Well, I know I have a lot of time to think about this, but I'm still thinking anyway!

I had a C-section after 24 hours of very painful labor. It was because Carter was just too big for me. He was 8 lbs. 12 ounces, so he wasn't huge. I'm pretty small and I don't have much in the way of hips. They didn't spread at all either, so that was a problem.

I'm thinking I'll have another C-section, but haven't really talked to anyone who had a successfull VBAC with similar reasons for having the C the first time.

TIA for any help.

I'm not even pregnant yet (well, not that I know of) and I definitely want to try VBAC. I am 5' even and weighed 100 lbs before getting pregnant with Morgan- she was 9lbs3.5oz. I had a C-section for the same reason you did, although I feel mine could've been avoided if I hadn't have gotten an epidural.

So basically, I'll be trying a vbac next time!

I am subscribing cause I want to hear others feedback. I had a c-section cause my labor stalled but I think it had something to do with the fact that my daughter was so big (9lbs 3oz.). I havent made up my mind yet if I am gonna consider a VBAC or just schedule another c-section? :dunno:

I'm not PG now, but with Trey, I had a scheduled induction after I was 42 weeks along...They induced me on Sunday night, and finally Tuesday night around 9 pm he was born via emergency c-section...He got "stuck" so to speak, and they couldn't even get the forceps or vacuum in to help him out...

I'd really like to learn more about VBacs, but none of the OB's here do them, and it didn't sound too encouraging that any of them would be considering doing them

We aren't even TTC yet, but I had a c-section with a really tiny baby (she was a month early!) because she was breach, and will definitely be trying for a VBAC, perhaps even natural (my first labor was EASY ~ 8 cm before even knowing I was IN labor), so I am very interested to hear other people's stories....

PLEASE share!

I'm interested to know as well. We are not TTC but I had to have a c-section for my son after 38 hours of labour because he was just so big: 9lbs 11 oz! I'm a very thin person and have a tiny waist so I guess my chances of achieving VBAC are slim but I'm still interested to find out more about it.

Put me down as another person who would love to hear other people's successful VBAC stories! I had an emergency C-section with my daughter. We were in the pushing stages when it was discovered that her head was turned upwards, so she was stuck. Not even the vacuum would get her out. I'm a smallish person (5'2" and 108 lbs) so I don't know if that will need to be taken into effect or not for #2. We're not planning on having another baby for 2 years, but I still think about it.

I wanted a VBAC after my first (failed induction, failure to progress, 13 days late - he was 9lb 5 oz). But, baby #2 was showing no signs of coming out at 14 days overdue, so we scheduled a repeat c/s for the following day - he was 10lb 11 oz.

While pg with #2, I researched VBAC a lot. There are some excellent books out there, full of reassurances that a VBAC is achievable. The VBAC Companion by Diana Korte & The Cesarean Myth (can't remember author, sorry) are both excellent. The points that stuck in my head were these: supposedly, only about 5% of women actually have pelvises that are too small to pass thru an average sized baby, and hip size doesn't always indicate pelvic capacity (it's designed to spread open). (so, it seems to me that CPD is diagnosed an awful lot in N. America! ) The chance of a uterine rupture (w/low transverse incision) is only about 0.5%, while the chance of post-surgical infection after a c/s is 11-12%. Also, both books allude to the fact that the extra monitoring required during a VBAC is at least part of the reason OBs don't like to do them - I'm not putting down OBs, but if you had the choice of scheduling a repeat c/s, or signing on to monitor a possibly long & unpredictable VBAC, what would be easier?

A friend of mine (from HS & on UB) had a c/s with her first (10 lb 14 oz - for the same reasons I did). She then successfully VBAC'ed her 2nd baby, at 10 lb 15 oz!!

Although I didn't achieve a VBAC, the best piece of advice I can give is this: read & educate yourself about them. I learned SO much during my 2nd pg, and wish I'd read half as much during my 1st.

Good luck to all! :)


**Edited to add: In Canada (or at least BC), women don't seem to have OB's during pregnancy/delivery, but are cared for by general/family practitioners. The OB (not my usual doc) that ended up delivering Austin specifically *told* my dh that there was no reason I shouldn't be able to VBAC future babies. When pg with #2, my GP also brought it up before I did. Some of the reading I did confirmed that GPs were more likely to recommend VBAC than OBs. I found that somewhat interesting.

Hi,
I had a similar birth story with Yumi. Since Shoham was supposed to be biggish I refused even considering VBAC.
My older sister, however, had her #1 w/o c-section, her #2 via c-section because she was breech and then her #3 was VBAC.
So it really depends on the circumstances and I think u'll know more the closer u get to EDD. If the baby is around Carter's weight, I wouldn't even consider VBAC- but that's me...

Thanks so much guys! I wonder if I could actually be one of those people whose pelvis's are just too small. Carter wasn't that huge (at 8lbs 12oz.) but my hips are tiny! I don't have any - and they never spread! I pushed for over 4 hours and I never ever felt him moving down at all. And I PUSHED! I had really long contractions and they were extrememly close together so I did a heck of a lot of pushing!

