Diaper Swappers

burgler · 02-14-2012, 11:54 PM

Having a rough time lately with my c-section. We had planned a homebirth due to my fear of hospitals. My mom birthed my sister and I at 42 and 43 weeks, respectively, so I wasn't worried when DS hadn't arrived at 41.5 weeks or 42 weeks. I went in for the mandatory fluid check at the OB and was told I had none, like nothing even measurable. They schedule the induction for that evening and since I was already 3cm they thought I could still have a vaginal birth. By 1am I had steady contractions. By 7am I was 7cm. Then I stalled out until 7pm. The pain was unbearable. Got an epidural and got to 10cm in a few minutes. Pushed for a few hours, but baby's head was at a funny angle, water had broken with lots of muconium and I had a fever, baby's heart was dropping, and in they wheeled me for a c-section. It was the farthest thing from my vision of an intimate birth in our home and I still cry thinking about it all, as well as all the complications that arose as a result. Anyways, all that to say that I had so much faith in my body's ability to birth before his birth, and I have lost that faith. Now I am scared of birth, afraid the same thing will happen again, afraid my uterus will rupture, etc.

Anyways, if you have any success stories of HBACs, I would love to hear them!

Thanks!

linzbear · 02-16-2012, 01:06 PM

I don't have an HBAC story (yet), but I wanted to tell you that you are not broken, and there are many other women who have had the same thing happen to them for their first child and go on to have a successful HBAC, and even if they don't they are so much more informed the second time around that they are ok with the outcome, even if it is not the perfect healing birth they want.

averysmom · 02-16-2012, 01:24 PM

I had my HBAC 2yrs ago and I'm planning my 2nd one in Sept. My oldest was induced due to severe PRE-e at 36weeks. He stayed in the NICU for 2weeks. I knew I wanted everything different when I got pregnant with dd1, so I decided to go to a local birth center. I tried at all cost to avoid any problems with my b/p since it had been a problem before. I ate right and the midwives still made me see the back ob who put me on b/p meds. No one would even listen to me that my b/p was fine at home and that it was only high in the office. Well everything was going well and then dd1 flipped breech at the last minute so I went in to an exteral version which did not work. So they talked me into a c/s at 37weeks due to my so called "chronic" high b/p.

So I waited a full 2yrs before even trying to get pregnant, becaue I knew I was going to try for a HBAC and in my mind even having to talk to an ob (who might risk me out of a homebirth) was unsettling. So I interviewed 5 midwives and made a connection with one. She was awesome, and I wasn't even pregnant yet. So shortly after I got pregnant I called her and it was a go, but sadly this pregnancy ended in m/c. So 2yrs after my m/c and trying to get pregnant I finally did and my midwife was awesome. She knew I had trouble with my b/p so she allowed me to take it at home and email her every week the list of my b/ps because we knew it would be high in her office. She really worked with me on what supplements to take and making sure I was eating enough protein. It was really encouraging.

I went into labor at 39 weeks exactly. We went to bed the night on Feb. 8th and after about 45 min of laying in bed my water broke. Contractions started soon after and my midwife, her student, and assistant came and dd2 was born at home after 10hours of labor. It was truly an amzing experience. It was healing in so many ways. Esspecially, after an ob told me I would always have to have c/s because I'm under 5ft. WRONG!!

You can do it. I know it's hard to sometimes trust your body. But I fully believe you can. I hope this encourages you!

Mamatoabunch · 02-20-2012, 07:17 AM

I had a c/s, unnecessary, w/ my first born twins and have since had 9 VBACs at home. I have not seen an OB in 18 years.

mamacita2boys · 02-25-2012, 05:09 PM

Here is my very long HBAC story of my second born, which was about a year ago. http://pacefamilyplace.blogspot.com/...her-orion.html

eljube112 · 02-27-2012, 04:59 PM

mama you aren't broken!! I had an emergency c-sec (after a planned home birth) and I was devastated. it was a culmination of problems, none of which had any reason to re-occur in a subsequent birth, so when I found out I was pregnant again, I insisted that I be allowed to hbac.

