A week after my EDD I had a check-up and due to slightly elevated blood pressure (probably due to the fact the consultant took my blood pressure, then forgot he had taken it and argued with me when I pointed out he had already done it!) it was decided that I should be admited for an induction in the next few days. At ten days overdue, I was given the first lot of prostglandin gel, and contractions started soon after. After a cascade of interventions, being bullied into drug after drug, being hooked up to monitors, unable to move, several changes of midwives, broken waters, epidural, fetal scalp monitor, fetal blood sample, it was decided that the baby was in distress and I needed a caesarean, I had got to nine centimetres, so close and yet so far!! My little boy Harrison was born by c-section and taken straight to special care as he was slow to breathe, It was the next day before I was able to meet him and after trying to breastfeed him, with no help or support I was told by an impatient nurse that he was too big to be in special care and if I gave him a bottle I could take him back to the ward. I reluctantly agreed and luckily when back on the ward he latched on to the breast and fed well. The whole birth experience was the complete opposite to my natural, drug free, birth plan and I vowed to make myself better informed and never to repeat the mistakes of that first birth.
When I became pregnant with my second child I was determined not to end up being bullied into anything and decided to stay home for the birth which was supported by my community midwife and reluctantly agreed to by the consultant. I went into spontaneous labour in the night five days after my EDD, I was elated, I was on my way to my Vbac. We rang the midwife on call, (my midwife was on holiday) and she arrived soon after. I laboured for around ten hours, using gas and air for pain relief and after around ten hours an exam found me to be at around 5cms. Policy dictated that after ten hours the midwife had to report in to the hospital where she was told I had to transfer in as I was not progressing quickly enough. We reluctantly agreed and on arrival was examined by a consultant who told me that it was a very large baby and I would not be able to birth it vaginally but they would "allow" me another two hours. Eleanor-Rose was born by caesarean about an hour later as I made no progress once being admitted to the hospital, luckily she was not seperated from me and fed well from the start but I had allowed them to take away my hopes of a VBAC and was left feeling extremely disappointed and so so sad!
I knew I was in for a fight when, pregnant with my third child, I insisted on a trial of labour. My husband and I had, prior to getting pregnant, had an appointmant with my consultant to discuss whether I could have a pelvic scan. We were basically told I would never birth vaginally, to try to do so would be fighting nature!! We all want things we can't have, he'd like to be six feet tall but he's not, that I would end up with an emergency hysterectomy in the middle of the night when he was feeling tired! He just went on and on and tried to make us feel irresponsible, I left the room in tears. When I found out I was pregnant I refused to see the same consultant and was referred to another whom my midwife felt would be more sypathetic. He did agree to a trial of labour but under strict conditions, in hospital, monitored continuously, venflux in place dilating 1cm an hour, I agreed, anything to have a trial of labour! My waters broke five days early and I had already decided to stay home for as long as possible. I thought I was in control this time around, having read up extensively on VBAC, I had visited an osteopath to have my pelvic bones realigned (she said they were twisted and would not "corkscrew" to allow the babys head to descend), had listened to VBAC hypnotherapy tapes, but it didn't happen! My third child, Mackenzie, was born by caesarean. Basically I went into hospital after we noticed blood in my waters (we didn't know that was normal) I laboured for about twelve hours but didn't progress past 3cms, Mackenzie had turned OP sometime during labour and having had previous c-sections I was never going to be "allowed" the long labour it would have needed to birth him. My overwhelming disappointment that followed engulfed me and I was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, however I had three amazing children and they kept me going.
So there I was, pregnant with number four, and more determined than ever to achieve a VBAC. My husband and I decided from day one that the consultants were not going to bully us, we would insist on a trial of labour no matter what, we wouldn't allow them to scaremonger us! They scaremongered us! Basically, after every appointment we had, and we saw four different consultants/registrars, we were told another reason why we were threatening the life of our unborn child and my own. When they realised that we were well read on the risks of scar rupture, (and probably knew more than them) they moved on to the risks the adhesions on my scar would cause, possible damage to my bowel/bladder, needing the caesarean to be planned so a top consultant could carry it out with a general surgeon standing by to repair any damage, not being able to get the baby out etc, etc. We still stood our ground and were finally told that if we continued to insist on a trial of labour they would have to reconsider our care at the hospital as we were going against hospital policy. Again I left the room in tears and my husband left scared stiff that if there were any problems and we needed to transfer the hospital would not care for us. That was the point that I decided enough was enough and something had to change.
After researching more on the internet and speaking to various people, Mary Cronk and Debbie Chippington-Derrick amongst them, I decided to opt out of the NHS and hire independent midwives. I was never going to achieve my VBA3C in a hospital setting with midwives bound by hospital policy and nervous about my history. I didn't labour well in hospital and wanted to be able to stay home where I felt safe and in control. It was the best decision I ever made. I went into labour three days after my due date and was excited by the prospect of meeting my baby. My two midwives had been brilliant reassuring me in the lead up to this moment, and I felt calm and relaxed. I laboured on and off Monday night, Tuesday, Tuesday night, Wednesday until labour was established at around 5.30pm. We called the midwives who arrived within the hour. By this time I had got into the birthing pool and was coping well with contractions. I had always used gas and air before and had made a conscious decision that this time I was going drug free. I had used a tens machine for my pre-labour pains and found the pool offered much needed relief during the labour. I found myself being very vocal which along with the constant support of Kelvin, my mum and my midwives Lynn and Rosie, helped me through each of the contractions. I began to get a bit tearful just before 10 o'clock as I didn't think I was getting anywhere, and got out of the pool for a change of scene and to allow Lynn to do a vaginal exam just to reassure me that I was in fact dilating. On examination I was found to be fully dilated with a soft cervical lip and for the first time ever I was told I could try pushing, although I didn't feel the urge to push, this gave me the news I had been waiting for and re-kindled my determination to succeed. I sat on a birthing stool and after a few contractions of pushing, my baby's head was born, another couple of pushes, at 10.41pm the warm wet body of my perfect little baby was placed on my chest, I had done it!!! We had a look to see what we had, another little girl to complete our family. I laid on a pile of cushions where I delivered the placenta and then Kelvin cut his first cord! I cuddled up with my new daughter Lily-Ann and Harrison and Eleanor-Rose came down to meet their new sister. We opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate and my sister turned up to join in the celebrations. Rosie made me toast and then I had a shower whilst the midwives and Kelvin tidied up. Lynn and Rosie then left us to go to bed and we went up to find Mackenzie awake. After introducing him to Lily-Ann and having wonderful family cuddles, all six of us, I went to bed to gaze at the 9lb 7oz miracle that was my daughter, whom I had birthed vaginally, after being told I never would! Life was perfect and I felt absolutely amazing! The decision to go independent was totally right for us, the midwives were amazing throughout, they knew exactly which stage I was at just from the way I was behaving. I cannot praise or thank them enough! It is now two weeks since I gave birth and I am still on cloud nine! I think it will be a long while before it sinks in that I achieved my dream and even longer before I come back down to earth!!
Best decision I ever made. My recovery was quicker, I could care for my family, lift my toddler, take my eldest children to school, to little things, like being able to roll over in bed and sit up unaided. I was absolutely determined fouth time round to succeed, hindsight is a wonderful thing and I know now that the catalogue of interventions in my previous labours could have been avoided but now I have a positive birth experience to help heal what happened in the past and help me to move on. If I had not chosen a VBAC then I would have always wondered "what if?"
Home Caesarean and VBAC stories Who runs this website? Submit your story Links Submit a link