I was helped a lot by reading the stories of other people when I was choosing between having a 3rd cesarean and a vbac. I have made this web page to get my story out and to hopefully help someone else see they are not alone and that it is not always an easy choice to make. I want to stress up front that no matter how your baby is born that was the "right" way for your baby. Please read all of my story to see what I mean by that.
On April 30th, 1994 I had my first cesarean section. After two weeks in the hospital I was just glad it was over and was glad that I would be going home soon. My first pregnancy felt like it was doomed from the beginning. My blood pressure was always up, I had toxemia. My doctor hospitalized me twice for a 24-hour observation because of it. At 28 weeks and 32 weeks I went into preterm labor. I was put on complete bed rest and had to take medicine (can't remember the name of it but I hated it, made my heart race and I always felt like I should be moving faster then I was. At 34 weeks I went in for my check up and for some reason they put me on the fetal monitor. (I don't remember why now.)My baby's heart rate went down. I was put in the hospital to be monitored. I ended up not being able to go home until after my daughter was born.
When I went intot he hospital at 34 weeks I was going to have the 3-hour sugar test done because the first one came back high. But since I was sent to the hospital they said I didn't have to and they checked my sugar level daily with a finger prick. Since it was always elevated my doctor said I had gestational diabetes. I had to get insulin shots every morning. That is one reason why I had to stay in the hospital. I didn't want to give myself shots and my husband didn't think he could.
While in the hospital I was monitored 3 times a day, at every shift, to watch my baby's heart rate. I had 4 sonograms while I was in there. At 35 weeks my baby's heart rate dropped and stayed down for 90 seconds. The doctor on call decieded to try and induce labor. He tried for 8 hours. My baby's heart rate stayed fine the whole time they were inducing. My body did not respond at all. Anything that I did that helped ease labor pains stopped the contractions. My doctor sent me back to my room and said we would wait to see what happened next. The doctor that saw me the next day wanted an amniocentesis (amino) done before labor was induced again. He scheduled the amino for the following Monday. He had a specialist do a sonogram the Friday before. The specialist said that I did not have a pocket of water big enough that did not have cord in it to do an amniocentesis. My baby had to be born that weekend!
My body was not ready for labor. My doctor used the cream Friday night to try and help things along. But it did nothing. The pitocin was started Saturday morning. I had all back labor and was in serve pain. Once again anything that helped ease the pain slowed down the contractions. After about 8 hours my nurse came in and said they were stopping the induction. The doctor was going to come in and see me soon and was going to try the cream again and restart the pitocin in the morning. She also said that if it didn't work they would be doing a cesarean section. I lost it. I yelled at my poor nurse. I was so frustrated. I asked her if they could just do the cesarean. She wasn't sure but told me to calmly ask my doctor. By the time my doctor came in I was calm. After he told me what was going to happen I asked him very calmly if he could skip the induction. He said yes and surprised me by saying my baby would be born in an hour. I thought he would wait and do it in the morning. But at 8:12 Saturday night on April 30th, 1994 my baby was delivered by cesarean section. I was not able to see her being delivered.
My 1st baby was born at 36 weeks weighing 4 pounds 12 ounces and was 18 inches long. She had no health problems. She spent the first night in the NICU. But only because of her size and because I gestational diabetes. I was wheeled in on my bed to see her in the NICU, to me that was wonderful. Because she had to stay in NICU over night and I wouldn't be allowed out of bed till morning. My husband was able to feed her at all her feedings and kept me updated on how she was doing though out the night. She was ready to go home before I was. Jessica is now 5 years old and will be starting school on August 12th, 1999. She is still petite but she has always been very healthy.
On December 30th, 1995 I had my second cesarean. I was trying for a vbac (vaginal birth after cesarean) but was not able to have one due to my blood pressure. This time everything was fine with my pregnancy up until 36 weeks. My blood pressure started to slowly go up. On Christmas Eve I went into preterm labor. My doctor gave me one shot and said that if that did not stop it he would let labor continue. Labor stopped. A week later I went into labor again. My doctor decided to let me continue this time because my blood pressure was getting higher. My doctor started the piticon drip (used to induce labor or help labor go quicker). My contractions started getting stronger right away. I was in a lot of pain and tried to tell my nurse something was wrong. All she had to say was that labor is supposed to hurt. I could not lie still no matter how hard I tried. My blood pressure was getting very high. I once again tried to get my nurse to call my doctor because I felt something wasn't right. She said that my blood pressure was high because I wouldn't lay still. She got me to lie on my left side and said that would help. But I couldn't sit or lay still. It didn't help ease the pain to move but some how made me feel better. When my doctor came in, he gave me the choice of having a cesarean or getting my epidural. I went with getting an epidural because I really wanted to have a vbac. Just as he was leaving to go order the epidural the blood pressure machine went off. He took my choice away from me. My blood pressure was too high to continue and I had to have a cesarean. I was put on magnesium sulfate for my blood pressure and it seemed like every 30 seconds during my cesarean my blood pressure was being taken. My husband was worried about me because I kept closing my eyes and drifting to sleep. He said every time I closed my eyes a bell or whistle went off, one went off when my blood pressure was being taken on my ankle the other when the one on my arm was taking it. And every time I would close my eyes a nurse would ask me if I was OK. I felt OK I was just very tired. I found out when my doctor stopped the magnesium that it was what had made me so sleepy. I wish he had told us it would do that when he first gave it to me. I was able this time to see my son be born. There was some kind of cabinet in the room; I can't remember what it was, that had glass doors. Every one moved to the right spots for me to be able to see just as he was being delivered. My son also had a short cord that was around his neck and it was cut before he was delivered.
