V-bac Question

Hi D.,

I did not myself, but one of my sisters had a c-section the first child, V-bac the second, and c-section the third. She had no problems going from one to the other and back to a c-section again. Hope this helps.

L. B.

My first delivery was vaginal. 2nd, c-section because she was footling breech. (Feet first with one leg pulled up.) My third I did vaginal again and was so happy I did. The recovery is so much easier! If they don't see a reason to insist on C-section, I would give vaginal a try! Also, chances are, if they induce labor, complications are more likley to arise, then they will end up doing C-section anyway. You didn't ask, but I would really weigh out the options if they suggest inducing. D. Fletcher

I am always amazed at questions posed about VBAC and the amount of women who respond to tell you that it is your choice!! IT'S USUALLY NOT!!! That baby needs to get out and get out safely!! Deliveries can change on a dime and as a mom you need to prepare yourself mentally for anything! I guess I am just sick of hearing women talk about a vaginal delivery like if you didn't go vaginally then you've somehow missed out on something. I've never even experienced labor and yet I love my boys in a way that I can't explain!
My input is that you should try VBAC if you want to and if it is safe FOR YOU (which none of us at home are able to judge)! When all is said and done...all we really want is the baby, right?

hi D.,
in answer to your question about vbac, you should really ask your healthcare practitioner. there are pros and cons to vbac ing. personally i attempted to vbac though I ddnt want to...I was told I had cephlo pelvic disproportion w/ first delivery which was 3 hours intense labor followed by section due to failure to descend and me being plum worn out. but no documentation followed so w/ second pregnancy and new OB group...I had to labor anyway. and well I had to have another sect anyway as well. there were other complications to boot...so discuss w/ your primary OB first and foremost...not friends, coworkers, or even thru here...every one is individual..what works for me may not work for you...and what ddnt work for me may work for u..unfortunately medicine is a science, which means it is ever changing..so ask next appt. they'll take the time to discuss things with you...I will tell you though...since I ddnt have a vaginal birth...no tearing or stretching of that area...sex is still good, no probs there...my girlfriends say otherwise who have had multiple tears from birthing their kids. just fyi...

Hi D.,
I had a C-section with my 8th child and then had a V-bac with my next 2. After having 7 vag deliveries I was bummed to have a c-sect...needed one for failure to progress. I only got to 5cm dilated. I do know that when I decided to v-bac my OB told me that they wouldn't induce labor but if I went in labor on my own it would be OK...I went 11 days late and got to the hospital at 8cm so I was very happy. That's my story. Hope it helps!
Deb

I had 2 c-sections. I wanted a v-bac but the doctors really discouraged it. I had a feeling if I did go for it, at the first sign of any problems they would cut me anyway. I scheduled the c section with the doctor I wanted on the baby's due date. If I went into labor I was going to do my best for the v-bac. Well, no labor and we had the other c-section. I just think if the doctors are not all for it and supportive, they will cut you the minute there is a problem. So try to find a doctor that supports you.

I am going to be 39 next week. I had twin boys when I turned 30 via C-section. I found out I was pregnant again in '06 (a singleton, whew!! LOL) and I was adamant to have a natural child birth. I attended child birth classes which encouraged being your own advocate for Vbac because the hospital will jump at any chance they get to schedule a C. But when it came right down to it, I was going nowhere slow and decided that I just wanted to have it over with and have a healthy baby. After having my water broke early in the a.m., by 11 or so with hardly no contractions and progression, I decided to agree and scheduled the C for around 2pm. .WEEEELLL, THEN the PAIN and CONTRACTIONS decided to arrive! After only a few, I opted right off for something for the pain. They came that fast and THAT strong! Then, it was so bad I could not breathe thru the oxygen mask. At this point, they gave me the pain meds and I was wheeled in to EMERGENCY C when they saw that the monitor had dropped. Everything went fine and my baby boy arrived crying and healthy, TG> My suggestion is don't put yourself thru unnecessary pain and torment! If ever, and I do mean EVER, I find myself in that situation again, I am going to whip out my calendar and schedule that C section! LOL Good luck with whatever you decide.

L.