In the weeks leading up to the birth, I cried A LOT. I held my own chart (so that it was always with me in case I went into labour unexpectedly) and I read and re-read the labour and delivery notes from ds1 and bawled. For weeks this went on. I needed to grieve the loss of that perfect birth I never got.

Labour with my second came on VERY fast. I don't know if subconsciously I was ignoring it? 4 hours of labour and 1 hour 9minutes of pushing and I was holding my baby. I birthed him at home, in the water, and it was amazing. I know this sounds corny, but I feel like he healed a part of me that was so traumatized from my first birth.

I had a second successful HBAC 18 months after my first. I am planning another one in about 8 more months

You can do it mama!! believe in yourself and believe in your body.

Cristina · 02-27-2012, 05:09 PM

Here is a link to mine... kinda long

http://www.diaperswappers.com/forum/....php?t=1267114

eta: my first was a crappy hospital birth, second was a beautiful homebirth, third was a emergency c section at 42 weeks 5 days. The hbac was baby #4.

My advice to you is to give your body time to heal (we waited 3 years to get pg again) and get a great midwife.

~Cricket~ · 02-27-2012, 05:33 PM

Mama, there is lots of great support out there for you - google will help you find some good resources. I'm on another forum called BellyBelly which has a great section with info on VBAC and HBAC. Here's a link to that section of the forum.
http://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums/f139/

And here's a beautiful HBA2C story in video form to encourage you. (it's got some "graphic" c-section footage - look away or skip that part if you're squeamish!)
http://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums/...erence-140550/

This may also be useful to you: http://www.vbac.com/

Finally, get Ina May Gaskin's book "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" and Nancy Cohen's "The Silent Knife".

All the best for a wonderful, healing birth next time around!

~Cricket~ · 02-27-2012, 05:33 PM

Mama, there is lots of great support out there for you - google will help you find some good resources. I'm on another forum called BellyBelly which has a great section with info on VBAC and HBAC. Here's a link to that section of the forum.
http://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums/f139/

And here's a beautiful HBA2C story in video form to encourage you. (it's got some "graphic" c-section footage - look away or skip that part if you're squeamish!)
http://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums/...erence-140550/

This may also be useful to you: http://www.vbac.com/

Finally, get Ina May Gaskin's book "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" and Nancy Cohen's "The Silent Knife".

All the best for a wonderful, healing birth next time around!

anjali'smom · 04-23-2012, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mamatoabunch

I had a c/s, unnecessary, w/ my first born twins and have since had 9 VBACs at home. I have not seen an OB in 18 years.

I love your story!!!! You are an inspiration to many :-) I had a emergency c-section with my first 13 years ago, and have since had 2 vbacs and soon will be having my first vbac at home. I love reading stories like this, very motivational

02-14-2012, 11:54 PM	#1
burgler Registered Users Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: SF Bay Area, California Posts: 1,223 Ratings: 72 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Please share your HBAC story Having a rough time lately with my c-section. We had planned a homebirth due to my fear of hospitals. My mom birthed my sister and I at 42 and 43 weeks, respectively, so I wasn't worried when DS hadn't arrived at 41.5 weeks or 42 weeks. I went in for the mandatory fluid check at the OB and was told I had none, like nothing even measurable. They schedule the induction for that evening and since I was already 3cm they thought I could still have a vaginal birth. By 1am I had steady contractions. By 7am I was 7cm. Then I stalled out until 7pm. The pain was unbearable. Got an epidural and got to 10cm in a few minutes. Pushed for a few hours, but baby's head was at a funny angle, water had broken with lots of muconium and I had a fever, baby's heart was dropping, and in they wheeled me for a c-section. It was the farthest thing from my vision of an intimate birth in our home and I still cry thinking about it all, as well as all the complications that arose as a result. Anyways, all that to say that I had so much faith in my body's ability to birth before his birth, and I have lost that faith. Now I am scared of birth, afraid the same thing will happen again, afraid my uterus will rupture, etc. Anyways, if you have any success stories of HBACs, I would love to hear them! Thanks!

