So, am I in the clear to have a VBAC?  Not really.  One of my goals this pregnancy was to try for a VBAC since I never experienced real childbirth.  With Henry, I was induced, on a pitocin drip for 12 hours, yet, still never felt any true, active labor.  Heck, we weren’t even sure if my water had broke!  My belief is that I ended up with an emergency c-section because the doctor-on-call was getting off shift and just wanted my baby to come out (I checked in at 7am and delivered at 12:15am the next morning).  Even the L&D nurse didn’t concur that my baby’s heart-rate was abnormally high, but when you have emergency papers shoved in your face to sign and a doctor telling you “go,” you just bite the bullet.  The c-section was tough.  You know this when the chatty anesthesiologists get quiet.  Henry didn’t want to come out  (I attribute it to my tight abs).  But whatever the case, he had to be vacuumed up and out.  The stitching took about an hour and I was just drained afterward.  The next four days in the hospital were fine but on the evening I went home, my stitches opened up and and I had to have a visiting nurse come daily to my home for the next month to dress my scar.

Given this experience, it’s probably easy to see why I wanted to try for a VBAC (I also changed medical practices and hospitals!).  However, a VBAC still may not be in the cards.

During this pregnancy, I’ve had the pleasure of having 7 ultrasounds (plus, if I go to term – two more are scheduled).  As early as 20 weeks, we’ve been monitoring my low placenta.  The hope was that it would move up so the cervix wouldn’t be blocked and restrict a vaginal delivery.  I have been borderline on this measurement throughout my third trimester.  Today, however, although I was deemed ok with regard to the low placenta risk, I was told that there still was some placenta tissue that was not “normal” and most likely related to my first c-section.  So, what to do with this information?

I’ve decided to be practical (for me).  Unfortunately, I know personally more than a couple of moms who have had complicated deliveries that resulted in tragic or almost tragic consequences.  A key driver for me is to not to put myself in a situation where such risks may outweigh the annoyance, yet relative “ease” of my first caesarean experience.  Even after watching Ricki Lake’s “The Business of Being Born,” and concurring with a lot of what she had to say, I believe I am erring on what I know.  As a result, my doctor and I marked a date on our calendars (September 27th) for a scheduled c-section.

If, however, new baby Manty decides to come early, I’ll just have to make a decision on that day.  While I would love to hope that all goes well and I could experience real contractions and real labor (am I crazy for wanting to be in pain?), and a real vaginal birth, again, the prognosis on that day will drive the pros and cons of a vaginal vs. c-section delivery.

Are you committed to your birth plan or have you built in flexibility for “practical” circumstance?

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Learn more about birth plans by listening to PregTASTIC, Episode 33.

In this episode: Sunny (host), Kate and Patrice
Special Guests: Theresa, Owen (hubby) and Baby Jameson

Kate, Patrice, Theresa, Owen and Sunny

Owen, Theresa and Baby Jameson

In this episode: Sunny (host), Mercedes and Kerri
Special Guest: Dr. Colleen McNally, OB/GYN at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns

Resource: American College of Obstetrics and Gynocology, http://www.acog.org

A recent show we did with Dr. Thomas Moore came up in conversation, during which he spoke about VBACs including the benefits, the risks (compared to a repeat C) and why so many doctors just won’t do VBAC. After the show, I came across this recent TIME article, The Trouble With Repeat Cesareans which speaks to the “VBAC-lash” and how women are being denied the VBAC option. 

Ultimately Christina was more comfortable going for the repeat C instead of VBAC as I was. Though miniscule to some, the risk of uterine rupture was too high for me. Christina’s birthing story again reminded me how several factors along with medical risks and benefits come into play when deciding which childbirth route we take and that each of us have varied personal experiences which frame our equally valid decisions.