VBAC (10pd 1 oz) Need advice

Hello, I'm hoping someone out there can answer some questions for me about VBAC.. I'm pretty nervous about it all. My daughter Bella was 10pound 1oz & I was in labour for 2+ days - I was dilating and undilating & eventually given an epidural and c section for failure to progress.. I wonder why I didnt progress?? Any ideas? I tried my very best & was so geared up for a natural birth.. this time the thought of even trying to go natural just makes me feel sick.. some days I think I should try but others I kind of think well why bother, I gave it my best shot & for whatever reason I just didnt get anywhere (I only got to 6cm dilation - and went back and forth between that and about 3cm for about 18 hours) Im having the baby at Royal North Shore hospital, im due on the 23rd July, so its time to make a decision on what to do.. The other thing scaring me is Im 32 weeks now & last week the midwife had me measuring as 36 weeks.. so looking like another big girl! Ive just got a million and one questions about it all, is epidural available? will it be like a first time labour because I didnt dilate all the way? How long do I try for this time?? If anyone can give me some advice I'd greatly appreciate it.. im getting more and more nervous!! The other thing bothering me about this whole thing is the negativity of some people when I say I might just go for the ceaser rather than put myself through all that and end up with another one anyway! They seem to have the idea that Im less of a woman or something..

[BellyBelly]

bellas_mum - slow and spurious labours are common in posterior / malpositioned babies. So baby may not have been in a good position. Were your waters broken or intact?

Also, fundal measurements are extremely inaccurate. It changes depending on fluid level, baby's length, position and of course size. So it doesn't mean your baby is huge.

It takes big babies and small babies to make an average, our bodies are designed to birth the babies that grow inside us.

Here are some articles to give you some facts and information on size and birth etc:

Small Pelvis: CPD
Pelvises I Have Known and Loved
Caesarean Myths Exploded
Optimal Fetal Positioning

[Karina]

Hmm i'm sory, I dont know why you didnt progress last time. I hope things are easier for you this time. Were you really nervous or freaking out when i labour with Bella? Have you talked to your midwife about your last labour, maybe she could give you some feedback? I was told by my midwife not to worry about fundal height, as its not really that accurate anyway and can change because of babys positio and other reasons. I was told they just take the measurement so they can make sure baby is growing bigger.

I had my baby at Royal North Shore in march and they were fantastic. The midwives there encouraged me to be active in labour. I dont know if it helped or not? The midwives were really lovely and helpful and the hospital gave me a really nice ob when I needed him. They told me I could have epidural in the labour suite but NOT in the birth centre (obviously), although I chose not to because the whole idea of it freaks me out lol.

anyway i hope you can get some helpful answers. good luck.

Hi guys, thanks Kelly for those links I will check them out soon.. Karina, thanks for ur msg too, the funny thing is I wasnt freaking out with Bella, I was so calm in labour, I had actually been really looking forward to having a natural birth - I even went thru Ryde Midwifery team because its a natural birthing centre no drugs etc.. and ended up with the emergency transfer to north shore.. I think maybe Im so nervous this time because last time I had myself so built up about going natural and the way it ended was dissapointing.. So this time Im going through Ryde again but I have to have the baby at North Shore no matter which way she decides to arrive because Im classed as high risk.
I've been reading some of the stories on here all afternoon and Im starting to get that "I am woman hear me roar" feeling!! Maybe I can do it, or at least try hey..
I have a meeting at North Shore with my midwife & the doctors there in a few weeks so will wait and see what they say - they will advise what they think is best & i suppose I'll make a decision from there.. interesting about the fundal height thing.. she seemed to think it was going to be another big one, I go see her again on the 13th june so will see what the measurement is then.. Its true though, thinking back I was told Bella wasnt going to be that big and she proved them wrong!!! thanks again!

[BellyBelly]

My daughter was 6lb10oz, my son was 5lb15oz! So they can be smaller second time

[DoulaRelle]

Bellas_mum,

I cannot help you out with why you were unable to finish dilating, but I just wanted to let you know that I am still on a high as I am a trainee Doula, and just had my first client give birth, which was a VBAC, posterior 9lb 7oz baby, and she was awesome!!!!

