Do you think it will happen for me?

• 05-03-2009 7:43 PM

  ~JuliaGulia~ Joined on 08-23-2006 Edmonton, Alberta Posts 1,096

  Do you think it will happen for me? Reply Contact I am 24 weeks pregnant with baby #2.  I have a 2 1/2 year old dd and she was delivered by emergency c-section after failing the NST miserably.  We found out that she was nutrient deficient and did not have enough blood pumping through her body.  Anyways, I had the "talk" with my OB this past week and told her I was very hopeful of being able to VBAC.  She is very supportive of my decision, but she has also told me that she will not induce me if I do not go into labor on my own by my due date.  I understand her concerns about using medication, but I admit that I'm a little disappointed.  She doesn't even know if I will go into labor on my own as I was 3 days overdue with my dd and had no signs of labor at the time of delivery.  She said it would have been so much easier if I had at least been in labor with dd so she would have an idea of what my body is capable of.  Do you ladies think I have a hope of getting my VBAC?  Or should I resign myself to the fact that this baby will be born by c-section.........

• 05-06-2009 12:17 PM

  In reply to

  julesnac Joined on 05-06-2009 Michigan Posts 152

  Re: Do you think it will happen for me? Reply Contact do what you want to do hun, it's your body, your baby and women's bodies are MADE for this! don't let a doctor tell you what you should/shouldn't do or are "capable" of. only YOU know that! if you want to try VBAC go for it!! I was 9 days over with my first and had to have emergency section because they induced me, made me lay in bed, examined me hourly and i wound up with an infection & fever, the baby's heart rate dropped so they wheeled me off. he wasn't in a good position, was "sunny side up" so it was difficult and i never even had a single contraction, just terrible back labor but still... my due date for my 2nd was exactly 2 years later and i switched docs at 32 weeks cause my midwife left. he told me i was high risk (my first was also 8 lbs 13 oz and i'm a small girl!) and he didn't want a vbac. i said i was and wanted him to support me. he actually let me go past my DD but monitored me very closely. he said i'd have to be hooked to monitors, couldn't have pitocin (which i didn't want because of the risk). i was 5 days past due with #2 and they send me in because of the NST. they broke my water to try and induce. i let them monitor me for awhile and then told them i did not want to lay in bed i wanted to walk & move. and i did, i circled the halls of the ward through my contractions. i had an epi 30 minutes before he was born. so my 2nd son was born vaginally within 4 hours (checking into hospital at 1cm and 80% mind you!) i did wind up with a good tear, but the recovery was NOTHING compared to the section. my point.... be super proactive. doctors can't tell you what to do. but you have to know what you want and sadly almost demand it. of course, they are medical "professionals" (i use that loosely...) so they can say if something is wrong or not, but especially if your doc doesn't want to attempt a VBAC & you do, you definitely need to find a good support system. good luck!!!

• 06-03-2009 5:48 PM

  In reply to

  lncooper Joined on 10-09-2004 Geneva, NY Posts 1,682

  Re: Do you think it will happen for me? Reply Contact First time moms have an average gestation of 41 1/2 weeks, so it's totally normal for you to not have had any signs of labor before then. Dilation & such mean nothing- you could walk around at 5+ cm with some contractions for days or weeks before going into active labor, or you could go from no dilation or contractions to holding your baby in 2 hours. In a normal, healthy pregnancy, there is no worry about dates. Work closely with a nutritionist & stay active to help prevent the need for intervention. It doesn't matter if you labored before or not- your body is COMPLETELY capable of birthing your baby normally when given the right time, patience, & support. If anything else, you had a cesarean last time because of something that particular baby needed, not through any 'fault' of your body. Don't be disappointed that she won't induce- chemically inducing or augmenting labor increases the risk of distress to all moms & babies. Especially if you have a uterus scarred by a previous cesarean, you want to stay away from chemical augmentation because that would increase the chance of the uterus rupturing (the cesarean scar opening up). Without chemical intervention, there is a less than 1% chance of this happening. 0.4-0.7% It is disappointing that she's giving you the 'due date' cut off though. There's no reason for that. While a first time mom has an average gestation of 41 1/2 weeks, moms with previous babies still have a 40 1/2 week average gestation (never understood why a 'due date' isn't even based on the accurate average!). Even then, your body may treat this as a first time birth since the cesarean was done before labor last time & you haven't experienced labor yet. Besides, you're not even officially "over due" until after 42 weeks. To maximize your chances of a safe, normal birth, look for the midwifery model of care. There are no "one-size-fits-all" answers when it comes to your & your baby. I'd be leary of anyone who starts making "one-size-fits-all" restrictions about dates & such already. No care provider is a fortune teller. She doesn't know if that's actually what you'll NEED then. In a normal pregnancy, a baby isn't ready to be born unless labor has began. Let your baby decide when the right time is :)