02-16-2012, 01:06 PM	#2
linzbear Registered Users Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Outside of Boston, MA Posts: 2,851 Ratings: 10 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Please share your HBAC story I don't have an HBAC story (yet), but I wanted to tell you that you are not broken, and there are many other women who have had the same thing happen to them for their first child and go on to have a successful HBAC, and even if they don't they are so much more informed the second time around that they are ok with the outcome, even if it is not the perfect healing birth they want. __________________ ExtBFing, ERFing, CDing, bedsharing, selective/delay vaxing mama to Lucas (2-21-09) and Gabriel (4-16-11), and loving wife to Rodd

02-16-2012, 01:24 PM	#3
averysmom Registered Users Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 2,891 Ratings: 13 Feedback: 100%	Re: Please share your HBAC story I had my HBAC 2yrs ago and I'm planning my 2nd one in Sept. My oldest was induced due to severe PRE-e at 36weeks. He stayed in the NICU for 2weeks. I knew I wanted everything different when I got pregnant with dd1, so I decided to go to a local birth center. I tried at all cost to avoid any problems with my b/p since it had been a problem before. I ate right and the midwives still made me see the back ob who put me on b/p meds. No one would even listen to me that my b/p was fine at home and that it was only high in the office. Well everything was going well and then dd1 flipped breech at the last minute so I went in to an exteral version which did not work. So they talked me into a c/s at 37weeks due to my so called "chronic" high b/p. So I waited a full 2yrs before even trying to get pregnant, becaue I knew I was going to try for a HBAC and in my mind even having to talk to an ob (who might risk me out of a homebirth) was unsettling. So I interviewed 5 midwives and made a connection with one. She was awesome, and I wasn't even pregnant yet. So shortly after I got pregnant I called her and it was a go, but sadly this pregnancy ended in m/c. So 2yrs after my m/c and trying to get pregnant I finally did and my midwife was awesome. She knew I had trouble with my b/p so she allowed me to take it at home and email her every week the list of my b/ps because we knew it would be high in her office. She really worked with me on what supplements to take and making sure I was eating enough protein. It was really encouraging. I went into labor at 39 weeks exactly. We went to bed the night on Feb. 8th and after about 45 min of laying in bed my water broke. Contractions started soon after and my midwife, her student, and assistant came and dd2 was born at home after 10hours of labor. It was truly an amzing experience. It was healing in so many ways. Esspecially, after an ob told me I would always have to have c/s because I'm under 5ft. WRONG!! You can do it. I know it's hard to sometimes trust your body. But I fully believe you can. I hope this encourages you! __________________ Delana, Wife to Michael 7-29-00. SAHM to Parker Stephen 2-14-03 and Avery Grace 8-17-05 Autumn Rose my HBAC baby 2-9-10 EXPECTING #4 sometime in Sept. 2012 Planning my second homebirth!!

02-25-2012, 05:09 PM	#5
mamacita2boys Registered Users Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: NC Posts: 16 Ratings: 2 Feedback: 100%	Re: Please share your HBAC story Here is my very long HBAC story of my second born, which was about a year ago. http://pacefamilyplace.blogspot.com/...her-orion.html

02-27-2012, 04:59 PM	#6
eljube112 Registered Users Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ontario, CANADA Posts: 3,996 Ratings: 54 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Please share your HBAC story mama you aren't broken!! I had an emergency c-sec (after a planned home birth) and I was devastated. it was a culmination of problems, none of which had any reason to re-occur in a subsequent birth, so when I found out I was pregnant again, I insisted that I be allowed to hbac. In the weeks leading up to the birth, I cried A LOT. I held my own chart (so that it was always with me in case I went into labour unexpectedly) and I read and re-read the labour and delivery notes from ds1 and bawled. For weeks this went on. I needed to grieve the loss of that perfect birth I never got. Labour with my second came on VERY fast. I don't know if subconsciously I was ignoring it? 4 hours of labour and 1 hour 9minutes of pushing and I was holding my baby. I birthed him at home, in the water, and it was amazing. I know this sounds corny, but I feel like he healed a part of me that was so traumatized from my first birth. I had a second successful HBAC 18 months after my first. I am planning another one in about 8 more months You can do it mama!! believe in yourself and believe in your body. __________________ Elaine, SAHM to E (11/07), J (8/09), A (2/11), and our newest blessing G (11/12)