My first delivery was a planned c-section and for my second pregnancy, I chose to try VBAC. Like many other women have said, this is an incredibly personal decision and is one that you should talk to your doctor about to make sure that VBAC is even an option for you. I was very lucky because my OB fully supported my choice to try for a VBAC. I think one or two of the male doctors in my OB practice weren't fully in favor of trying the VBAC (more of a why bother attitude). If your doctor feels you are a good candidate for a VBAC and it's something you'd like to do, I say go for it. It was one of the best decisions I made during my second pregnancy and I intend to try it again next time!

I too had a section, and wanted to do a V Bac. My OBGYN, does not do them. I stuck with her, and had the second section, and was extrememly glad. While in surgery, my doctor informed me that had I tried to have a V BAC, there was a great chance my uterine wall would have ruptured, b/c it was thin from the previous section.

I had a VBAC 19 years ago. With the first baby I got to the point of him crowning, but he wouldn't come out. Said he was too big for my pelvis. The second one was the same exact size to the 1/2 ounce and she popped out in 3 hours. Think I pushed 3 times. Who knows? Recovery was much easier with the VBAC, especially when you have the 2 little ones. Good luck.

Hi there -I agree that this is a very personal decision, and you have to follow your gut, as well as advice from your health care providers. My first was a scheduled C section because she was breech. It was smooth and I had an excellent and speedy recovery. I decided to go for a VBac for my second, and it was hellacious. I had one -but I had 27 hours of labor, 3 hours of pushing, tearing, episiotomy, etc. My recovery was MUCH more painful and prolonged from the vaginal delivery. I know this is all individual, but if I were having a third, I'd definitely have a C section. Good luck!

As a doula, I've attended several VBAC's, some that resulted in vaginal birth, others cesarean. My sister-in-law had a VBA2C in the 1980's and said that even with both of her cesareans being planned (first was for breech, second was planned repeat), the recovery from the vaginal birth was SO much easier, especially with 2 little ones running around.

The reason for your first cesarean would of course have a lot of impact on whether or not you attempt VBAC this time, although I'd encourage you not to consider "failure to progress" or "CPD" (you were pushing and couldn't get the baby out) as necessarily show stoppers. I'd just view them as special cause for you to consider hiring a doula AND doing some work on learning different tricks for birthing big babies. One of my VBAC clients had CPD with her first labor--she was told that her labor was going too slowly (which really puzzled me because it was actually a pretty average length labor), and then when she got to pushing she pushed for 3 hours and never got the baby below 0 station. Her second baby--the VBAC--was 11 oz BIGGER, and she only pushed for 1 hr, and had no tearing. A lot of the difference is feeling comfortable with your environment, and having freedom to move around into whatever position works for you. I had one first time mom client who the Dr's had already pegged for cesarean, they just hadn't told her yet...and after over an hour and a half of non-progressive pushing I managed to get her to flip over to hands & knees (even with an epidural in place!), and her baby was born within 15 minutes. The attending Dr was a bit more than shocked when he showed up 10 minutes after the birth...all ready to explain to the mom that she really "needed" a cesarean.

If you are planning to have more than 2 children, the more cesareans you have, the higher risk you have of placenta complications in pregnancy and birth. Yes, there are women who have had 5 cesareans safely...but the risks are increased significantly. So on that ground, I'd highly encourage you to consider VBAC. Even with just 2 babies...with 2 cesareans your risk of having "post-surgical adhesions" (bits of scar tissue connecting various internal structures) is 95%, and 5% of people with these have pain from them--often very severe pain. There is really nothing that can be done about post-surgical adhesions, because doing a surgery to cut them out just causes more severe ones to grow back.

Hugs & Good luck!

Jenn
www.babybodybirth.com

I had a c-section w/my first child. It was an emergency: I was running a low-grade fever, I wasn't dilating past 9, and my son was coming out at an angle. So when I was expecting my second child, the doctors I was going to at the time (I'd moved since having my first son) strongly pushed for a VBAC. I went along w/it up until the day I was due. I had an ultrasound that day that said he was already 9 pounds, but the doctors didn't believe it (although my 1st was over 9 pounds also). So I agreed to wait and the result was nothing short of horrible. Yes, my son was born and he was healthy and all's well that ends well. But the scarring was awful. I won't scare you with the details. I've had two more children since then, and both of them via c-section (I switched practices). My current ob says that my case was poorly managed and that because of that fact, VBACs weren't an option for my any longer.

