Natural Labor After C-section?

Most hospitals offer childbirth classes and usually have a class specifically aimed at VBAC(vaginal birth after C-section). I think a class like that would help you gather more facts.

Go forward with your plan for a VBAC but be OK with the fact that it might have to change. Do not blame yourself since your only goal here is a healthy baby and mommy.

And now I am going to get on my soapbox but I promise to get off again as quickly as possible: As a mother of sons delivered thru c-birth, I am hurt when others refer to vaginal delivery as "natural" because it implies that my births were somehow "unnatural" and that I in some way failed to deliver the "right" way. OK - Sorry. I am done now.

I have 4 friends who had c-sections with thier first and went on to have thier 2nd (and third!) babies naturally.

If you are interested, I would highly recommend it. THe chance of uterine rupture is about the same as with a section.

My sister-in-law has had gestestational diabeties with each pregnancy. her first they induced her (full term) let her go 72 hours labor before they did a c-section. both mom and baby healthy but weary from the experience.

She went on to have 5 more babies- ALL natural. She was just shy of 40th birthday for her last one.

It is becoming more common to be able to delivery natural after c-sections because of the more advanced way they do the cutting and repair now. Not as much risk of busting scar tissue.

hope this helps! :)

I have had a natural birth after a C-Section. I can tell you my recovery after my second child was much easier than after my first. My first was an emergency C-section and she was almost 11 lbs.

I would recommed that you make a plan with your doctor to have a natural birth, but make an agreement that if you are not progressing or things seem to be turning the other way that you can ask for the C-Section at that time.

This is what I did with my third and it worked out quite well. I had been pushing for 3 hours and she still would not arrive. I then asked to have them do a C-Section. It turns out she was flipped in the wrong direction and it was hard for her to pass through.

Good luck with your 2nd child.

G.

J.,

I've had three successful VBACs. There are a number of factors that affect your ability to have a VBAC. Since your first child is 4, that takes care of one of the obstacles - women who have a second pregnancy too close to the C-section usually have to have a repeat. The thickness of the uterus plays into the decision as well. If your doctor has said you can try the VBAC, go for it! Recovery from the natural birth is a LOT easier than from the c-section! However, keep in mind that each child, each birth is a different experience - and anything can happen. What you want is the successful birth of your healthy child! Always listen to your doctor.

11 lbs. 3 weeks early?!?! GO FOR THE C-SECTION!!!

I had natural with both mine, so obviously I am pro-natural(with drugs) and both were over 9lbs. I couldn't imagine a 11lb naturally!!!

The only thing I do know is my sis-in-law had an emergency c-section with 1st, and natural with 2nd. She said a c-section was much better! She said the recovery with the natural was harder, harder to get around. Hope this helps a little! Good luck!

My first baby was breech, thus resulting in a C-section. I have had 2 successful VBACs (vaginal birth after c-section) since then and I wouldn't trade that for the world! The recovery was very quick so I was able to go see my baby a lot sooner after delivery than with c-section. I did get an epidural with my 2nd birth just in case we had to have an emergency c-section to get her out, but my 3rd was completely drug/pain medication free! Part of the concern with my was the size of the baby-the doctors said I wouldn't be able to give birth to a baby who was more than 6-7lbs and that's how big all 3 of mine were (6lb 6oz, 5lb 10oz, and 6lbs).
I would definitely recommend going with a natural birth. There are specific "requirements" in order to have a VBAC (spontaneous labor, non-breech, etc).
Congratulations on your 2nd!

I am trying to make the same choice. This is my 3rd pregnancy and my first was natural (9.2 lbs) but my 2nd was c-section due to the size of the baby (10.7lbs). This time around I have a choice to weither to have vbac or another c-section. I have desided to wait and see. If I have another large baby then I will have another c-section but if it seems to be more normal sized then I will go for a vbac. But since I was told by my OB that your first child is most times your smallest and they only get bigger each time. I am pretty sure this will be another c-section.
Good luck
K.

