VBACS - Who Has Had a Personal Successful or Unsuccessful VBAC?

I've had 2 successful VBAC's, no complications.
My first was a C-section in 1988, followed by VBAC's in 1999 and 2002 and I might mention I was 41 years old with my last. So not a spring chicken.

Good luck!

I had a successful home VBAC. My previous surgery was a low-transverse incision, with the proper kind of stitching for a successful VBAC. There are certain kinds of incisions and stitching that make a VBAC much higher risk. I was not in one of those categories. By all accounts, my VBAC was very similar in risk to a first birth.

During my pregnancy, I was doing what is called "shadow care". I was doing full prenatal care with a hospital team, in case we needed to transfer. I was also doing full prenatal care with my homebirth midwife. The midwife knew about the hospital. The hospital had no idea I was planning a homebirth. So, it was kind of interesting to do a side-by-side comparison of the two.

One of the things I noticed is that the midwife was much, much more diligent about monitoring my health. The hospital checked my iron levels once, and told me if they weren't up by the time I started labor, they'd give me a blood transfusion. The midwife checked my iron levels repeatedly: iron had to be up and stay up well before I went into labor. The hospital checked for sugars and proteins in my urine once. The midwife checked weekly.

In general, the hospital's focus seemed to be on reviewing me for likely problems so they could use the technology to "save" me. The midwife's focus was preventing any problems from occurring in the first place. If she felt there was any significant risk of a birth complication developing, she would have insisted we birth in the hospital.

Is it any surprise that the midwife's success rate (VBAC, healthy baby, healthy mother) was far higher than the hospital's?

Also, the homebirth midwife provided the first 6 weeks of postpartum care. Hospital teams immediately refer the baby to a pediatrician and the mother back to a general practitioner. This stunned me. Right after birth is *not* the time to be disrupting caregivers.

The US has one the highest infant and maternal mortality rates of any of the developed countries. Standard hospital birth practices contribute to this significantly.

Women should give birth wherever they feel safest and most comfortable: it dramatically improves birth outcomes. If you feel safest and most comfortable in the hospital, by all means give birth there. However, if you can afford it and can find a midwife who will agree, I highly recommend using a homebirth midwife for prenatal and postnatal care. In my experience, they simply do a better job.

unsuccessful. turns out I have some hip deformity that in child birth I can contract for days but cannot push. the baby gets stuck in the birth canal. had my OBGYN not caught this the second time around, woulda been trouble. was going for all natural vbac and went into labor the exact day of my due date and labored for 12 hours (same scenerio set-up as the first time around) and NO progress but 1cm. She checked me out and if they'd have given me pitocin, I could have been paralyzed or dead from trying to give birth. She said if this had been 19th century there's a good chance I'd be one of the women who die in childbirth.

she saved me so much pain (as I stubbornly experienced for over 30 hours the first time before passing out and then waking up in O.R. with a brand new healthy baby who had the cord wrapped around her neck 3x! GOOD SAVE!!! THANK GOD!)

Its frustrating bc I know my body can do amazing things and I've challenged it often in my life but that is one thing I cannot do. If we go for a 3rd... ADOPTING.
(totally not kidding)

I had a successful VBAC in Florida 7 months ago. I'm down in South Florida and it was very difficult to find an OB that would work with us, but we found an amazing doctor. To be honest, she really is the reason that it was successful... Any other doctor would have probably told me no for a number of reasons.

I had an urgent c-section with my 1st after being transferred at 41w3d from a birth center in Dallas. I never went into labor and my daughter didn't respond well to the attempt to move things along at the birth center. Also, she was breach for a long time, which went undetected until 38 weeks, at which point I had an external version (at the recommendation of my midwife, but performed by my OB in the hospital). She also had the cord wrapped around her 2x, but I agree with you that it wasn't a big deal. She just never really settled into my pelvis after the version. She was a face presentation and who knows how she would have come out. I was VERY unprepared for a c-section and between the emotional distress and the complications with my recovery, it was an entirely difficult experience with a long recovery.

I was very committed to trying for a VBAC even though my doctor in Dallas told me that my pelvis was too shallow (platypelloid). And even though she told me that she'd let me try, I saw in her notes in my records that she was NOT recommending a VBAC. (It's a good thing we moved! :-))

I have several friends who have had successful home births (and one with 2 HBACs). I was not comfortable trying for one, though. My daughter had decels in between contractions...but turned out totally fine.

I took a hypnobirthing class this time (we did bradley the 1st time). It helped me see that I was definitely having fears that probably kept my body from doing what it was meant to do. The second time around even with the hypnobirthing and awareness, I still had some fear/anxiety about the pain, etc, which I should have worked through before going into labor! :-) My son was a bigger baby throughout and I kept thinking that he'd be early, but he was still 3 days past my due date. I ended up going to the hospital for an NST/ultrasound from my OB checkup because of concerns over his heart rate. My OB had stripped my membranes that day (which I was fine with because I wanted to get things moving).

