recently N & i have been debating the best option for #3. we didn't get an choice with the boys' birth-- i had preeclampsia & my blood pressure was getting to a point where it was too dangerous for the boys to allow me to labor anymore, so we had an emergency c-sec then.
my doc is very supportive, & when i first asked him about it, he said there was no reason why we couldn't try for a VBAC. & then i did some research, & NO ONE i know has had a successful VABC. yeah, i've heard some ok stories from folks i don't know, but i don't *know* them & i tend not to trust hearsay from non-friends. (not that they're lying, i just prefer to know who my info is coming from.) & all the medical literature is pretty mixed... it seems like the success depends more on personal circumstances than anything else.
so i brought up the whole VBAC issue again at my appt today. again, my doc said if i want to try, we can absolutely try. & then i asked for odds on a successful VBAC for me, & he put them at 40-50%, based on the fact that our babies tend to be big, & the positioning of the scar on my uterus. & i have to admit, that totally changed my perspective. i do NOT want to labor & then end up with a surgery anyways. i just don't think 50% is good enough odds for me.... & while i appreciate my doc's honesty & support, i think that a repeat c-sec is the best option for us. of course if i can change my mind right up until the surgery is scheduled, but for now, we have tentatively scheduled a birthday for 3.
i feel good about this decision & N is totally supportive (he'll go along with whatever i decide), as is my doc & family so i'm pretty sure this is a choice that will stick, but i'm open minded if this turns out to be a smaller than anticipated baby, so if you have any VBAC insight or personal stories, please share!
oh-- & 3 looks awesome! we confirmed the sex again (not that there was alot of doubt) & the kid hasn't stopped moving since the u/s :)
I have heard a lot of success stories and a lot of non-success stories. I think whatever gets baby here safe and sound is just fine...whatever you decide that is.
ReplyDeleteAnd talking about how you know the sex of baby #3 is like dangling a cookie I can't reach in front of my fat face. Grrrrr ;)
It is really a personal decision, and you will make the right one for you, and that's all that matters. I am, however thrilled that you have a doctor who is willing to support a VBAC if you chose, that's awesome!
ReplyDeleteAnd birthday, hmmm, nice!!
And woohoo on same gender! Gotta love it when it doesn't change, LOL!
Shelly had a VBAC, she has her birth story listed on her blog.
ReplyDeleteI also know 2 people other than Shelly who had VBACs, neither would change their experience for the world. All in all I haven't heard anything negative.
But the choice is yours, you need to do what you feel is right.
And Amanda is right, your dangling the gender like a yummy treat that we just can't reach! I still think it is a ***.
Yeah, I had a WONDERFUL VBAC! I know you don't "know" me...but I had one!!! Like Kim said, I wouldn't change it for the world and empowered me like I never could have imagined! But, I know some women do not feel as strongly about wanting one as I did. Some don't mind the c/s. And while my c/s was a piece of cake, I did not want to have one if I didn't need one.
ReplyDeleteI honestly contribute a lot of my success to my mental and physical prep. My c/s was due to a "baby that wouldn't fit". So I did my research and knew that I needed to be ready, mobile (to allow my baby time to decend appropriately) and mentally in the game to have my VBAC. AND, I think a lot of my desire was after being told I "couldn't" vaginally deliver my son. But after educating myself I realized it was my OB's lack of patient interest and being more about herself. So, this made me want more than anything to prove to myself that I could do it. Thus, my 100% desire. So, I know for some this doesn't apply. And for some a c/s is not that big of a deal.
Anyway, I do have my story posted on my blog, there's a link in the column to the left. I woudln't trade it for the world and hope to get to VBAC once or twice more before I end my baby making days!
Of course VBAC is a decision only a couple can make...but having a supportive doctor/care provider is a HUGE part of it...so that's good that you have that, if you end up wanting a VBAC!
If you're at all interested in support, info and so on, I visited a board on mothering dot com a lot. A lot of their views are pretty "crunchy", but there's a lot of GREAT information I gained from reading what they had to say too!
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=21
Let me know if you end up wanting to talk or wanting info. Once I became interested in a VBAC, it was all I could think about! :) I knew I had to at least try it, so I wouldn't always wonder what if!
Good luck deciding! Like everyone else said, do what you feel is right and you can't go wrong!
We debated the same issue this time around since DD was a c-section after laboring for 33 hours. The dr gave us all the info and we thought a lot about it but we decided it would come down to whatever was the absolute safest for me and baby. When we asked the dr she said that a repeat c-section would definitely be safer, so that is what we are doing. It is a really tough decision and I know I will always wish I could have delivered naturally but at this point it wasn't worth the risks associated. Anywho, that is just how we decided. :)
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