Well today will be my first actual prenatal appointment at 17 weeks. A lot of thoughts have been going through my head lately about this baby, is the baby doing ok? the options I have, the possibility of a resident delivering this baby and cutting me open and performing his possible first c-section. I am totally freaking out to be honest. I don't like the fact that every time I am to go into the dr. I have to see a new face and tell them my story all over again, and again, and again! I really am struggling with deciding what to do with this delivery: 1- I can attempt a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) I have read a lot of material on this and I don't know if I want to do this because of the risks involved. Uterine rupture, bleeding to death, opening of the scar, the child developing brain damage and possible death if things go wrong. 2- Another cesarean. There's always risk in surgery, infection, anesthesia, and it makes each pregnancy a greater risk for me the more c-sections I have. What to do? I know I should just have faith that everything will work out for the best but at this point I am really, REALLY confused. I would have more peace of mind if my dr. Macy was the one in charge of this birth. If anyone has had a similar experience would you be willing to share what you did? Any advice, theories? I'll take it! Um that's my belly at 17 weeks :)
my friend out here just had a vbac...she went natural so she could make sure of what she was feeling and where all the pressure was. my sister-in-law has had 4 c-sections and she is fine and swears she would hate a vaginal birth...haha..i don't know. sorry to confuse you more. good luck. you look cute!
ReplyDeleteSusi!!! I'm soo sorry you are scared. You've only had one c-section, you should not be scared. There are people out there that will terrify you. But what they don't tell you is every woman, no matter if they have had a c-section or not, has a risk of a uterine rupture. People make it sound like it goes up 15% if you've had a c-section, not true. It goes up, at the most, ONE percent. What you need to do is get on this website. ican-online.org. That will give you a lot of information and a lot of advocacy. You can also probably find a support group in your area and mom's that have had experience with VBAC's. And doulas! :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you look at ACOG's website, they say that vbac's are a safe option. ACOG stands for American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Even though they are pretty dang medical, I do appreciate what they have written for all dr's and hospitals. You will see that most hospitals and providers follow the advice from ACOG. So check out this website: http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr07-21-10-1.cfm
That is their updated statement on VBAC's.
Remember that you are in the hospital and if you are being watched and cared for, you will be fine. I have never heard of a mom bleeding to death, but I've witnessed and heard of a number of VBAC's! :) My sister in law had a c-section her first baby, then went on to deliver her second vaginally, and he was 10 lbs 14 ounces. Since then she's had her second vbac. It really is okay! But please talk to me if you have any questions, or find a vbac support group. If you receive a lot of support, education, and reassurance, you will know you can do it!