We got home from the test at the hospital around 9:30 (they almost made me stay--yuck). My water broke around midnight. 10-15 minutes later the 2 minutes apart contractions began with crazy intense back labor. My son had been posterior for most of my 3rd trimester (and was breach at the beginning!). Despite going to the chiropractor and doing all the hands and knees stuff, I guess I lounged on the couch too much and he was posterior when I went into labor. I was SO not prepared for back labor...because essentially it was like a first time experience since I never went into labor with my 1st.

We got to the hospital around 2:30 to realize that apparently I had meconium in my waters (not a ton, but still there). So, instead of laboring how I wanted....moving, walking, etc, I ultimately ended up with the external monitors (thankfully not the internal), an oxygen mask because I guess my levels were too low (I was pretty stressed)...and a catheter. I was so exhausted and freaking out and decided to get an epidural to help me rest for a few hours. I just did the 1st dose, but did not have it hooked up to the continual meds. So, I was able to rest and get a few moments of sleep, but trusted that it would wear off in time. I was so upset with myself, but tried to just not worry about it since I knew that would make the recovery harder.

Even with ALL of that junk hooked up to me, I was still able to get up on my hands and knees (only way comfy). And per my OB, I was told to start pushing around 8cm on my hands and knees to try to get my son to descend more and to get him to rotate...which he finally did--Thank God! I pushed an hour that way and then an hour on my back. I hated being on my back, but I think my OB had me be that way because of how she needed to get the baby's head through my pelvis. (I think I am a little shallow, so it was a little tough for him to get around the corner.) He did end up with a hematoma on his head and was a little off color when he came out at 8lbs 5oz. And while I didn't like it, I trusted my OB that the NICU needed to check him out at first in the room and they had him back to me in a few minutes. We didn't do any of the usual stuff--eye ointment, Vitamin K (which freaked them out), bath; although we 'had' to do the 3 sugar testa because of the meconium, which he passed (to keep him out of the NICU--the hospital we deliver in actually has some policy about babies going to the NICU if meconium is present for antibiotic treatment). He nursed well and pinked up very quickly. I think his APGARs were still 9 & 10.

I was definitely unprepared for the pain because i was expecting typical abdominal contractions...not the "nothing on my abdomen, but make me feel like I'm gonna lose it lower back cramping/contractions". (I've had several knee surgeries and the c-section, so I'm not unfamiliar with pain.) I'm not sure if you've had vaginal birth before your c-section, but it seems like no one aptly prepares you for the soreness you have after birth either. I suppose it depends on how your birth goes (how much pushing, etc), but it was still a shocker. Plus I tore at the end, which was not fun recovering from.

And while I prepared for all of the pushing and pain management stuff with my first via bradley classes, I didn't really revisit that this time around and tried to prepare for a 'breathe your baby down' hypnobirth. I do believe in them and hope to try for it again next time, if we have another baby. However, I just had a hard time because my labor was so intense from the beginning. I didn't have the slowly increasing in intensity contractions, etc. My labor was almost exactly 9 hours, which is pretty fast for a first time vaginal birth, I think. And because hypnobirthing is all about breathing your baby down and relaxing and letting your body do the work for you, I wasn't in the frame of mind to think about pushing. And I was a horrible pusher! I was so tired after getting no sleep (water broke 10 minutes after I laid down for bed). I think that if I had brushed up on the pushing bit, I probably would have been a more effective pusher and reduced the amount of time spent pushing. The doula I hired and her alternate (and all of the other back ups in their practice) were in births that night, so I ended up with someone that was not the best fit for us (who helps them out). But I highly recommend a doula. Even with a midwife at home, she probably won't be there the whole time (though she might) and a doula would just help fill in support.

I do have a friend that has had a c-section and one unsuccessful HBAC (back in Texas). The only reason I mention it is just to give a friendly reminder to be sure you are comfortable with your midwife's backup OB and hospital. My friend was in labor for a couple of days after her water broke, I think...I don't remember exactly how long but it was beyond the 24 hours for sure. By the time she got to the hospital, I think her options were limited, resulting in an unsuccessful and difficult experience. I know she is planning for an HBAC for the next time around and has an entirely different care structure in place.

All of that to say...my OB rocks! I know any other doctor would have probably tried to talk me into a c-section as soon as i walked in the hospital with meconium in the waters (not to mention the poor NSTs). It sounds like you have a really positive attitude, so that will go a long way for your success. I'm from Pinellas County and I am trying to remember if there is a preferable hospital. My mother-in-law is director of quality at bayfront and I seem to remember her saying that they have had successful VBACs there...not that you'll need it. :-) Good luck with everything!

I had a c-section in 1986. I had my first home birth in 2005 and then again in 2006.