J., I'm type I diabetic as well and have my second child due in January. My daughter was estimated to be at least 9 lbs and I was induced a week early with her. She weighed in at a whopping 7 lbs, 9 oz! I had her naturally, through the induction, even though labor lasted nearly 36 hours. With this one, they're saying he's going to be at least 9-9.5 lbs if I reach 40 weeks, which they won't let me do anyway. My doctor (same one as before) is actually trying to push me towards c-section this time, even though she talked me out of it when I begged for one with the first! I'm very much against doing a c-section this time. The healing time for a diabetic is much longer and while others may recover just fine from it, between taking care of another child and a newborn, I just don't want the added strain of trying to recover from a c-section. Besides, our bodies were made to give birth and as long as you've kept your blood sugars under control during the pregnancy, the baby shouldn't be too big for you to birth. My view on it for the moment...unless the baby is in jeopardy, I want to at least be given the chance to try laboring on my own. Sometimes doctors are too quick to intervene in the birthing process just so they can speed it up and fit it into their schedule better.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck!

I have had both natural birth and c-section. From my experience natural was way better than c-section. I felt like after I had my c-section that I was robbed of something or missed out on something during the birth. I struggled with those feelings for a while. When I gave birth naturally with my other two it felt like a complete process and everything was whole. That being said, you should do what is best for your babies health. My kids were 8 pounds and 10 pounds and my c-section child was 7 pounds. I had a c-section three weeks early do to diabeties. Good luck and in the end it just matters that you have a healthy baby, not how you had him or her.

Look up lots of info about VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section). The more you know the better you'll feel. Every pregnancy is different so you may not have a 11 lb baby this time.

Also, look for a doula, someone who will assist you during labor & delivery. There are many doulas who do pro-bono work, so ask around your community. They will be especially helpful if your husband is cross country!

Good luck and trust your body.

W.

I had a c-section with my first and a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) with my second. The only reason I had a c-section with my first was because she was breech, so I was a good candidate for a natural delivery with the second. I would get a second opinion from another doctor because it sounds like you had complications with your first.

You will hear A LOT of "scare" messages about doing a VBAC. If your doctor is saying it is a possibility then he/she is not going to put you in unnecessary risks. I had a VBAC and it is the best thing I ever did. My friend works at a hospital (I used to) and the one she works at everyone thinks doing a VBAC is nuts. The one I worked at seemed to be more up to speed on the actual risks involved. My recovery time was quicker...I had a better experience delivering (for me personally - I felt a bit disconnected during my first c-section and could not wait for the barbaric procedure to end). I have friends who had multiple c-sections and they wouldn't have it any other way. Bottom line - your doctor knows what criteria you need to meet in order to attempt this and you will be watched closely during your labor to make sure that you can still do a vaginal birth. I am now pregnant with my third and will be attempting a VBAC again. I really enjoyed the more natural experience and calmer atmosphere with less medical intervention taking place between me and my child. Good luck in decision making!

My first born was a c-section, my second a vbac. I will take vbac anyday! My recovery was easier....soooooo much easier! My son was 9 lbs. 14 oz (my first) and the problem with his birth was that his head was too big to fit in the birth canal (his head at birth was the same size as my daughters at 6 months! 17cm...most babies heads are only appx. 12cm around at birth). When the doc asked, I told him I wanted to try for a vbac and he was thrilled. He closely monitored me and the baby and told me some things I could do to help keep her size down and they worked. She was 7 lbs. 4 1/2 oz at birth. The doc was even willing to start delivery up to a month early to be sure that she would be of decent size (not too big for me to deliver naturally). She came on her own a week early. After all the complications I had after the c-section (allergic reaction to pain meds which caused a full body rash, a double breast infection, had been given too much paralytic during the er c-section....etc...) the vbac delivery was so easy and uncomplicated that I felt like a million bucks! :) Get your docs on board with whatever you decide, they can help you. Good luck with your decision hun! :)

This is a great resource: http://www.ican-online.org/
International Cesarean Awareness Network.

They have a local chapter (Minneapolis) and a monthly meeting. Might be a nice place to address some of your concerns & check in with others who have been (or are) in your situation.

Happy Holidays!
A.

My daughter was a c-sect baby(10 years ago tomorrow!) When i was pregnant with my son my mother strongly pushed the repeat c-sect. She's a neonatal intensive care nurse but has no expireince with c-sect. My doc on the other hand was a female who had done the VBAC with her own kids and went as far as to tell my mom to "let me make the decision" My Vbac labour was WAY longer but the aftermath was much easier to recover from. Like the others have said, ask your doc a million questions, do some research, and do what feels right to you.

