https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 04 Apr 2026 16:15:16 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2303940 Mon, 28 Sep 2015 09:56:34 +0000 shellio 2303940@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@alleyflowers: I'm so glad to hear your recovery has been going well! Thanks for the update! I had two scheduled CS and was convinced I would try to VBAC with this third but because RCS is safer for baby, that tipped the scales for me and I'm having a CS next week. Sounds like you made a great decision! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2303309 Sun, 27 Sep 2015 10:15:45 +0000 birdofafeather 2303309@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@alleyflowers: congrats on your son and so glad to hear you have had a positive experience! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2303036 Sat, 26 Sep 2015 16:29:10 +0000 ChelseaRose 2303036@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@alleyflowers: So glad to see such a positive update. I'm currently facing the same decision and if this baby isn't born this weekend, then I'll be having a RCS next week. I was also not conscious for my first one and husband was not in the room, so hearing the difference in the experience makes me much more at peace with the idea of a RCS. I hope your recovery continues to go well! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2303015 Sat, 26 Sep 2015 15:45:13 +0000 Woolly Mammoth 2303015@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Congratulations! I had a very positive c-section experience with my first even though it was an "emergency." My recovery was a breeze. Hoping the same for you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2302962 Sat, 26 Sep 2015 13:42:05 +0000 alleyflowers 2302962@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shellio: also, my milk came in way faster this time around... Day three vs day five or so. Probably due to less pain! :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2302961 Sat, 26 Sep 2015 13:37:41 +0000 alleyflowers 2302961@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shellio: My son was born Monday morning via RCS. I had my cervix re-checked the Friday before and there was still no effacement and maybe a fingertip of dilation. My DR was on call over the weekend so it was decided that if I went into spontaneous labor over the weekend we would roll with it - otherwise an OR was booked for Monday morning. Friday afternoon I started to get some mild contractions but they never got regular or painful. It was cool to feel - since it was my first experience with contractions. I walked a ton, but no luck on the labor front. </p> <p>It was a difficult decision to make. My Dr told me i statistically had a 70% chance of having s successful VBAC - but I could be in labor for a few days with an indution. He said that C-Section was very marginally safer for baby and VBAC was marginally safer for me. I think what ended up swaying me was the thought of laboring for days to end up with a C-Section.</p> <p>My RCS experience was WAY better than my first. For my first, I was under general anesthesia and my husband couldn't be in the OR. This time I was awake (spinal didn't hurt at all!) and my husband even got photos of him coming out of the womb. My Dr sang happy birthday to him and I got to hear his first cry and see him right away. My first cs was accompanied by abdominal surgery so I had a vertical incision on my skin (transverse on uterus). This time I had a transverse incision. The recovery has been 1000% easier. It's so much easier to get out of bed, my pain level has been so much lower. The first time I couldn't eat solids for over a week and I was throwing up a lot. This time I ate some solids for dinner the day he was born and didn't have much nausea. The first time I had staples that opened and my incision was oozing/bleeding even after I was discharged. This time my incision seems so small and hasn't bled (knock on wood) since early day 2. If I had known it would have been this much easier than the first one, it would have made my decision easier. </p> <p>The only weird thing is having another scar. The scar from my first is huge, dark and crooked. It's very visible when I'm wearing s bathing suit. I was worried that with a transverse incision it would look like an upside down cross on my stomach.... But thankfully it's more of an "anchor" shape. Ha. I am pretty confident this one will fade and be so much less noticeable than the other so all in all I don't mind the new scar.</p> <p>One thing I am really happy with is that I waited to do the RCS. My first son was born at 38weeks6days and was 6lbs13oz. This guy was born at 40weeks5days and was 8lbs8oz. I'm glad he had the opportunity to have the extra time to grow in there. </p> <p>So far I haven't had any regrets..... It was so great to get advice from y'all and shared experiences. It helped me to make my ultimate decision. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2302808 Fri, 25 Sep 2015 23:22:55 +0000 shellio 2302808@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@alleyflowers: Update for us? This is a tough decision - I still second guess my decision for RCS at 40 weeks with my second. But I have two beautiful healthy kids, what more could I ask for! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2293123 Thu, 17 Sep 2015 07:02:50 +0000 daniellemybelle 2293123@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a C-section and when I have another LO I want to try for a VBAC.</p> <p>I would try to go as long as possible but I wouldn't do an induction. I would try to schedule the RCS for 41 weeks + 1 day - and get walking/bouncing/sex having :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2292687 Wed, 16 Sep 2015 15:34:14 +0000 Astro Bee 2292687@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yeah, it made sense that for that last hour before the epidural came that it hurt like hell. I was seriously shaking through the contractions. I thought I just had a poor tolerance for pain, thinking that I was only 3 cm or so, but hurting so much. I didn't realize until after that I was transitioning!</p> <p>Still, I'm glad that I got to experience labour and a vaginal birth, and the epidural was seriously amazing! My mom told me the story of being the last one to find out (hours later) that she was having a girl (me) and then a boy, because she had two c-sections and was completely under for them (it was the early 80s); the first was an emergency and the other was a RCS. It might have tainted my view, but I was happy that I was so alert and able to hold my baby right away (well, 9 mins after birth, bc he had an initial APGAR of 2, then a 9 at 5 mins).