Despite my experience, however, I have to say that I think things may have turned out differently if I had taken a more active role in the delivery--if I'd been more assertive. I let the doctor make all of the decisions and that was as much my fault as his. So I would neither recommend a VBAC nor advise against one. I think the most important thing is to trust yourself. If you really want to go for a VBAC, just make sure that you follow your gut the whole way through. I know you're looking for advice and that I haven't really offered you what you had in mind. But what I got out of my second child's delivery is that I know my body better than my doctor or any crew of nurses does. I knew I needed a c-section and I ignored that gut feeling.

A final thought: Yes, birthing a child the conventional way can be a beautiful thing, as God intended and all that jazz. But I felt like no more of a mother after delivering my son vaginally than I did after delivering the other 3 children c-section.

Good luck!

Hi D. - I did a successful VBAC .. and it turned out to be a vacuum extraction. I had to have a 3rd degree episiotomy .. which was at least as painful as the ceasarean, if not more so. I am not sure why you had the first C-section, but my reason was failure to progress. I NEVER fully dilated, was NOT effaced and the pitocin was pushing me off the charts; fetal distress was the deciding factor. With the VBAC I had all the same issues, and was 5 min away from another C! If I were to have a third (and that's not happening since I'm 47 and my dh got snipped!) I would do a vaginal birth .. but keep the darn scissors away from my perineum! Not sure if this is helpful .. but it's what I experienced.

Hi!

I had a vbac and it was a great experience. I don't know the reason for your primary cesarean so it's hard for me to say what my advice is, but if you are a candidate for a vbac I would seriously consider it!

My labor with my second was terrific and I had a great midwife who gave me a lot of confidence. The recovery was SO much better. And, I found it to be a very healing experience and I came to terms with my primary cesarean. I think it took going through a normal labor to forgive myself for ending up with a c/s after a very abnormal labor.

I would suggest making sure your care provider is supportive of a vbac, and if not, switch to one who is! Also, a doula is a great resource and a vbac can be a situation where a lot of prenatal prep and labor support is necessary.

Good luck with your decision!

Hi Deb,
No matter what you do, be sure to do what you feel most comfortable with. I had 2 c-sections, though I really wanted to have my 2nd child via VBAC. The doctors said they would do the VBAC if that's what I truly wanted. Unfortunately, my brother was killed in Iraq when I was 6 mos. pregnant. The doctor talked to me again about the dangers of having a VBAC. Even though the risk is low that you could have a uteral hemmorage, if you do, there is a 50% chance that the baby won't make it, and a risk that you could bleed out as well. Because of the loss of my brother, I couldn't risk putting my family through that pain again, so I opted for the less risky C-section. The recovery from the 2nd c-section was so much easier than the 1st. Sure, I wish that I did get to experience "real" labor, but I am just glad that my kids are happy and healthy and so am I.
Talk to your doctor, your husband, your family and make the decision that works best for all of you. Good luck, its not an easy decision to make.
K.

I am not sure what your situation was the first time and why you had to have a c-section, but I agree to really discuss with your OB. I ended up having to have a csection with my twins because 1 was vertex, while the other was breech. With my 2nd pregnancy, I really wanted vbac the whole time, even though my OB was against it due to the chance of rupture,etc. I really wanted the "true" experience of labor/delivery, but then I chickened out at the end. I started having panic attacks and just decided to do the c-section. I still regret it to this day, but I guess it's time to move on and be greatful that we are all ok. You can only make the decision (along with your OB) and I wish you the best!