My son was born on Saturday December 30th, 1995 weighing 6 pounds 12 ounces and was 20 inches long. He had no complications. I was sent to the progressive care (ICU for new mother's) unit over night to watch me because of the high blood pressure and the medicine I was on. The worse part of all of it for me was that my baby could not stay with me. I was on a different floor from the nursery and he was brought to me for 15 minutes. I enjoyed my time with him but it was to short and I had a nurse standing over me the whole time. He was not allowed to stay with me in the PCU. I had to beg the nurse to let my husband stay with me. She only agreed to let him if we were alone. Another patient was brought in but she did not kick him out. He went and fed our son when it was time and kept me updated on how he was doing.
When I first found I was pregnant again I did not know how I wanted to deliver. I was worried about the cord being short again and being around my baby's neck. But most of all I wasn't sure if I could handle trying for a vbac and then having to have a cesarean in the end. I talked to my doctors and they were not worried about the cord at all. They did not want me to have a vbac because of two c-sections. Part of me was relived that I did not have to make the choice any more. I felt like it was out of my hands. I had my self convinced that no other doctor would want me to have a vbac. Then I found the parent soup boards and most importantly the one for cesarean/vbacs ( Parent soup message boards ). I then realized by reading what others had gone though that a vbac was a possibility for me. But my doctor's had their minds made up. I still went along with them. I had them schedule the cesarean. It was scheduled for the 14th of January. On the 11th I went in for my pre op blood work and met with the anesthesiologist. I went in after wards for what was to be my last doctor's visit before my c-section.
I was very upset because I had found my self-hoping that I would go into labor on my own. If I had started to have contractions I had planned to wait as long as I could before going to the hospital and hoped I would be so far along they would let me continue labor. I would have a few contractions, braxton hicks, and cry when they went away. But I was too afraid to say something to my doctors.
When I went in the 11th of January a new doctor had just joined the practice and she was who I saw. My husband was very upset with me and so was in a bad mood. He wanted me to say something to my doctors about how I felt and to tell them that I was not going to go though with a c-section without trying for a vbac. My problem was part of me was still scared about having a vbac and I was ready for the pregnancy to be over. The doctor asked my husband what was wrong. He told her how I wanted to have a vbac but the other doctors were against it. He explained to her why I had the first two and how easy that pregnancy had been. My blood pressure was at an all time low and I was under a great deal of stress. She agreed that if I really wanted to have a vbac then I should be allowed to try for one. She went over the risk with me and offered to talk to the doctor that was going to do my c-section. I was still afraid of having a vbac but it broke my heart to think about having a c-section without trying for one. Everyone agreed that I would be monitored closely and at the first sign of trouble labor would be stopped and I would have a c-section. I was confident in my doctors and figured if there was any trouble it would show up early like it had the first two times. I made all of my following appoinments with the new doctor because I did not want to face the others. I saw all three of the others while in labor and they were great. I did go in one day and saw the doctor who was going to do my c-section before I went into labor and found out she had two c-sections and then two VBAC's. I think they were pushing the c-section because I was so unsure of what I wanted. But as soon as I was sure of what I wanted, OK so I wasn't sure untill after the VBAC of what I had wanted (LOL), they were very surportive. They made sure I knew all the risks involved and that I could still end up with a c-section.
