This story of VBac (Vaginal Birth after Caesarian)�was shared by one of our Stay at Home Mum community members,�Crystal. �We thank her for sharing her story with us here at Stay at Home Mum. If you would like your own story featured on the Stay at Home Mum page, please send your unique story to stories@stayathomemum.com.au.�
When I became pregnant with my first child, I had no idea how I wanted to birth. To be honest, I never even thought about it. I assumed I’d have this perfect pregnancy, then I’d go to the hospital and they’d tell me what to do.� Little did I know just how much work it was! I had a pretty good pregnancy, a bit of bleeding first trimester that scared the life out of me, and then from that point on, it was almost perfect.� A bit of heartburn here or there, sleepless nights in my last trimester and lots of weeing, but nothing to write home about.
When I was 38 weeks, I saw an OB at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.� He saw that I was a diabetic and instantly said, “This baby will be HUGE, we need to induce right away! There is no way you can push out a big baby.” Now remember when I said I hadn’t thought about birth?� This is that moment when I wish I had researched more.� I naively said yes to my induction and two days later we were off.
I had the whole list of intervention- gels, then the drip, then gas, and eventually after 12 hours of being hit by a train, I asked for the epidural.� We were told an hour later that our son was in distress and that we needed a c-section. I said yes and two hours later, 7lbs 6oz of pure perfection was put in my arms!
After it was all said and done, I was happy to have a healthy baby but saddened by the fact that I was not able to have a natural delivery.
We fell pregnant 19 months later and I was adamant that I wanted my VBAC.� We had switched hospitals and I knew that VBAC’s were a safe option for birth.� After 8 months of pursuing a VBAC, we were told that we should just have a c-section because second babies tend to be bigger and that should our baby die due to our choice to VBAC, I would be to blame.� Needless to say, after that we let fear determine our birth and our second son was born via c-section.� He was 8lb 11oz of cheeky goodness!
I however, developed a severe infection after my c-section and became septic. �Three weeks after his birth, I almost died.� It was then that I realized I never ever wanted to have another c-section again.
We unfortunately lost our 3rd child in the second trimester but I was still determined to have a VBAC.
When we fell pregnant 3 months later,� I knew what I needed to do. I had�done my research and knew that I’d have this baby naturally.� We opted�for a home birth as we felt unsupported by the hospital staff with a�VBAC.� I had a picture perfect pregnancy. We hired an independent�midwife and had all of our antenatal visits at home. She quickly became�family.
As we neared my due date, I was so excited!� We were going to meet our�sweet GIRL any day now! �On her due date, I woke up at about 1 am with a stomach ache – my first real experience with natural labour pains.� I used the toilet and then back to bed.� By 4 am my pains�were actually coming in waves.� Every 4-5 minutes.� I rang my midwife�and my other support person and we waited.� My two boys pottered around�the house while I laboured. My contractions were pretty strong and all of�this was so new to me!� I went into labour on my own!� My body knew what�to do and it was doing it perfectly!
I walked, sat, yelled, bounced on�my fit ball and waited for my sweet girl to make her entrance.� Soon my�midwife arrived and I was in transition!� I started to freak out, but my�husband and midwife kept me perfectly calm.� It soon came time to push. �I was surprised at how my body actually knew what to do and was doing it�without me having to try!
My 2 year old�son and husband sat next to me as we welcomed our daughter into the�world.� It was the most intense and incredible feeling!� I held my sweet�girl and kissed her gooey face!� She was my biggest of all my kids – a�healthy 10lb 4oz of squishy goodness!� She was perfect in every way and�I did it!� I allowed and trusted my body to do it’s job and it did!
Thank you so much to Crystal for sharing her story. �
Please, share your thoughts in the comments below and if you would like to share your story about the life as a parent, please email stories@stayathomemum.com.au. We look forward to reading them.�
Responses to “I Was Tired of Being Told No | My VBAC Story”
Congratulations Crystal on your successful VBAC after two c/s.
I, too, am a VBAC “winner” after two c/s. It is so powerful for women out there, who have previously undergone a c/s to know they have options and their birth experience can be different.
