Vbac or C-section - Gardner,MA

Dear P.,

You are not too late unless you've already had your c-section. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynocologists had a major conference last year at the National Institute of Health in DC where it was announced that women with one or two prior c-sections should automatically be planning for VBAC unless there is an underlying medical condition that would prevent vaginal birth. It sounds like you had a vaginal birth with your first baby? Which was easier on you? Statistically, the maternal morbidity and fetal morbidity are much higher with a c-section than with vaginal birth.

You are lucky to be in MA - many people do have to travel (the person who posted from Florida is unlucky enough to live in the state with the highest rate of c-sections in the country). Contact the ICAN chapter closest to you - I've listed them below and ask for referral to VBAC friendly providers. You can also contact Nancy Wainer Cohen, the author of Silent Knife, a book on cesarean prevention as she has a midwifery practice in MA and is the person who came up with the term VBAC. Here is her website:
http://birthdaymidwifery.com/.

If you haven't found this information yet, c-section babies are less likely to nurse, and more likely to have asthma and various allergies. I tried to VBAC with my second baby but ended up with a CBAC due to poor positioning and we were unable to turn him. I don't regret it - I went into labor naturally this time, and didn't get my epidural until about 5 minutes before the c-section. I labored for 42 hours naturally so he got many of the benefits of labor and he was not at all like my first baby who was essentially a druggy baby his first few days of life.

Here is the ICAN page - ICAN chapters are wonderful and can provide all the support you need. Also, please feel free to message me if I can be of any support to you. Congratulations and best wishes for a happy and healthy birth and baby!

C.

ICAN of Eastern Massachusetts
Greater Boston Area

Contact: Caroline Kelley
eMail Address: ____@____.com
Telephone: ###-###-####
Website:

Or Contact: Estelle Nancy Grygent
Telephone: ###-###-####

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MA
ICAN of Middlesex County
Middlesex County & surrounding areas

Contact: Erin Seamonds
eMail Address: ____@____.com
Telephone: ###-###-####
Website:

Or Contact:
Telephone:
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MA
ICAN of Central Mass
Central Massachusetts

Contact: Lia Reilly
eMail Address: ____@____.com
Telephone: ###-###-####
Website:

Or Contact:
Telephone:

I loved my VBAC. My recovery time was at least 50% less than with my c-section - I felt great by 3 weeks and it was at least 6 with my c-section. I was able to have and breastfeed my baby the whole first hour of his life, and he's been a feeding champ ever since. However I would have to say that at 35 weeks unless your doctor is willing to do a VBAC at a different hospital, you probably won't find someone willing to treat you. Most obs do not allow transfers this late so I would definitely find a new doctor before leaving your old one if you are interested in doing that. Also your best chance of a vbac is with a midwife so if there is a midwife in the same practice that would be a good thing to investigate.

Hello!
I live in Germany and VBACs are completely normal here. I had an emergency c-section with my baby, and my midwife, a well as the doctors told me that it says nothing about the way the next one will come, and that I might have an easy labor and delivery with the second. I think c-sections are done too much in the US because the hospitals and doctors earn so much doing them.
I hope you can have your baby naturally. Good Luck!

I can't tell you which - as I've never had a C-Sectioin...

If your OB/GYN says that you are a good candidate for one - then find out which hospitals she has privileges at and go there.....

You need to do what makes you comfortable and what works for you...for me? I need to be able to trust my OB/GYN.....if I have that - then I'm good!!

CONGRATS and GOOD LUCK!

I would look for a midwife that might take you. call around to local doula's, they usually have a list of providers that will take a client at 35+ weeks.

email me off list and I can try to contact a doula in your area if you are having problems finding someone.

1st & 3rd deliveries: vaginal. 1st with epidural. 3rd - all natural.

2nd delivery was a c-section due to baby's stress levels, non-productive labor even with the induction.

In my case, there simply was no issue with going back to vaginal.

I 100% support VBACs for healthy mothers/babies. It is the best way to go, imo.