I ended up going 3 days past my edd. On the day I went into labor I went in the hospital for a non-stress test to make sure it was OK to wait a little longer. My doctors only wanted to let me go a week over my due date and then they wanted to induce labor or do a c-section. I didn't want to be induced. I started walking almost 2 miles every night. I had been walking a few times a week but once I found out I was going to try for a vbac I started walking every night. The night before my non stress- test I stayed up till 3 am. I knew I needed to sleep but I couldn't sleep. I woke up at 5:30 with pretty strong back contractions. At 7:30 they were getting worse and regular. I called my doctor to see what she wanted me to do. She said to go in for my test and let them know what was going on, since I would be at the hospital for the test anyway. The external monitor was not picking up my contractions; they were all in my back, so my nurse said I wasn't in labor. This frustrated me. I was going to go straight form the hospital to my doctor's and beg for a c-section. My blood pressure went up and a few small contractions picked up on the monitor. My doctor decided to induce labor. I still didn't want to be induced but at the same time I wanted the baby out and the contractions to stop.
One of the doctors came into see me at 2:30 PM. I was only at 3,4 Cm's. I was already asking for an epidural but I had to be at 5, 6 before I could have one. The doctor broke my water and used an internal monitor to monitor my contractions and the baby. My contractions went from little mountains to being off the chart. I found out that when you have all back labor, like I am blessed with (LOL), the external monitor only picks up how far apart they are not how strong they are. I was given something for pain that made me feel like I was on fire. But it put me to sleep. When I woke up my nurse was in the room checking on me and asked if I was ready for my epidural. I was in so much pain all I could do was nod my head yes. Thank God I dilated enough to get it. With in minutes of getting the epidural I was feeling no pain. I started pushing at 7:30 PM. By this point my contractions were barley a minute apart. I could not feel them but I had the urge to push. I had no breaks I had to push with every contraction. My nurse kept telling me I didn't have to but my body did not agree. I had to have an episiotomy. But I didn't mind. Without who knows how much longer I would have been pushing.
The best part of my vbac was being the first one, besides the doctor's and nurse's, to hold my baby girl. My husband was able to cut the cord. I was able to start nursing right away. You are able to start nursing right away, or soon, after a c-section too. But in my case I was never able to start nursing till the next day. My baby never left my room. I thought she would go to the nursery to be cleaned up but the nursery came to us and I got to watch them clean her up. She only left my room for the PKU test when we were getting ready to leave.
For weeks I had Braxton hicks contractions that only managed to annoy
me. They would last for a couple of hours at a time and just stop. But
these were the only textbook real contractions I felt. On December
4th. I woke up with menstrual type cramps. They weren't lasting
long but were strong. I realized these were the pains I felt when I
was in labor the last time. I called my doctor and she said to either
go to the office or the hospital. I was so sure I was in labor I went
to the hospital. After a couple of hours of monitoring me I was sent to
walk for an hour. The machine once again did not pick up anything on me.
The walk did no good either so they sent me home. I was mad the discharge
papers said to call if I had more then 6 menstrual type cramps in an
hour. I was having that when I left but no one seemed to care and on the
way home I had 6 in 30 minutes. I was given something for pain before I
left the hospital. It did nothing to help the pain. Just made me sleepy
and made me feel drugged. I tried to sleep when I got home but couldn't. My
husband called my doctor to ask if they could help things along. She said
to go back to the hospital and if anything had changed they could help speed
things up. She wasn't the doctor on call the, we didn't know this at
that time. We started getting ready to go again. I didn't want to. I
figured since they were not getting any longer I would just be sent home
again. I went potty and lost my plug. So I get happy thinking OK something
Hh to have changed. The doctor on call was at the office and the nurse
clled and once again I heard it's probably nothing but go get checked.
In the car my cramps went from 7 minutes apart to 4 and were getting
stronger.
We live 45 minutes from the hospital I wanted to go to and half way there
the tire went flat and the spare was on the car from am earlier flat. Luckily
for me this happened in front of a cop that had pulled someone over. My
husband had him call an ambulance. First I get a firetruck. In my mind
I cussed the firetruck wondering what good it did me. He blew off my labor
but I figured he is a man they know nothing, lol. But the ambulance lady
her doing it upset me. She was with me for 20 minutes she saw the pain
I was in. Yes they were only lasting 35 seconds but hurt. She almost got
me put in triage at the hospital. Again luck prevailed and a nurse saw
The pain I was in and said no she is going to a room.
I was checked and at 8 cm. I begged for drugs. I didn't care what kind
just wanted something. The nurse who checked me said that I didn't need
anything. When in reality it was I didn't have time for anything. I
would have preferred to hear her say that. How could she tell me I didn't
need anything when she couldn't feel what I am going though? Another nurse
explained how I didn't have time and she was wonderful with me and I wasn't
very nice to her nor was my husband. He was helping me demand drugs, lol. (I
found out in my room later the helpful nurse is also a doula.) She helped
me to breath even though I didn't want too during labor. She was forceful but
compassionate at the same time.
