With your VBAC labor, when did you call your MW/OB?

[Zoethink]

I am planning a VBAC with a MW in a hospital in April. At my last appointment the MW said I should come into the hospital when contractions are 5-7 min apart, so that I can be monitored. I don't have any special health concerns, and am considered a low risk VBAC candidate, if that makes sense.

I was planning to follow the Bradley guidelines and go to the hospital when I was 5cm (not that I know how to tell when that is! ), And/Or when I can't talk through contractions any more. So 5-7 min. apart sounds a bit early to me, but I don't have any other labor to compare it to. I understand her concerns, but I am also concerned about being put on the clock, and or the hospital environment being stressful and affecting labor. I am now thinking about erring on the side of 5 min, rather than 7 min.

When did you go to the hospital? Did your transport affect how your labor was progressing? How long were you there before baby came?

Thanks!

[umphreysmommy]

I had a home birth VBAC do I didn't "leave" and I had a really weird labor. My first contraction hit and the next one was 5 minutes later. After that they were 2 minutes apart for 30 seconds the rest of the day. I called my midwife to let her know after maybe 6 contractions at 2 min apart but she said to call back later when things got more intense. Maybe 2 hours later my water broke so I called back to update and they came at that point.

All of this to say every labor is different so you will have to go by when you feel it is time (not being able to talk through them is good) do you have a doula? She would be able to help you at home and help determine a good time to leave while working through your contractions.

[Zoethink]

Thanks for sharing your story! Even though you had a home birth and a weird labor, it helps to hear what other's have experienced!

I have not hired a doula, as I am pretty sure we can't afford it. However, my mom is a doula and birth class teacher. She is planning to be here when the baby arrives. Of course, timing that is tricky as well, but I will definitely be able to have her on call, so to speak.

[eljube112]

with my first vbac, I had about 15 minutes of contrax that I had to breath through while we were playing a board game and my sister said if I had to stop the game to have a contraction then it was time to call the m/w.

I called at 11, she was there by 11:15 and he was born at 2:20.

My second vbac, she called ME and asked if I was having any contractions and if I wanted her to come over. That was about 5pm, she broke my water at 845 and she was born at 954.

My third vbac I timed contractions for just less than an hour. I didn't want to call until I was sure because it was 2am, but I started shaking like during transition, and after one especially painful contraction I woke up dh and had him call. she arrived at 230, he was born at 409.

[oregonmom]

My first VBAC was with a midwife at a birth center and they really did not put me on a clock. Looking back I went there too early, but I went when I could no longer walk through a contraction. I was then labored there for almost 30 hours, stalled out for about 2 hours and then pushed for almost 3 hours.
My second VBAC was a lot faster.

[shan1212]

My labor came on hard and fast too. (And I didn't have anything to compare it to because I was induced for no reason with my first). I went into labor after walking 3/4 of a mile to a children's play place. I thought we would stay, play a little, walk home, and then see how far apart my contractions were. As fate would have it, my DH, doula, and MIL were all there with me. In the ten minutes it took me to register that I was having contractions and dowload a contraction timer app (download yours now!), I discovered they were 1-3 minutes apart and I was no longer able to talk through them. MIL drove me home, then DH drove me to the hospital. When we arrived (about 90 minutes after my first contraction) I was at 8 cm. So there went my plan for waiting to call and go in . . .

I guess it's just one of those things where if you have to ask if you're in labor or if your contractions are "hard enough," then you're/they're not. You know when it's the real deal!

[Katie Mae]

I started having contractions in the middle of the night about 5 min apart, but didn't want to wake our 14 month old daughter, so we waited until about 8 in the morning to take her to Grandma and Grandpas and then went to the hospital. I'd been having the contractions regularly, all night 5 min apart. (Some were closer, but mostly that is what they were.) We went in because I was a little freaked out about having a VBAC, even though I really wanted it, and I wanted to be monitored. Well, my contractions tapered off between 9 and 10 and were basically non existent. So they gave me pitocin around 5 or so. Which forced me to have an epidural (I couldn't handle the contractions after that) and I was able to finish dilating and have my VBAC at 8pm. Now that we are pregnant again, I'm determined to wait longer to go in, I would prefer to not have to have pitocin again. But I also recognize my "ideal" (like no epidural) may not fit my reality, and since I will be attempting a second VBAC, will also be cautious.

[ambie719]

With my first vbac I went in once the pain got to be too much, which was pretty early because he was posterior. I was also gbs+ so I knew I needed antibiotics. My contractions started at around 1 am, we got to the hospital around 5-5:30, got my epidural at 7 ish, started pushing around 9-9:30 and he was born at 11:07 am. It was about 10 hours all in all and about half what my first labour was (yes I laboured for 20 hours and ended up with a c-section). My second vbac was a LOT faster and very very different than my other 2 labours.

[ambie719]

With my first vbac I went in once the pain got to be too much, which was pretty early because he was posterior. I was also gbs+ so I knew I needed antibiotics. My contractions started at around 1 am, we got to the hospital around 5-5:30, got my epidural at 7 ish, started pushing around 9-9:30 and he was born at 11:07 am. It was about 10 hours all in all and about half what my first labour was (yes I laboured for 20 hours and ended up with a c-section). My second vbac was a LOT faster and very very different than my other 2 labours.

[jamiejo]

We went in pretty early. DH was just more comfortable there. I started contracting around 9 on a Saturday night. we went to the hossy to get checked out around 9-10 the next morning. I was only about a 2, but having steady cntx about 5-7 mins apart. they actually stayed 5-7 my whole labor, until transition. Anyhoo, they sent us home after an hour of walking, but the nurse said, i think this is really it, you just need to eat something, and go home. She told DH to bring me back when I had to really work to get through one. I had back labor so it was painful the whole time. We went back to the hossy about 7:30 that night and I was a 4.5 and they checked us in. I labored all night, baby was born at 6:47am Monday morning. 32 hours of labor. This time, I fully intend on waiting it out at home MUCH longer. I was fine at home last time, but our sons birth was extremely traumatic and DH needed to be where he felt was safer. And I was alright with that.