Vbac - Orange Park,FL

Contact ICANN. I have a good friend who's had two successful at-home VBACs with a midwife, and she is a big ICANN supporter. Good luck!

This is a website I was directed to when I wanted the same type of information.

http://www.ican-online.org/

ICAN supports mothers who do not want to be forced into unnecessary surgery. Vaginal birth is the normal biological consequence of pregnancy, whether or not the mother has a prior cesarean. You deserve complete information about the risks of vaginal birth and elective cesarean so that you can make the healthiest choice possible for you and your baby. We’re not here to make your choices for you. We’re here to make sure that you understand that you HAVE the choice. After all, it is still your body and your baby. Please browse the studies and articles at the left of the page to educate yourself. Who else is better qualified to weigh the research and evidence and determine it’s importance in your life?

Grrrrr...unneccessary C-sections drive me crazy. Almost as much as doctors who don't listen to women, don't honor their wishes and prematurely jump to extreme measures. I don't know why the US can't get on board with VBACs. Having said that, the previous mom is right that there are (and very well should be) medical guidelines about who is and isn't a good candidate for a VBAC. Add on top of the that the difficulty of finding an educated, "progressive" doctor who is even willing to consider it, and it just seems nearly impossible! But there is a great "group" on Yahoo.com called FLBirthAfterCesarean. I think they are affiliated with the ican network. There may be someone in the group from the Jacksonville area. Try joining that group and see if you can get some help there. I wish you the very best of luck. You absolutely deserve the opportunity to have an open-minded, realistic doctor review your history and determine if you are a good candidate. I think it is so incredibly sad that the medical establishment is too busy covering their you-know-what's to give women the opportunities they deserve for a safe vaginal delivery. Sorry for the rant!

Best of luck to you. I wish you the very best pregnancy and birth experience medically available. You deserve it!

The website ican-online.org has great advice and support for VBACers.

I had one and I did it at home. I am a HUGE advocate for VBAC, which is why it pains me to say this: If I were you, I wouldn't risk it.

There are guidelines as to how the surgery had to be in order to attempt a safe VBAC. One is that the incision has to be low (and transverse, but you probably had a transverse) and double sutured. You had a botched c and fall out of the guidelines for safety. Get a diagram and report of your c and get a couple of opinions as to how your uterus has likely healed.

I hope you get a good report. I had a terrible experience with my c as well, and I sincerely hope you an VBAC. But do be careful. You have a couple of little ones who need you to make it through safely.

Google vbacs in your area. There may be a VBAC association like there is in Atlanta. I have two good friends who have had successful Vbacs after finding doctors and midwives through this organization. One even had a huge baby at home with a midwife! Good luck!

I know a woman who had her first three children c section and her last through natural birth. The doctor told her it was a risk to do this but she insisted. Everything went well and she said that if she had it to do over she would do the c section. She said she woudln't miss the labor at all. A woman that was in the hospital with me when my oldest was born had her first one natural birth and the second one ( the one she had when I was in there) by c section. She said she would never have one natural again. She said a c section is so much easier. Being in labor is like the worst thing a woman can go through but is well worth it in the end when you see the results and hold that baby in your arms. I would get more doctors opinions and do what is safest for the baby....

I agree with those who suggested that you contact ICAN. There is a brand new chapter in North Florida, here is the info:

ICAN of North Florida
Northeast FL- Jacksonville, St. Augustine

Contact: Dana Larmon
eMail Address: ____@____.com
Telephone: ###-###-####
Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ICAN-of-North-Florida/12564...

Or Contact:
Telephone: ###-###-####

I am a co-leader of the ICAN of South Florida group. We recently had a mother deliver a baby VBAC after 2 sections. It is possible but you will need to have your surgical records from both of your previous sections. The Yahoo group mentioned below is also super useful - join in and post your questions. If you have any other questions - please feel to message me directly.

Best wishes! C.

