Hello, I started a thread a while ago about whether you could "grade" the different birth options available if you had a cs first time round.
Anyway, I'm now the proud mother of a nine-day old gorgeous baby girl so here's my story... (by the way, it's a bit of an anti-climax).
Having finally decided that I'd go for a vbac, I really decided to go for it and hired a fantastic birth doula, did the yoga, watched tv on all fours, slept on my left hand side, etc. As a precaution I booked an elective for 41 weeks as I wasn't happy about being too overdue and anyway was confident that she'd arrive more or less the same time or earlier than ds.
Two days before the cs date, I still wasn't in labour despite two sweeps, mucus plug coming away, head engaged, acupuncture, the works. I asked if my cs could be deferred but the first available slot would have been at 42 weeks and I just wasn't comfortable waiting that long, not least because my husband wouldn't be around for the recovery bit due to work.
So, rather reluctantly, I went in for the cs and all my hard vbac preparation was for nought.
HOWEVER - it was a really positive experience and I felt she was good and ready to come out (8lb). The obstetricians were the youngest, smallest surgeons in the world (operating table had to be on lowest setting) and they had a bit of a shock to see how many scar adhesions I had. Given that my stomach is a mass of scar tissue, part of me thinks oh should have had a vbac, on the other hand it could have been really hairy had I ended up with another emergency.
Funnily enough the thing most often cited as the disadvantage of a cs, the recovery, I'm finding to be its greatest benefit. Because of the cs, I've been forced to get enough help in and really take it easy. I don't know how I'd have coped with establishing breastfeeding and looking after my toddler so I'm quite glad that I had no choice but to get that support.
Off painkillers within a week, out of hospital after two nights, boobs hurt more than the scar - all good. What it's really taught me is that all this pregnancy angst about birth is a bit of a waste of energy because as soon as they're out it's all irrelevant (and is replaced with breastfeeding angst).
Thanks again for all the useful comments and sorry not to be able to recount the reality of attempting a vbac.
Polly
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Childbirth
Polly of vbac vs cs discussion: what happened next?
13 replies
PollyParanoia · 08/12/2006 20:02
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