VBACs - Please HELP!

Shelly~I really have no good advice for you because I had my preemie vaginal but I'm sure someone will chime in soon. Just wanted to let you know that you'll have to find a hospital willing to do a VBAC and if they allow it they might make you sign a waiver about complications. Also I think it's important to tell your ob all your history because although it may not seem relevant your dr. might think it is. Take care and good luck on the baby making!

Donnavie

thank you Donnavie,
I didn't mention that I already have the OK from a top Tertiary care Hospital, MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland where I was taken by LifeFlight to deliver Kylee ... keep the advice coming everyone.

Love and Hugs,
                                         Shelly

Hi Shelly,

This is Lindsay and I work at the March of Dimes.

Glad to hear that you have the OK from the hospital. That's one important step in the direction you want to take.

Truthfully, your health care provider is the best person to advise you on VBAC. Yes, it's possible and, from what I have read, somewhere between 60-80% of women who have had a previous cesarean go on to have VBAC. But lots depends on the individual woman's previous incisions (the scar on your abdomen may not be in the same direction as the one on your uterus, so your provider needs to review your previous delivery records), etc. And the more cesareans a woman has had the less her chances for VBAC become. For most women, waiting 18 months before your next pregnancy is best.

Donnavie is right. Your health professionals need to know your complete history and will be watching to make sure there are no signs of pre-eclampsia. There have been many cases where a subsequent pregnancy has been totally "uneventful" and a vaginal birth has been possible. Talk it all over with your doc now and together create a plan for the future.

It sounds like you are doing everything you can now to make this work for you. That's great. Best of luck,

Lindsay
Pregnancy & Newborn Health Education Center

my incisions are both Low Transverse, I forgot to mention that in my original post and thanks for the info...

That is also in your favor. If you'd had a vertical incision, a VBAC would not be recommended.

Shonda

I know my poor friend had one at nineteen, she's pregnant again, she's now 20 and she'll have to have REPEATS anytime She has a child, she was pissed when she found that out but they had to do it because she was 26w/5d when she delivered because of HELLP and the baby was still in a transverse lie.

My first child was born at 28 weeks due to preeclampsia and I had to have an emergency c-section, I had my second child almost five years later and they don't perform vbacs anymore so she was a scheduled c-section. They say it is to big of a risk of tearing the uterus and such. People have tried to make me feel bad a bout having c-sections but I could careless as long as your baby is healthy and you love it who cares how it comes out. I don't feel like I missed anything. I was going to to ask for a c-section with my second child any way because I felt I had to much damage for a vbac. So I was relived.

Our hospitals around here prefer labor over repeat c-sections, especially our major medical centers. I have 2 hospitals lined up already.

That's great but I don't actually know of anyone that has had a v-bac. I had my first child at Tacoma general and my second in Olympias st. peters and I don't think Seattle children's dose them either. But if you can find one more power to you. Good luck!!!

I have MetroHealth Medical Center and MacDonald Women's Hospital, both in Cleveland, though I don't personally know anyone who has had a VBAC either, there are a couple of support groups for women who either wanna try or have successfully completed VBAC, so when the time comes I plan on checking them out.

How interesting you're in Washington, I moved from the Sea-Tac area at 13 1/2.

Good I'm glad you have some places to choose from. I think that probably a lot of women could have successful vbacs and I hope you will be able to when the time comes I think it also depends on what your obgyn feels about it to. Ya its a pretty busy area around Seattle and Tacoma. But all my sons specialist are up there so we have to make a lot of 2 hour drives one way, but its worth after all they are the people who saved his life and I trust them with him and that's hard to do. I'm sure you know how that is. Being so young when I had my son I wish that we could have been more informed and so now I think I over do it. I'm that really annoying mom who questions everything. Ya know I'm older and wiser now. I'm glad that you are so informed about these things. Good luck.

I became informed because my midwife almost killed me and ultimately contributed to the death of my Baby Girl on February 1, 2005. Prior to my pregnancy I had quite a bit of medical knowledge and I read ALOT when I was pregnant and around 30 weeks I started swelling, gaining weight rapidly, vomiting,and basically exhibiting all the classic symptoms of Pre-e and I told my midwife that I had Pre-eclampsia and she told me "it's too rare, no you DON'T ", fast forward 3 weeks later and I ended up being transported to a large hospital via LifeFlight due to severe Pre-eclampsia and Eclampsia! I became even more informed and controlling after Her birth. She died in Rainbow Babies And Children's Hospital due to medical negligence related to infections that were a product of Her prematurity, if you would like to read part of our story it's in the blog: 1InHeaven_1AtHome.



Forever Missing My Angel

I am so sorry for your loss. I had my son when I was 17 and I got preeclampsia also and my obgyn didn't catch it either until it was to late. But I knew there was something wrong like you I was so swollen and the thing that really told me that something was wrong is when he didn't kick me any more he went from being extremely active to maybe one movement a day. I had an emergency c-section and he weighed 1lb 10 ounces. They didn't think he would make it threw the night but he did and he is know 7 he has many issues but he is so cool. I also think that if the doctor would have watched me more carefully this would not have happened. In fact until it almost killed us both I didn't even know what preeclampsia was. I had my second child when I was 22 and that pregnancy was great but I was so scared the entire time that it would happen again. Thank god it didn't. Ya I would love to read your blog thanks.