Someone may have already said this, but... VBAC criterion includes the direction of the incision from your first c-section. If they cut vertically, you are not a candidate as the uterus has a greater chance of rupturing. If the incision was done horizontally, from hip to hip, most doctors will give you the opportunity to attempt a vaginal delivery. It is a huge liability to the hospitals and doctors to allow a multiple c-section patient with a vertical incision to attempt a VBAC. Oh, and most doctors in Florida will not allow a VBAC after 2 c-sections. You can try to insist or even try to go through midwives, but you may be strongly advised against it.

Good luck.

Definitely go to www.ican-online.com and also look at the Birth Survey, which gives you real moms' feedback on providers and hospitals. It sounds like you have a lot of risk, but do your research, go to a provider that is fair and on your side and have them give you the information you need to decide.

There is also more than one way to have a c-section. If you and your provider choose surgery as the safer option, you can still be treated well. You can start labor naturally, be given an epidural, be treated with dignity. It can happen!

All the best with everything--I hope you get a wonderful experience!

I seriously doubt you will find a doctor who performs them or a hospital that allows them. I wanted a VBAC with my 3rd child (I had 2 previous c-sections) but my OB/GYN told me after the second c-section that I would NOT be having a VBAC but a scheduled c-section instead. They are dangerous and a liability to the doctor/hospital. My sister is an R.N. at the hospital I had all 3 of my children at and I had asked her to investigate if it was just my doctor who refused the VBAC or the hospital. It was the hospital that refused to allow any VBAC's. The reaction you had with your spinal is not because the spinal was done too high or in the wrong place. Every woman can have a different reaction but feeling numb from the neck down is one of the side effects. I had a spinal with my second child and felt fine with it. No bad side effects. However with my 3rd c-section, I felt numb from my neck down, couldn't feel myself breathing, and afterward, I experienced a week long headache and the most painful back pain ever. It was all related to the spinal. It sounds like you have already had 2 c-sections so it is very unlikely that you will have a VBAC. The adhesion you described (uterus attached to stomach) is common. I had a similar adhesion and my doctor was able to cut out the scar tissue. Scar tissue happens anytime the body is cut into like a c-section for example.

I would look for an ob ( or a few) who is willing to do VBACs and have that doctor look at your specific medical history. I have 2 children and had 2 c-sections. I tried for natural childbirth the first time but factors conspired to make it a really difficult labor (I was sick, a bit late and had a 9lb baby). After 12 hours I had an epidural and after 18 hours a failure to progress c-section. That c-section healed up without a real problem (there was internal scar tissue but I didn't know that until later). My kids are just under 3 years apart and I tried for a VBAC with the second. I had a midwife and a doula for the birth and I was comfortable with both of them and I delivered at a hospital (I personally didn't feel comfortable doing a VBAC outside of a hospital). The second labor went a lot better in most ways. My water broke at night and I didn't start contractions so I went to the hospital the next morning. I was given the choice of a c-section or pitocin to start contractions. I really didn't want the pit but convinced my midwife to start with a very small amount. It started contractions in an hour and I had about 6 hours active labor. I was almost to the point of pushing when the baby's heart rate started dipping and coming back up. We went the cautious route and did the emergency c-section and I have no regrets there--the cord was around my daughter's neck. She is fine but had a NICU stay to make sure. I laugh and say I got as close to a VBAC as possible before the c-section. I don't regret trying the VBAC and I don't regret the c-section because it was a potentially very serious complication. On the other hand the second c-section was very painful (because of the scar tissue and the position of the baby) and even with an epidural the ended up giving me general anesthesia to finish it. Then it got infected and I was back in the hospital for that; which was a horrible ordeal and even more painful than either labor or c-section. After all that I was advised it wasn't a good idea to have any more children but I wasn't planning to anyway. After the second birth experience wouldn't try a VBAC again ( too many physical and emotional scars) but it is a moot point for me. That is my story and I hope my experience helps you make a more informed decision. Also, a good friend of mine has a lot of anxiety about hospitals due to medical problems when she was younger and went to therapy and took anti anxiety medication during her first pregnancy and her delivery went pretty well (failure to progress c-section but no major drama or stress about it). The Birthing From Within book has a lot of exercises to help you work through the emotional aspects of pregnancy.