Hi Debbie,
I had a successful VBAC in Sept. '07. My first daugther was born c-section in Sept. '05 because of being estimated large size (she was 9lb 1oz and born at 39 weeks). I didn't labor at all, and while I was thrilled at the time to just have a healthy baby (and my recovery was pretty easy) I eventually felt sort of sad that I didn't get a real labor story or birth experience.
I switched drs since we moved after daughter #1 was born, and this practice was great, and supportive of trying v-bac. I was essentially treated like a first time mom, since I had never labored before. Because of the c-section, I did have internal monitoring of my contractions so that they would know how intense things truly were. This was because the main risk (i think it is about 1%)of v-bac is uterine rupture. Things stayed fine throughout labor and I progressed normally.
I actually ended up needing to be induced at 40 weeks, and I also had a great epidural experience. They gave me one at 3 cm, just before they broke my water, but a few hours after pitocin started. I was quite comfortable throughout labor, and it was awesome to push my daughter into the world!! (and it took a LOT of work...she ended up being a vacuum delivery, but it went fine) She was born healthy and perfect, 8lb 4oz. From the time they induced me and started pitocin until she was born (a little over an hours worth of pushing) it took about 12 hours. Recovery was GREAT!!!! Even though I had an easy recovery from the c-section, this was even better, just amazing how great I felt just a few hours later when I was walking around. I wasn't prepared for how swollen I'd be from all the pushing or how it takes a little time for full bladder control to come back, but otherwise it was great. The hospital was very supportive as was my doctor and family.
I am so glad I got to have this experience! If you are a good candidate, I say go for it :-)
Also, I'm not sure if this is a direct effect, but breastfeeding my "v-bac" baby was much easier and is still going well now, 6months later. With my c-section, things just never worked out, to my disappointment. It could have just been my inexpereince the first time around, or maybe it is because my 2nd daughter got to breastfeed much sooner after birth.
Good luck!!

My first was a c-section due to failure to progress. After 16 hours of labor, I never got past 3 cm dilated. With my second, I wanted to do the VBAC. My doctor reviewed my record from the first and agreed that it was an option. Unfortunately, my second child had been an acrobat while gestating. He had tied the cord into a knot and then wrapped it around his neck and body. He ended up being an emergency c-section.

We were progressing quite well, though. With my third (now 6 months) was a scheduled c-section. With 2 previous c-sections and gestational diabetes, I felt that was the smart way to go. If I had to do the second birth over again, I would still have attempted the VBAC. I have heard of so many success stoties and the healing time is supposed to be significantly quicker.

As long as your doctor checks your original surgery records as well as you to rule out any foreseeable complications involved, I would recommend trying the vbac.

Good luck.

My first child, a son (17 yrs. ago) was born c-section. The reason, my labor was not progressing and he was in distress. Because it was considered an emergency, I was given general anesthia and was asleep during his birth. I always felt like I missed a big moment. Ten years later, when I was pregnant again, I wanted to try a vaginal birth. I was concerned about putting this baby at risk, but was assured by the doctors if anything went wrong they would just perform another
c-section. Well, the labor was different and progressed normally and I was able to deliver our daughter vaginaly. It was awesome!!! I was like "I did it!". I recommend you give it a try. Yes, you will experience the labor pains and all that, but your recovery will be faster and it really is a great feeling. Hey, if you choose not to or do not have a choice, no big deal. What's important is that you and your baby are healthy!
Good luck,
A.

My daughter was transverse and despite our attempts to turn her- I was a scheduled section. When I got pregnant again, I was told I was a perfect candidate for a vbac. we kept watching the position of the baby- head down til the end- one week past my due date, I was induced because I was leaking amniotic fluid- I labored for 9 hours on pitocin then ended up with another section!!!! I tried my best and I would not have done anything different- now I know that I just can't fit any babies through my pelvis. but, I felt great about the entire experience, had an oppurtunity to experience labor (not so bad) and gave birth to the most handsome little boy!!! a second section isn't so bad- at least you know what your in for!!! good luck either way you decide.

A Bradley birth instructor that I know has had 3 midwife assisted home births after a VBac. So, yes it's successful and quite possible. Many physicians however discourage it, mainly because it's in an inconvience for them.
My suggestion is to find a bradley birth instructor in your area and proceed to your nearest CNM's office.