Contact your local ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network, http://www.childbirth.org/section/ICAN.html) as soon as possible and find a list of VBAC supportive docs/hospitals in your area.

Women have switched providers late in their pregnancy, to a truly supportive VBAC docs, and have safely delivered vaginally.

Also, be aware that a lot of docs who appear supportive aren't really unless you meet their "checklist" -- things like, your baby cannot measure more than X via ultrasound, you must go into labor by X week/date/due date, etc., etc.---these are docs who while they say they are VBAC supportive are not in reality.

I had a vbac with my second (first was breech) and absolutely NO REGRETS - it was amazing and just incredible experience. That said - a baby is a baby - no matter how they get here. you might have some trouble finding a doctor/hospital this late in the game - not sure what your state regulations are but i had to have a dedicated nurse the entire time I labored and was met with some resistance (mostly family - i have an aunt that works in ob/gyn and told everyone i was going to die on the table - nice right?) but if you can do it i would say go for it. found recovery from both difficult - but different - c-section you get incision pain - with regular - well my vagina was pretty darn sore as well as the hemmorroids from pushing - yikes sorry if that is tmi.

good luck

I'm assuming you are a good candidate for a v-bac? My understanding of it is, that if you had a horizontal (ie, "bikini-cut") incision, that is your best bet for a successful v-bac. When vertical cuts were the norm during c-sections (our parents' generation), VBAC's were more dangerous, but the body heals stronger with a horizontal cut, so the VBAC isn't a problem.

I had a v-bac. I was lucky enough that I had to change doctors between first and second babies, and the doctor I ended up with also happens to specalize in high-risk pregnancies (mine wasn't high-risk - she was just the only one in my area who had new patient appts. available!) - a VBAC was the easiest case she had that season, and she never schedules C sections with her VBAC candidates (I actually asked about the possibliity, just to see what my options were - she said no). If you can track down a specialist with a new-patient opening, that may be a good bet for you, too.

Or would you consider a birthing center as an alternative to a hospital? I have some conditions that didn't allow me to go to one, but all of the women I know who went the birthing center route had wonderful experiences. If you can't find a hospital situation that is good, perhaps a birthing center will take you?

I had a 2nd c-section due to insurance reasons. I think a VBAC is a great way to go but I thought I would mention that typically a planned c-section is SOOOO much easier than an emergency c-section. The recovery time was about half. It was nice to plan all the arrangements for my other child and then walk in and have a baby a hour later. The hospital stay is a little longer--allowing for some extra rest. I found it worked well for my situation even though I wanted the VBAC. Whatever you decide will end in the same result. Enjoy your new baby when he/she arrives!

Not sure exactly where Gardner is, but just want to mention that I went to Newton-Wellesley OBGYN and NW hospital to have my first and only baby. Had a c-section due to dropping baby's heart rate, but they were awesome and they do VBAC's if you're a good candidate. Good luck!

I am 28 weeks and my dr told me that I have to have another c-section. I am comfortable with that. I had to have a c-section with my first cause I was not dilating and I was loosing amniotic fluid. After trying to induce and that was not working we all decided on the c-section. Plus I was 8 days over due. I just wanted the baby out! LOL!
My neighbor on the other hand had a c with her first but had a VBac with her second and all went well. She did not use any of the drs or hospital in this area. She went to a different county. So I am guessing that you will have to find a different hospital and possibly a different dr if he/she does not go to that hospital. You are cutting it pretty close. Especially since your insurance will have to start all over with a different hospital. If that is what you want to do then you better act fast and find a new one. Since it is so close I would just stick to the c-section. I wish you luck and congrats on your new little one!

Assuming that there are no medical indications other than having had a previous cesarean, I would suggest trying for the VBAC. It is much easier on your body, is better for the baby, and if you think you might ever want to have another baby, the risk of placenta accretia, a potentially fatal condition, increases with each cesarean birth. I also really recommend finding a doula to support you if you do go this route. Doula support decreases cesarean rates and labor length.

Good luck, and congratulations, whatever you decide.