She did manage to fully dilate the first time, but due to a posterior bub, and covering OB she ended up with a C/Section.

This time she did her research, made sure her OB was in agreeance with her choice for a VBAC and made sure she had the right support around her.

If YOU want to go for a VBAC, then I say go for it - and have faith in yourself!

[christy]

My first birth was an induction and every form of intervention leading to a c/s. Matilda was 4.04kg. She was deamed a failure to progress as I got to 6cm dilation and stopped.

Jovie was a VBAC with no intervention (but a shot of pethadine) and was 4.00kg.

I think reading & gathering information is key, as is having the support you need to achieve your VBAC. I had to fight over points like induction etc, but I found that with support I was happy with my choices.

Thanks Kelly, that is promising!! - forgot to write before - waters were broken about 10 hours before the ceaser.
I will keep reading all the wonderful stories on here and try to keep positive.. I think some of my problems come to being abandoned by my midwife when I was transfered to RNS, she was tired and needed to go home.. Looking back it was right when I needed her the most!
Congratularions Relle Hopefully my midwife will be saying that soon..
Christy, Did it take you a long time to dilate this time, or was it nothing like last time?
Congratulations on having two beautifully sized babies!
Thanks again for ur help so far
Michelle

[christy]

Nothing like last time. From the moment I noticed contractions to having Jovie on my chest was 12 hours.

[Janet]

I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling stressed, always remember that VBAC = Birth Birth you were built to do! Most women just need time to dilate, that's all. My VBAC labour was a week of early labour then about two days of reallly full on strong labour. I had no monitoring or VEs and I'm really glad I didn't or I may have been seriously disheartened. If you're planning to birth in a hospital, please please take a doula along then it doesn't matter when shift change happens, you still have someone who knows you with you and your dp. Reclaiming trust in our bodies can be hard but reading lots about how birth works best will help you work on creating the right environment to support you in birthing beautifully. A rough guide is that the same environment in which you conceived is the optimal one in which to birth. Safety, intimacy, dim lights, closed eyes, no strangers, no bright lights, no one checking your vagina to see if you're doing it right A brilliant book is "Birthing from Within" by Pam England and Sarah Buckley's book, "Gentle birth, Gentle mothering" has lots on the hormones of birth. Lots of her articles are online too so google them up There's a slideshow of my birth in the sticky of birth montages. It was such an ordinary, beautiful, miracle

[monnie]

Hi Bellas_Mum,

I've just been reading a book on c-sections (it's neither pro or against...just facts!) and there is a chapter in there written by a midwive/academic, based at the University of Wollongong (I think!)

I contacted her via e-mail as she has devised a decision aid, to assist Mums who have already had a c-section, regarding VBACs or c-section 2.

There's a small cost (about $5) I think.

Let me know if you want her e-mail address.

Wishing you all the very best!

Hi Monnie,

Thanks heaps for your post. I'd love to get that address off you.
My email is kondouli@bigpond.net.au
Also, can you let me know the name of the book youve been reading? It would be so refreshing to just have the facts and not the one way opinions I seem to get and read about!
Thanks again!
Michelle

[BellyBelly]

Here are some good books:

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer (also an academic and has another book, Obstetric Myths vs Research Realities)
Silent Knife
arrrgh forgotten the third.... will get back to you LOL

Hi Monnie, I realise you posted this message over a year ago, but if you don't mind can i have the email address of this person you are talking about here? I think this would really help me with this decision at the moment.
thank you

[Kmn]

I think the person being referred to is Allison Shorten at the Uni of Wollongong

Do you have an email address or contact number for her please??

[monnie]

Hey Jessica

Christy (administrator) let me know that you were after an e-mail.

Can you pm me so I can send it through to you?

Cheers!

[Tanstar]

monnie - Jessica won't be able to pm as she is a reg. user and not a member hun. Just thought I'd let you know!