Dear D.,
I know you've gotten quite a few responses, so I'll try to be brief. My son was born via emergency C as a result of a prolapsed chord (chord came out before baby). I was told this was extremely rare. However, this happened to another woman in the same hospital within 24 hours of my delivery. (Obviously, I was wondering how "rare" it really is.) When I got pregnant with my daughter I was told repeatedly it would be safe IF I wanted a VBac. However, I ended up having a scheduled C mainly b/c I completely missed my son's birth. Because of his emergency, I was given anesthesia & hubby wasn't allowed in the room. So NEITHER of us were there for his birth. Needless to say, we scheduled the C for our daughter. I definitely don't regret being able to be there for her birth. My hubby actually held my hand and watched over the drape (more power to him~LOL) as the doctor's took her out of me.
All that being said, if you want to try a V-bac, and your docs agree that it is safe for both you and baby go for it! (Unless your previous C was b/c baby had complications or wouldn't fit, if you want to give it a try, more power to you.) Personally, I tend to agree with my youngest sister (she's single w/o kids), who said that the good Lord just knew I'd never be able to handle "real labor" so he let me off easy, in terms of pain. My recovery with both of my C's was a breeze, in my opinion. Either I have an extremely high tolerance for pain (not too sure about that), or the Lord blessed me tremendously in allowing me to recover quickly and with VERY little pain both times! Good luck and God bless as you decide.

I have seen many women have successful VBACS. Most ob's will also allow the trial of labor to go on only until they feel its not going to happen vaginally or safe anymore. You will be monitored pretty closely.

It also depends on how your last c-section went. Where you far into active labor and the baby's heart rate was going down? Did you dilate completely and were having a hard time pushing? Was the head just not coming down?
I have seen women VBAC and have more kids vaginally after their first birth was by c-section. There is hope. It's very important to stay flexible and realize that stress hormones work against labor hormones. Positivity will really help labor and if it doesn't happen to work out, it helps wound healing too. Try not to be attached to any which way. If you can go VBAC thats great because repeated c-sections are not easy.

Good Luck! All the Blessings!

There is some great advice being given here. Mainly I believe that if you want to try you should and secondly to seek out someone who support the decision. I myself had a c-section with my first child who is now 19. I desperately wanted a VBAC and found a mid-wife who would support me. I wrote a birth plan outlining my desires for little or no intervention. I read everything I could get my hands on to understand my situation and options. (that was before the internet!) Particularly information about the high rate of cesareans in our supposedly advanced society. I personally believe many of the c-sections are unnecessary. I read books about delivery and connecting with the process and having people around me that also were.
My results: I had three more children VBAC. The second was a little tricky. I was 1 push away from a c-section (I'd been introduced to the anesthesiologist) and they had tried vacuum. I made that last push count and he flew out! (episiotomy healing was almost worse than the c-section but my heart was happy) My third and fourth were both born at a home birth with a midwife natually with no intervention and the fourth weighted in at 11 pounds!!
Interestingly, I had been diagnosed with cephlo pelvic disproportion. I don't beleive that this is really a permanent condition and after delivery an 11 pound baby with a large head I think you will agree. There are many things you can do to prepare the body. I took yoga all throughout my third pregnancy. Muscles can be trained to relax. Tears can be healed. I sought out alternative health care providers like chiropractic, massage and herbal medicine.
Information, desire, support, and prayer! I beleive anything is possible!!!!
Good luck with your decision!!

Hi Deb,

Please consider the VBAC option. I have had four c/s and wish that I had VBAC'd with the last three.

I invite you to visit my chapter blog at http://icanofcapeatlantic.blogspot.com/

Check out the following book:
http://astore.amazon.com/icanreadinglist-20/detail/155832...#

VBAC info from the main ICAN site:

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

Great group of supportive women at ICAN:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ICAN-online/

And feel free to contact me anytime. ____@____.com

Hi Deb,
I first want to say that I truly believe in my heart that you have to go with what you feel is best for you and your baby because only you can make that very important decision. I have not personally gone through a V-BAC, but have had 2 C-sections. I have a very close girlfriend who has 3 children and had a C-section with the first, a V-BAC with the second and then went back to the C-section,by choice, for the third. She told me that she personally felt that the recovery was much easier for her C-section than the Vaginal, but she had pushing and tearing issues. I think that is the main thing to keep in mind, there is no way to predict what will happen, so just do what you feel is best for you. I know that I have nothing to compare it to, but I truly preferred having a C-section and would do it again in a heartbeat, but I have several friends who have had several children vaginally, and it was a piece a cake and could never dream of having to go through a C-section. I know what I am writing is probably not even making any difference to you, but the bottom line is - as long as you and the baby are healthy, that is all that matters!!!! Best of luck and congratulations!!!!