Hi,
You are going to receive a ton of advice but I am going to thow mine in. My son was over 9 pounds when he was born by c-section. When I "discovered" I was pregnant again and that my second child would be born 22 months after the first I freaked out. C-section or VBAC? I talked to my doctor and told her all my fears (ok most of my fears were pain and recovery) we had a discussion about possible problems. My doctor monitored the situation, to make sure there were absolutly no problems. The week before I was due I asked her again what if I freaked out in labor and insisted on a c-section? She replied that she would stand by our original decision to have natural birth. Unless, she felt I needed a c-section. However if for some reason she was not there she would inform the hospital and the doctor on call that if I was not progressing or if there was any confusion that I should have a c-section.
All said and done, I went into labor at 1 in the morning, naturally progressed and had a 8 lb. baby girl at 7 the next night via VBAC.
It was the best decision I had ever made. Talk to your doctor, ask any questions that you have, any fears and make the decision that is right for you.

Natural birth after c-section poses some risks. Your Dr. should have told you about these. If your baby was that big last time you could have another just as big. Most women can't give birth to babies that big. Is this the same Dr.? The more stress your body is under the more problems you could have with the birth. Ask your Dr. a ton of questions before you decide either way.

Please ask your doctor to explain the risks of vaginal birth after cesarian. At our hospital, extra doctors stay in house if a woman for a VBAC labor. That should tell you something about the risks.

Hi J.,
I had a VBAC with my second. I highly recommend going for it! The recovery was so much easier. I'd do a lot of research so that you are aware of the risks and also talk to your doctor about it. Try to keep yourself active and healthy during the pregnancy because you will need all of your strength for a natural birth. It was so nice to come home after only 2 days in the hospital and to be able to get up and move around and to be able to take care of my 4 year old. If you decide to go for it good luck and let us know how it goes! Best of luck to you!

I also had a c-section with my first (due to failure to progress), and am nearing the end of my second pregnancy. I am hoping to have a VBAC on Monday!! I've started having mild preeclampsia, and my regular ob (very supportive of my VBAC decision) is on vacation! :O I've been seeing one of the midwives in his absence and she has been a big help in holding off the other obs from rushing in to do a second c-section. There are a lot of hospital rules about who can and can't do what for you when you attempt a VBAC in my area. I would try to see a midwife if you do decide to attempt a VBAC, because they are very pro-natural-birth, and are not surgeons so are less likely to fall back on a surgical birth.
My ob went over all the potential risks and benefits of c-section vs VBAC with me during our first visit. The thing that stood out most for me was the statistics. There is a 2% chance of your uterine scar rupturing when attempting natural labor after a cesearean. However, the things that were counted as "rupture" in the studies are not all the same...they count everything from a full blown opening of your uterus to a slight thinning of the uterine wall that did not result in any damage to mom or baby. So the actual risk of you or baby being harmed during a VBAC is less than 2% and may even be less than 1%, depending on what study you look at.
Definitely do some research on VBACs and ask your doc to go over everything completely.
For me, right now we are doing a balancing act of watching to see if the preeclampsia gets worse (right now it is super borderline) before I finish dilating (I was at 1 cm Friday). If I am dilated enough on Monday, my ob will break my water to induce labor (they can't use cervical gels to induce you or pitocin because of the risk of rupture). If I'm not dilated enough, I will have a c-section.
Even though I know it will be a lot of recovery and pain, and will be difficult with a baby and a toddler this time around, I just want my baby and I to be healthy. I don't think the most important thing is the actual "having" of the baby...it is having a baby at home and all the wonderful things that come afterwards! :)
So, I would say go ahead and go for a VBAC, but be prepared if things don't work out exactly as planned. I have shed a lot of tears over my previous c-section, the bonding and breastfeeding issues my first child and I had, and the idea that I may never have a natural vaginal birth, but in the end, I think the best part is being a mom.
Good luck and hope you have a wonderful healthy pregnancy!

My first birth was a c-section (just due to size of baby) and I've had 3 vaginal births since, with no complications. If your doctor doesn't see a problem, go for it--the recovery is much easier! Good luck. K.