I did it for the exact reasons that you mention also. I wanted a real chance for a successful vbac. I was so traumatized by my first experience that I could only get that safely at home.

The first hbac took 21 hours which is typical. I pushed for 3 hours, yikes! The baby came out wide eyed and looking for me. Apgars were 10 & 10. Perfect! The birth was the most amazing and healing experience for me. It bonded me and my husband in such unexpected ways. Wonderful!

The second hbac took 6 hours start to finish. It was so much more intense with less build up. My son was quite bruised and swollen from such a swift entrance into the world. His Apgars were 7 & 10. When he came out I just massaged his chest and talked to him. It was amazing to see the pink color start under my hand and spread through his little body.

Neither one of my hb babies cried at first. It was such a gentle welcome into the world. No harsh lights or loud sounds. They never left me.
The contrast with my c-section was profound. I'd never birth any other way.

I wish you a safe and blessed birth.

Just had a successful vbac on may 21 :) had first vaginal; 2nd induced 1 week late and never dilated past 7.5 after 20 hours- turns put baby had 6" cord; 3rd was vbac and went into labor 2 days late- had baby 8 hrs later after 3 pushes :) i was soooo happy! I still want another kiddo or 2 and the idea of repeat c-sections was just too much! Hospitals and ob practices here are generally supportive of vbacs! I did have to have iv antibiotics for GBS but otherwise drank clear fluids during my labor...didnt think to eat as contractions were so strong and close together...but I did suck on a few sugar free lifesavers :) since labor was 4am to noon.. I only skipped breakfast!
Best wishes to you!

Pamela,

I am assuming that you know about ICAN. You have local ICAN groups - in Sarasota and in Tampa. If you haven't yet gotten in touch with them, here is the contact info:

FL
ICAN of Sarasota-Bradenton
Sarasota/Bradenton

Contact: Erin Ernst
eMail Address: ____@____.com
Telephone: ###-###-####
Website: www.myspace.com/icanofsarabraden

FL
ICAN of Tampa
Tampa

Contact: Melissa Taylor
eMail Address: ____@____.com
Telephone: ###-###-####
Website: tampa.ican-online.org

Or Contact: Susan Williams
Telephone: ###-###-####

There are also many online groups that provide VBAC and HBAC support. Please message me directly if you want contact information for them. I had a CBAC after a VBAC attempt in August 2010. Although my son's birth wasn't the way we planned, it did end up being a very family friendly and baby centered c-section this time with breastfeeding in the operating room. A much better experience than my primary c-section which was super traumatic.

Best wishes for a safe and healthy HBAC! C.

I am surprised anyone will let you do it at home. Hope all goes well.
Personally, I would not risk it but that is me. Good luck.

I had no problems with mine at all, as far as the delivery went. The issue was that I had a c-section with my first when they decided after 28 hours of labor that my son's head was too big to come out. For my second son, he was showing as a large baby as well, so I had an induction date to try the vaginal birth before he got too big. Problem was, my son was not as developed as they thought he was, even though he was a good weight. My poor little guy had no fat and was all skin and bones. He had significant trouble latching on to anything as well and went through some digestion problems until he was a little older. My advice is to make sure, if you are being induced, that the baby is developed enough to be born.

I'm so excited for you! Congratulations - unfortunately, I had an unsuccessful VBAC attempt, but that was because I was in a hospital and my doctor flipped out on us. I'm glad you've chosen a homebirth. If you have a good midwife/doula, I'm sure everything will be fine. Best wishes.

I made a deal with God that if I went into labor early, I'd do VBAC, otherwise, I'd stick with my scheduled C. I didn't go into labor and went ahead with the C. Dr. told me that baby had cord twice around her neck. Had I attempted labor, I would have ended with another emergency C-section.

Emergency c/s with #1 in 2006 - general anesthesia.
VBAC with #2 in 2007 - epidural, pitocin, episiotomy, vacuum assist.
VBAC with #3 in 2009 - no pain meds or IV access, episiotomy.
VBAC with #4 in 2011 - no interventions.

I'd say VBAC was by FAR the easiest recovery physically (even with epidural and episiotomies!) and certainly healing for my soul.
I had all 4 in the hospital, and preferred it that way ~ my experience with #1 (fetal distress) was too scary to even consider it any other way. Just me. Good luck, Mama!

For safety issues, I'd do it in the hospital. I had mine in a hospital and ALMOST ended up with another C-sec, but had her vbac anyway. Her cord was wrapped around her neck twice. My Vbac was wonderful and I'd do it again! Most wonderful experience ever!

I had a c-section in 1994 wi my first due to him not realizing which direction he needed to enter this world. I had successful vbacs (in the hospital) in 1997, 2001, and 2006. Even though I was wary, I had an induction scheduled with the last one, but he was in a hurry and came on his own, very quickly, the night before. :-)

Good luck!