I am encouraged by what I've read to try VBAC, but at the same time, I'm scared that I will end up in another C-section after a rough labor. We'll just have to see! Who knows what will happen!

I'd love to, but the odds are looking slimmer and slimmer. The reasons for my c-section where different than yours though...I had pre-eclampsia at 34 1/2 weeks, with a seizure...and an emergency c-section. (My DD was also still breech at the time...if I'd got further along, they were willing to discuss a version and induction).

This time, I'm starting to develop signs of pre-eclampsia again...and they no longer induce women who've had a prior c-section, so I have to get far enough along to go into labor on my own without complications. And this one is also still breech (and has been almost exclusively, as near as I can tell by where s/he kicks) at 33 weeks. (although my Dr. is willing to try a version, if we get that far). I also have a small pelvis, according to my doc, so if baby is big, might not be successful even if I try...but I'd love to avoid a c-section, since I had complications with wound healing last time...and now have an active toddler who will be too heavy to pick up with a healing incision!!

I talked to my midwife today and she said that for the reason that I had one last time, I'll probably have to have one again. OH WELL! She said I could always try if I wanted to, but it might just not happen. I still have time to think!

...and they no longer induce women who've had a prior c-section, so I have to get far enough along to go into labor on my own without complications.
Is this common practice? I have never heard this and am very curious to hear more.

Hey Lisa,
That's what my dr. told me too. She said it is just way too complicated and there are too many risks when you induce so they won't do it!

After talking it over with the midwife today, it doesn't look good for a VBAC for me, but as she said, she is ONE woman and another person may have a different opinion. It's just nice to know right now that I have limited options, or basically NO options.

Is this common practice? I have never heard this and am very curious to hear more.
Yes, now it is...when I was in residency (which was 2 1/2 years ago) it was common to induce VBACs (using the "gentle" approach). But things have changed, and the new standard of care is to no longer induce VBAC's due to slightly increased risk of uterine rupture. Although, apparently it's still ok to use pitocin to augment labor in a naturally laboring VBAC....

supposedly, only about 5% of women actually have pelvises that are too small to pass thru an average sized baby, and hip size doesn't always indicate pelvic capacity (it's designed to spread open). (so, it seems to me that CPD is diagnosed an awful lot in N. America! )
http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_1_71.gif I guess that is me then. At my 6 week p/p appt. my Dr. told me that there was just no way that I would have been able to deliver vaginally. That my pelvis was just not made for having babies. I was like Oh, that's nice. Something you could have told me before you let me go through all that labour and pushing. ASShttp://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4_3_5.gif

I will have no choice but to go VBAC when we deceide to have another. That wont be for a while though. My C/S was horrable.http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_9_3.gif

Yes, now it is...when I was in residency (which was 2 1/2 years ago) it was common to induce VBACs (using the "gentle" approach). But things have changed, and the new standard of care is to no longer induce VBAC's due to slightly increased risk of uterine rupture. Although, apparently it's still ok to use pitocin to augment labor in a naturally laboring VBAC....
Very Interesting! Thanks for the info. :aok:

I had a VBAC with my son Charlie last February. I had a c-section in 1999 with my twins (emergency) at 29 weeks. My midwife and I talked when we first met about how I really wanted to have a VBAC - the fact that there had been almost 4 yrs between my deliveries was a good thing as she felt comfortable that things were well healed, etc. She also contacted the hospital where I had delivered and she got my operative report (she wanted to know how my incision was closed - single or double sutures), etc. I got a copy too - fascinating actually. (yes - I'm a medical geek - I loved reading the autopsy of the twins' placenta)

I did lots of reading and of course my midwife was guarded but fully behind our decision to have/try a VBAC. The hospital policy where I was to deliver was that if you were trying a VBAC, you had to be monitored the entire time but I felt that this would slow down my delivery and hamper my chances of baby moving into my pelvis, etc. We agreed that we would go for 15-20 min off the monitor every hour as long as baby was tolerating labour well.

Well - I had to be induced at 39w6d as my blood pressure was starting to creep and the OB I was referred to did bloodwork and my liver enzymes were up so the OB insisted on getting the show on the road. I was crushed - I felt that this was a death knell and I was not going to get to try a VBAC. So I asked that I be allowed to "try" before moving straight to the section as long as Charlie & I were both "healthy". They broke my water at 6pm on Saturday (I was 1-2cm dialated) and they put an internal monitor on Charlie's scalp - at least I could be up and around with this.

I got pitocin to get things moving along shortly after midnight but the policy was I *had* to have an epidural in case the pitocin caused my uterus to "go nuts" and I needed a section. The doc missed 2x on the epidural so I didn't actually get it until 5am and I was 3.5cm by that point. I was 8cm by 9am and fully complete by noonish. I pushed for just over an hour and Charlie was born vaginally.

Jennie