I was induced in my first pregnancy, as we had reached 10 days post-dates and there was no sign of any action with the arrival of our little man. After checking into the WCH, I had three “lots” of gels administered over twenty four hours. At this point, I was 1.5 cm dilated and the OB broke my waters trying to get things going. Indeed they did. After a very painful 3 hour labour, I reached full dilation. The last hour was horrific – my little boy was getting more distressed and having big heartrate decelerations, which was frightening. A scalp clip was attached to him, and continual monitoring in place. When I began to push, our little boy became further distressed – the doctor decided he had to come out quick smart. My husband informed him I was only comfortable with the ventouse if intervention was required, this was unsuccessful in being positioned. The doctor then called for the “Simpsons” which I found out later are forceps. Again this intervention failed. Finally, the doctor told me he would give me “a hand” by manually attempting to guide my son out (I had not had any pain relief). This failed. I was then rushed to theatre for a c/s under General Anaesthesia which meant my husband was unable to be present. I took many hours to wake up and recover. My little boy just pulled through, all 7lb 7oz of him. He scored exceptionally poor APGARs of 2 and then 5, spending several hours in SCBU before he was returned to me four or five hours later.
I fell pregnant with my second son 19 months later, and went down the path of a VBAC. Again, this little man was in no hurry to make his entrance and at 10 days post dates I was admitted to the WCH again for an “elective” c/s (I don’t really get it being called “elective” – I was led to believe and felt I had no other alternative). He was born safely with a minimum of fuss after a routine c/s.
Little over 9 months later, I found myself pregnant with baby number 3, surprise! I was insistent on attempting a VBAC, so contacted an infinitely experienced OB that I had met at the WCH. After discussing all of the pro’s and cons with him, and setting some ground rules (controlling weight gain, regular exercise, spontaneous labour, no pain relief and continual monitoring) – he and I agreed on a trial VBAC. A wonderful, uneventful pregnancy slipped by (chasing two little boys will do that) and on the morning of my due date I awoke to the commencement of my labour. After a pretty “easy” 7 hour labour, and 16 minutes of pushing – my little girl was born weighing a hefty 8lb 12oz. I was euphoric that I had achieved something so momentous.
Five years later, and with the yearning for a fourth child still there – I became pregnant with our second little girl. I went back to the same OB at the WCH, who was again super supportive of me shooting for a VBAC. I had a fantastic pregnancy, stayed super fit, seemed to put on little or no weight and continued to worked right up to a few days before my due date.
After spending a week at home with my 3 big kids on school holidays, four days post dates I experienced a membrane rupture in the early hours of the Saturday morning. We trundled off to hospital. Labour did not come until more than 24 hours later – but my OB was incredibly supportive, holding off the medical intervention wanting to give my body a chance to labour naturally.
Around 6.30 am on the Sunday morning, labour commenced full throttle. When I was checked by midwives at 8.30 am I had reached 5 cms dilation and was in agony! At this point, the anaesthetist dropped by, offering me an epidural – which I couldn’t say yes fast enough to. He wandered off to get organised, promising to meet me in my delivery suite when I had been moved. I barely made it in the delivery suite door less than 30 minutes later, when the overwhelming urge to push overcame me. After two pushes my littlest princess (6lb 13oz) was born less than 3 hours after labour started.
I will be forever grateful to Dr Brian Peat at the WCH for supporting me through the VBAC experience. I would strongly encourage anyone out there thinking about trying VBAC to go for it! With family and medical support, you can do it. It is a completely liberating experience and for me healed many of the mental scars from my first birth.
Go forth and push ladies!
I wanted to try a VBAC but it was not to be 🙁 My daughter was legs extended breach so I had no choice it had to be another C-section. But she was in such a rush to get into the world they had to put pressure on my lower abdomen to keep her from moving down as I was being pushed into the operating room!
I have had to c sections and would love a vbac anyone know any sydney obs who will consider after two ?
yes
i had my vbac at RPA birth centre at sydney and recommend them in a heartbeat cause they are all for the VBAC but as the labour ward right next door if things change then your wipped off to labour ward if…….they are great…staff great….love them and its PUBLIC!!!! so free…
Forgot to add thanks u gave given me hope I struggle so mucj to recover from a csection I dont kno if I could face going into a pregnancy knowing that wad my only option its so hard on the older kids
i had a vbac with my 2nd daughter….and ummm it was natural and bloody painful and yep traumatic experience for me(i laboured on my own)-however the recovery for me was worse with natural birth than c/s–my vagina was sore for 6weeks!!!!! ouch…..whereas my cs was healed within few weeks…i have since had tubes tied and let me say that bloody well hurt(but only for couple days)