I've never labored - both my pregnancies I had c-sections. Part of me wishes I had the real experience but in the end I'm happy we're all healthy. My sister has had two sections and two vaginal births and no ruptures (she had the section then two vaginals then the last was a section). I know several other people who VBACed with no problems and don't know anyone who has had a rupture. Having said this, I would go with the advice of a trusted healthcare professional (note the word trusted). As a side note, my sister says that she would definitely choose a section over a vaginal birth after having been through both.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!
As a doula, I have worked with a few VBAC moms, and the ones that I have worked with have been sucessful. In only a few cases is a c-section safer than a vaginal birth, even a VBAC. A c-section is MAJOR abdonimal surgery! It is the surgical removal of a baby from the womb. There are more potential complications from a c-section than a natural VBAC. Doctors are just more used to managing them. The biggest risk of VBAC is a uterine rupture which is a less than 1% risk, A c-section has risks stemming from the epidural, the surgery itself, potential scar infection, along with the recovery time. C-sections are preformed so routinely that it is viewed as normal, and often better than the God-designed way of birthing.

Hi Deb,

Congrats on your baby-to-be. I have only one child (also born via emergency c-section), so I don't have any experience with v-bacs - but if I do have another child, I would like to try it. I have several friends who had vbacs - and only one who tried, but ended up with a c-section anyway because of fetal distress.

Good luck collection information and giving it a try. Please let us know how it turns out.

J.

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My first child was a c section (emergency), I had a VBAC for my second child. Everything went well. Third child I had to have c section. The doctors would have let me labor and try to deliver, but I never went into labor - they would not induce to labor (because of the vbac situation) I definatley preferred to labor and deliver. Make sure this is what you want and discuss with your doctor - I know some do not allow VBAC. Good Luck.

My sister had a successful VBAC nine years ago with my nephew. For her it just had more to do with her c-section scar and where the cut was made during her first labor.

I've had three and it depends on the woman and the doctor and surgeon. My first one was an emergency c-section because I never went into labor, even with several kinds of induction. The second was after I went into labor and stopped at 8 1/2 cm. The third was automatic since I'd had 3 c-sections already. My surgeon let me try the second time but when that failed after over 24 hours of labor, he told me the third would be automatic surgery. See, once you've been cut, there's more of a chance that when you're in labor or induced, your uterus could tear and you and/or the baby can bleed out, despite medical intervention. Most surgeons don't want to take that responsibility, since you and the baby could die. Definitely discuss options and a plan specific to you with your physician.

Hi D.,

I have had great success with a V-bac. My first child failed to progress, and I ended up with a C-section. Then I lost a baby at 20 weeks, was induced to deliver, had blood pressure problems, and had an emergency C-section. So that was 2. Then my third pregnancy I talked alot with the doctors and they felt that as long as I was in a hospital (as opposed to delivering with a mid-wife, at home....), they would be able to monitor me and could perform another emergency C-section if necessary. I was able to deliver my daughter with minimal help (except an epidural), and am really glad I did. The recovery time is shortened, and you don't have nearly as many incisions to worry about healing, or as many places to get an infection. My fourth pregnancy ended with an early miscarriage, but my fifth was another healthy V-BAC girl.

When I read a book about all the things they have to cut and move around in order to deliver by C-Section, I was glad that I only had to do that for emergencies.

Things you should consider: Does the doctor think you are healthy enough? Were there any complications with the other C-section? How many children do you want? (I think there is a limit to how many C's you can have, and how many you can have before trying for a V-Bac.)

I hope you can obtain enough information to make an informed and wise choice for YOUR situation.

All the best..... And Congratulations!

