Repeat VBAC

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Permalink Reply by Meg Richards on May 3, 2009 at 5:36pm

I had a gloriously successful VBAC at home (HBAC I guess!) with a baby who came out with nuchal hand and weighing more than 10 lbs. Oh, and "en caul" as well... the sac never broke til after his head emerged into it, (luckily I had a midwife who did not practice artificial rupture of membranes, which is commonly done by OBs) and that was something new for my midwife as well, even though she had more than 30 years of experience. They say it may have been because I had such excellent nutrition while pregnant, that it gave me an exceptionally strong sac.

My son, now a toddler, certainly has been exceptionally alert, robust, and possessed of great motor skills. People were always commenting on how soon he could hold his head up, how "alert" he seemed compared to other babies. I often wonder if my daughter, who came out via surgery and drugs, was bloated and lethargic in comparison, would have been more alert and healthy had she entered the world naturally, and we don't like to think of cesarean babies as being born drugged, but they are. The difference between them minutes, hours, days, and even weeks after birth was startling.

Anyway I decided to go with a home VBAC because of the anti-VBAC, pro-cesarean climate in the medical community these days, and because having been induced once, I was never allowing anyone to do that to me again. Do check out Henci Goer's website, and ICAN's website as well (www.ican-online.org) and you will find that there is so much more to know, including options you may not have known exist, for natural birthing.

Good luck to you, but aside from exceptional places, the best way to VBAC (or avoid a cesarean even if you have never had one!) is to Stay Out Of the Hospital. Sad but true that which side of an ocean you live on makes such a difference as to whether birth is supported or reviled by the medical community. I call what we have in the USA "feedlot birth" because it seems similar in that the processing time and profitability are of utmost interest.

Such a striking difference between that, and true homebirth midwifery. I had CNMs the first time and thought it would make a difference but my experience was, they are part of the same system that wrecks the chances of birth being healthy and happy and natural for the majority of American women, and they necessarily support that system. CPMs or Direct-Entry Midwives, homebirth midwives in general, are a different system entirely, in which natural birth is supported and encouraged, and the use of medical intervention and procedure is limited to true need.

Some people defend needless cesarean by saying that a healthy baby is all that matters. But I chose homebirth because I believe a healthy baby and mother matter most, and that homebirth is the safest and best start for both.

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Permalink Reply by Diane C. Nicholson on May 3, 2009 at 7:29pm

Couldn't help but respond to this-- I attended a VBAC after two sections- at a teaching hospital, some 27 years ago. The doc was terrific-- came in sandles and shorts. When all the interns learned that this was a first vaginal birth after two C-sections, they arrived in droves.

The doc pointed at a nurse and said, "I want you to stay. And you (pointing at the dad), and you (pointing at me). I want everyone else out."

"But, but doctor!" they all objected.

"It's just a birth," he insisted.

"But, it's after two sections!"

"It's just a birth!"

Out they went. But the reason I wanted to comment was that this baby was also born in the caul. It never broke. This 8 pound baby was born with the amnion completely intact. Only time I'd ever seen it. Once he was born and on the bed, the doc gently opened it.

Did you know that it is supposed to mean that the child will never drown at sea? ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Meg Richards on May 4, 2009 at 5:22am

I had heard there was a fair amount of myth and lore around it, after the fact. When the midwife asked if I wanted to keep the caul, I was mystified, and said "WHY?!" so she said they used to dry them into teething rings for the baby or to keep as mementos, but I was still new to those ideas and said no, she could have it. Now I wish I had kept it, made it into a teether and conversation piece. Ah well.

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Permalink Reply by Amy Simpson on May 4, 2009 at 6:21am

What a sight to see!!!

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Permalink Reply by kim warde on May 4, 2009 at 8:12pm

I had a trial of scar with my 2nd child, and ended up with a vacumn extraction due to prolonged 2nd stage (2 hours of pushing). With my 3rd child and with the support of an Independent midwife and support midwife I had a NVB at home...no intervention..no doctors...no medication...just the fantastic support of midwives

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Permalink Reply by Meg Richards on May 5, 2009 at 5:20am

What is an NVB?
Sorry to hear about the situation with the 2nd child. Glad you had an independent midwife the 3rd time around. It makes a great deal of difference to have someone watching the mother and baby rather than the clock.

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Permalink Reply by Diane C. Nicholson on May 5, 2009 at 6:43am

After my twins were born, I had a lot of scar tissue and made dilating and delivery difficult. But I had a great OB with my next, big son (!) and the best midwife ever (unfortunately, it wasn't legal in BC then-- but she was there nonetheless) and when I reached the 2 hour mark of pushing, no one freaked. Okay, maybe I did... lol

Finally, I pushed out that kid with no intervention; not even sure exactly how long beyond the 2 hours I went. But all was well, and it was so worth it. Well, until he turned two.... ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Cindy Rivera on May 5, 2009 at 11:50am

I had my son via C-section and to this day I still don't have a clear answer as to why. Add to that the horrible and very painful recovery from the surgery itself, the inability to breastfeed and bond with my son and the fear I now have to plan another baby...I wish I was better informed about my options and not carried along in the confusing hospital current of "don't ask too many questions".
Hope you find all the help, support and answers that you need. Good luck with your birth :)

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Permalink Reply by Amy Simpson on May 5, 2009 at 12:58pm

Thank you and good luck to you when ever you have your 2nd. Start researching now to save time during your pregnancy.

Did you have a planned section or way it an emergency??

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Permalink Reply by Diane C. Nicholson on May 5, 2009 at 3:25pm

Hey, Laurie! A blast from the past. Kind of making me feel very old... ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Amy Simpson on May 5, 2009 at 3:31pm

I would love to talk to her!!! Any help would be great!! Thanks!!
Laurel (Laurie) Brant said:

Amy, I'm curious to know if you have mw contacts in your area? My friend lives in southern VT and travels regularly to NY city. She isn't practicing but she has lots of connections. Would you like to talk to her? Let me know if I can help. I'm an old time HBAC'er, of '79 & '83 vintage living in BC, Canada (and yes, I remember Diane Nicholson's twin birth!)

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Permalink Reply by Laurel (Laurie) Brant on May 6, 2009 at 12:05am

OK, I will call her and let her know your situation and find out when she's around then I will give you my phone no. and you can give me a quick call for the info. Is that the best way for us to make contact?

Just curious, where in NY do you live? For the past year I have been traveling to up-state (Rochester, Scotsville, and Troy) to meet long lost relatives and to Northampton, MA to take classes in pre and perinatal psychology and attachment, and I LOVE the area - original home of maternal grandparents. I'm guessing that you know Nancy Wainer lives just outside of Boston? She's a busy midwife the last I heard (Jan. 09) and closer than Ohio?

Nice to hear from Diane, we ARE getting older - I am now 62 - YIKES!!

Years ago, some of us made comments like, once cut (c/s), then permanently 'bent out of shape by birth' ie, a TAD obsessive - and I can say that's what happened to me - 30 years after my elective c/s, after classes, courses and counseling, there are times when I still feel the pain of that cut, deeply. So important for women to choose when, where and with whom they give birth - let's fight to have that carved in stone.

Talk soon, Laurie

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