Ten minutes after getting in bed my water broke. Ten minutes later my baby
was born. As soon as my water broke I felt the need to push. They said I couldn't
I said I had too. My doctor wasn't there yet. My husband was not happy with
things and said rudely there isn't another doctor here that can deliver
a baby? They made sure he and I was OK with a strange doctor and he said he didn’t
really think anyone had much of a choice. When they told me to push I said
I couldn’t but 2 people pushed my husband out of the way and pushed my legs
way back and insisted I push so I did. Though 2 contractions (which were
still just the menstrual type and were not picking up on their stupid
machine) and that was that. I had to stop during one so they could get
the cord from around her neck. She didn't cry right away and that scared me.
My husband now tells me she was fine just busy looking around. But I asked
about her not crying so they roughed her up with a towel till she did. My
husband is convinced they did that just for me and she was fine.
My doctor walked in as I was being stitched up. No one had told him how
close I was to delivering when they called to say I was at the hospital.
He went to change and finish up the job.
I had 2 small tears along the side; forget what the doctor called them.
No episotomy this time and with no drugs I was able to take a shower right
afterwards in labor and delivery. That part was nice. I am grateful for
this experience and did always wonder what it would be like. It was very
different from the others that is for sure and not one I will repeat given
the choice, lol. With this birth I realized the drug pitocin that is commonly used
to induce labor is a horrible drug. It brings on quick and strong contractions.
Without the use of it with my 2 nd vbac all I had was back labor.
With my 1st I had both back and front contractions that were unbearable.
If you are unsure about an epidural I do not suggest the use of pit.
Rachel Ellen was born on December 4th, 2001 at 7:52 PM. She scored
an 8 and 9 on the agar and both of us went home 24 hours after delivery. Its
been almost a week since her birth and we are both doing great. She weighed
6 pounds 15 ounces and was 19 in a half inches long.
I did not feel bad about my first c-section. I always felt like I had asked for it. I also knew I was going to have more children and was sure the next one would be born the "right" way. I cried on the way to the operating room the second time. I kept asking myself what was wrong with me why couldn't I deliver a baby the right way. I realized when I was pregnant with baby number three that what I thought was the "right" way to deliver a baby was wrong. The only right way to deliver a baby is the way that is medically the safest way to go. Or in my case, the way the mother feels the most comfortable with. If you are considering a vbac I recommend you read everything you can about them and to take classes. Also make sure you know why you had your first c-sections and read up about what causes what ever went wrong the first time. After you have read everything, you can if you can not convince your doctor to let you try for a vbac, and it is what you really want, switch doctors. I would first try going to your doctor and explaining why you want to try for a vbac and let them know you know all the risk involved and are willing to try. Let them know at the first sign of trouble you want labor stopped and a c-section performed. If you are unsure at first how you want to deliver then tell your doctor that and there is nothing wrong with scheduling a c-section for a few days before you are due to see how your pregnancy goes. When the time comes you may want to have the c-section or you may want to wait and have a vbac. Either way you go is the "right" way to deliver your baby. In any case a good support person is a must! My husband was wonderful in all 3 of my births and I don't think I could have done it with out him. Another option for a support person is to hire a doula (link to a message board on professional birth assistants). I have heard great things about doulas. A quick description is someone who will fight for your right to deliver how you want to.
If you have a c-section get up and walk as soon as you can. It helps get you home faster. I was home with in 48 hours of having both of my c-sections. If you are in pain afterwards take something for it. If you are in pain you don't feel like walking and it may take long longer to heal. The doctor will not give you anything that will harm your baby if you are nursing.
A good place for questions is the VBAC and cesarean birth board at parent soup. Just follow the link to the parent soup list of message boards, parent soup also has message boards for just about everything to do with women. Baby links is a site with info on VBAC's. The vbac/cesarean web ring has stories of other births and links to information on both vbacs and cesarean.
I have just recently (added 2/03/2003) ran across information on other types of births. Home births with and without midwifes are making a come back. I have to say this wouldn’t work for me because of my comfort level. But I have read some stories on Unassisted Child Birth (link to imformation on Unassisted child births) and can see why it would work for others. There are a lot more options then I ever realized there were. I know some are not for me but I respect a women’s right to choose what is best for her. We are lucky to have unlimited information available to us though the internet. I suggest reading up on the different options. Parent soup just recently started a debate board on Birth Options .
Please remember This is only my story . This is what worked work me. These are the choices I made. I am not handing out medical advice. They may not be the right ones for you and a VBAC may not be an option for you. Before decieding how to deliver your baby get your medical records from all previouse births to why things went the way they did. Dicuss all options with your care giver before you deciede. Either way you go a great surport team is a must.
If you would like your VBAC story linked to this page contact me and after I check out your site I will add a link. Also be sure to check out the VBAC web ring.
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