Hi D., I have had 3 c-sections. The first thing you should do is sit down and really discuss what happened during your first pregnancy that lead to the first c-section. Don't let them dazzle you with medical jargon...make them explain to you what happened if they can. That will help you make a better decision now. I'll be honest with you, it is easier the second time around. You know (more or less) what to expect and you will be ready and more rested. With my second one it was a breeze. I was rested, relaxed and ready for it all. I recovered faster as well. To be honest, after my first experience I didn't even want to try V-bac at all even though my doctor encouraged me to consider it. They did an ultra-sound at 36 wks and as things turned out, it wasn't an option for me. There are criteria that you have to meet to be a canadiate for V-bac's. My second child was bigger than my first, so that left me out much to my relief. Truly it doesn't matter HOW your baby comes into the world as long as you and the baby are healthy! I know there are lots of people out there pushing to do things the "natural" way. That having a c-section somehow makes you "less" of a Mom. NOT TRUE. If I had not had my first c-section neither I or my now 16 yr old would be here. I'd rather have the scar and the child!! FYI I only have one scar, no big deal! What ever you decide make sure that you are content with your decision and can go into your experience with peace in your heart that you are doing the best thing for yourself and your baby. Congrats and Good luck!

Debbie my sister had a c-section with her first 2 sucessful v bacs then another c section. i am an l&d nurse and see many people v bac sucessfully.my personal opinion is if the first was c/s because of breech or the baby's heart rate pattern i say go for it but if you where c/s because you got to ten and it didn't fit then don't try. just keep in mind every pregnant woman can end up with a c/s the end result is healthy baby &haealthy mom

D., My first was an emergency c-section (breech - butt first and no one realized it wasn't his head until my water broke). Because of this my scan runs veritcal rather than horizontal (bikini). A vertical scar is supposed to be more risky because there is a higher risk of tearing your uterus. Well, luckly I went to a very progressive hospital for my second delivery and they were very supportive of my wanting a vbac. All went well and recovery was 200% easier than the c-section. My third and forth were also vbacs. The hospitals were not as supportive because of my scar but because I had already had one successfully allowed me to do it. Each delivery was very different with it's own challenges but I do not regret having my three vbacs and would do them all again. You know your body better than anyone and I would go with what feels right for you. Good Luck! H.

Deb,
I have had 3 v-bacs since my first was delivered c-sec and I highly recommend going that route first. Discuss it with your doctor(s) first so they know that you want to take that route. My first was over 10 lbs. which is why I had the c-sec and then after that we were able to monitor the size of the others which ranged from 8.5 to 9.3 lbs on my other babies. I was induced for all of my babies and with the help of a little potossin everything else happened naturally. Your healing time is much quicker with a v-bac. I recommend you stressing to your doctor that you really want to take the vaginal delivery route. I will pray for a safe delivery for you.
~D. M~

Hi Deb. I attempted a VBAC with my second pregnancy. My first delivery my daughter got stuck in my pelvis after 4 1/2 hours of pushing and I ended up with a C. My VBAC with my son was not successful. I stalled dialation at 3 cms and agreed to the C. I am now expecting a 3rd in early May and I am searching high and low for a provider who will take me. Despite my failures I still want to oppotunity to try again. I feel like if I do not fight for this I will regret it. VBAC has a lot of deciding factors like the cause for your c section, type of incision, etc. There is a wonderful support group on Yahoo called ICAN. (____@____.com) Its an extension of the International Cesarian Awarness Network. There are soo many knowledgable ladies and soo many birth stories on there. They have helped me to understand my rights and the risks involved. I would highly reccomend looking into that. Whatever you choose will be the right decision for you and your baby. Good luck!

I aM labor and delivery nurse, ask your doc and see if he/she thinks it is safe to try. have seen many that work out. they will monitor you closely so go for it

I had my first child aug 2001 then my second June 2004. I tried so hard for a V-Bac. I was able to labor, I dilated had an epidural and thought I could do it, but I did not dilate past five cms. even after pitocin so they had to do another c section. The second c section was a lot easier then the first I guess because I knew what to expect so as long as the child comes out healthy then it does not matter how it came out in my opinion. Some days I do feel at a loss because I didn't go vaginally, but it makes no difference looking at them now. I even ended up having another child July 05 of course by c section. there was no choice with the third. J.