</p> <p>ETA: I know c-sections and RCSs are done differently nowadays, and that you aren't usually knocked out for them anymore. Just wanted to share where I was coming from. Good luck with your decision! As long as mama and baby are healthy and happy, there are no bad decisions! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2292646 Wed, 16 Sep 2015 14:38:02 +0000 Mrs. Pickles 2292646@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@alleyflowers: wishing you luck!<br /> For what it's worth.. I had a super traumatic induction experience resulting in c section </p> <p>so for this one I chose RCS and it went great, honestly wonderful experience, and easier recovery this time around :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2292595 Wed, 16 Sep 2015 13:48:49 +0000 alleyflowers 2292595@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you everyone for the advice! I'm going to wait and get re-checked on Friday. If no progress, I'll schedule RSC for the next week. That will give me some time to go into labor on my own (my doctor doesn't usually let patients go past 41 weeks). I don't think I want to induce without a favorable cervix... but I want to give my body time to try to have this baby spontaneously.</p> <p>@Rockies11: I heard the recovery from a broken tailbone is BRUTAL... I cannot even imagine! Thanks for sharing your experience. I agree that it's impossible to know what your experience will be with birth - it's so unpredictable... that makes it hard to make these decisions.</p> <p>@Astro Bee: That's a fantastic birth story!</p> <p>@travelgirl1: That's a big baby! My first was less than seven pounds.... I can't even imagine 10+lbs! That would definitely be hard to deliver!</p> <p>@ElbieKay: I've heard a lot of things about acupuncture... that may be something to try!</p> <p>Again, everyone, thanks for the advice, tips, well-wishes and shared experiences! :grin: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2292495 Wed, 16 Sep 2015 12:46:03 +0000 ElbieKay 2292495@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was pretty overdue -- my son wound up born at 1am on 41+4 -- and REALLY did not want an induction because I was completely paranoid about the cascade of interventions. (I am terrified of medical stuff, so I wanted to avoid as many interventions as possible. This had nothing to do with ideology.)</p> <p>Anyway, when I was overdue, several people told me to try acupuncture. I rolled my eyes for awhile, and then I got desperate and made an appointment for an induction treatment. My water broke 5 hours after I left the appointment, and my labor started 4 hours after that.</p> <p>I will never know if that helped, or if I would have gone into labor naturally anyway, but if I am ever in that situation again I will definitely get another acupuncture treatment! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2292004 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 21:52:40 +0000 Rockies11 2292004@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@alleyflowers: on the upside, either way it won't be as bad as recovering from birth and being hit by a truck! </p> <p>My understanding is the overall risk to you is less with a VBAC, all things considered. I had a great recovery and very little pain from my scheduled c-section. With the very long manual induction VBAC, I wasn't in terrible pain for very much of it - just a few hours of active labour pre-epidural. The manual part was just uncomfortable, really. The main problem with the length was that I was extremely exhuated by the time pushing rolled around. However, I had a bad birth/recovery because of factors related to me and baby like baby's huge head and my little pelvis, which resulted in a vac assist, third degree tearing and a fractured tailbone. All that had nothing to do with the induction, though! The only thing that happened that was painful that was related to it being a VBAC was that I retained some placenta and they couldn't give me more pitocin to get it out so they had to manually extract it. </p> <p>I think it's really hard to make this decision because it's impossible to know so many things in advance of them happening. And hard to know if you made the right decision, since you don't know how it would have gone if you went the other way! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2292000 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 21:42:22 +0000 Ash 2292000@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd wait a bit. I'm so happy my dr let me vbac (augmented my labor with AROM). It was an experience I'll never forget. That being said, if your cervix isn't favorable, I'd opt for the rcs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2291980 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 21:13:24 +0000 travelgirl1 2291980@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would wait a bit. I ended up waiting ten days over my due date to see if I would go into labour with my second (I didn't, not a single contraction). At that point my doctor agreed with me that a RCS was the best choice. And thank god, baby was 10lb 2oz, so a vbac could have been very problematic for me. I do want another baby, but the OB who performed the surgery said I should be able to have another c-section no problem.</p> <p>I will say that recovery was much, much harder this time though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2291878 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 20:01:04 +0000 ChelseaRose 2291878@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you want a vbac then I'd wait longer (currently waiting for the same thing), but personally I'd choose to have a RCS over an induction vbac. However, my view is based on having a really traumatic induction with my first child, which resulted in a cesarean. I'm sure your recovery this time will be much easier because you won't also be recovering from a major car accident. I hope your body goes into labor ASAP! Good luck, mama. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2291867 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 19:51:23 +0000 Astro Bee 2291867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd wait if you'd really like to try VBAC, if there is no medical reason to induce, and it sounds like there isn't. As for dilation/effacement, some people go weeks being 3 cm dilated, while others don't dilate until starting labour. I was the second case, and showed up at the hospital after a couple of hours of steady, close contractions, with my water broke, only to find out that I was 0.5 cm dilated, but fully effaced. I was at 2.5 cm an hour later, and an hour after that I was fully dilated, right before my epidural arrived! I was 40+3 weeks, and baby was born after 12 hours of labour in total. </p> <p>While I was wanting baby to come sooner than he did, my OB said that it's better to let labour start on its own. They only induce here at 41+3, so a few more days won't hurt, as long as both you and baby are healthy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2291813 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 19:03:50 +0000 shortcake 2291813@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There are several very important risks from surgery. If you want a vbac for any reason, give it a few more days or a week. As long as there are no complications, it is in almost every case an easier recovery and safer than surgery. If you don't give your body the chance to go into labor on its own, you will never know. There is really no downside to waiting a little more. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2291509 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 12:43:53 +0000 alleyflowers 2291509@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Rockies11: Thanks for sharing your experience - that is very helpful. I am not sure if I am prepared for the physical pain of multiple days of labor! My recovery from my first c-section was pretty tough because (I literally) had been hit by a truck. I know this time around would be less painful. I may be done with kids at #2 - but if anything, I am not planning on having more than three children. My doctor assured me that the biggest risks for C-sections occur at #4 and after. I guess there is no pain free way to birth a child! I'm not sure what my motivating factor for having a VBAC is (I was always a little on the fence about it). I figured it may be less risky than going through surgery again. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2291508 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 12:43:43 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 2291508@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would definitely wait it out. There's no reason to think you won't go into labor on your own. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2291504 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 12:39:03 +0000 gingerbebe 2291504@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would go with an RCS. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2291496 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 12:35:01 +0000 Rockies11 2291496@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@alleyflowers: I was in the same situation with my VBAC, except I was 41 weeks, lol. Baby was high, cervix was closed and very high and thick. I opted for a manual induction with a foley bulb, then they broke my water and augmented with a small amount of pitocin. It was ultimately successful, but it took a lot of days. </p> <p>I have a lot of thoughts on RCS versus VBAC. In my situation, I had a CS for my first because she was breech, and I wanted to have 3 or 4 kids so on balance, the safest choice was a VBAC and it had a good chance of success. I might have made a different decision if those factors were different. </p> <p>Also for what it's worth, my VBAC recovery was significantly more difficult than my CS recovery, which I was not prepared for. So a VBAC isn't neccessarily a magic bullet for an easy recovery with a toddler to take care of!</p> <p>Ultimately I am glad I had the VBAC, if only because I was really curious about vaginal delivery and now I know! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2291492 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 12:34:33 +0000 2PeasinaPod 2291492@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@alleyflowers: Ah...so had you not had the car accident, you could have had a vaginal birth. Makes sense. I'd definitely wait it out then if your hope is to have a VBAC. Unless the baby is in distress, I don't see any reason to make it move along faster! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2291491 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 12:34:29 +0000 jh524 2291491@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@alleyflowers: I would definatley get the c section!!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2291485 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 12:28:39 +0000 alleyflowers 2291485@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@2PeasinaPod: Thanks for the hope! :) I got into a car accident with my first at 38weeks6days. I had some internal bleeding so they had to deliver the baby then (he ended up being very healthy).</p> <p>Thanks everyone for the advice! I'm really anxious to get this pregnancy over - but you all are echoing what I do think probably makes the most sense. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2291481 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 12:25:55 +0000 2PeasinaPod 2291481@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Why did you have an emergency C-section the first time around? Did he go over your chances of having a successful VBAC if you go into spontaneous labor vs. needing pitocin?</p> <p>I would wait it out...see how you are on Friday. I went from being totally closed and not at all effaced on a Monday to active labor Tuesday night, so it's certainly possible. I was 39+5 the night I went into labor on my own. So there's still hope! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2291473 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 12:21:35 +0000 avivoca 2291473@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd check on Friday, but in the meantime, walk a ton if you can. My midwife also said squatting/bouncing on a birth ball could help too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2291470 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 12:19:51 +0000 Truth Bombs 2291470@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would check on Friday and unless you're showing signs of readiness I would just opt for the RCS. Pitocin with a closed cervix is not a good combo. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/due-date-tomorrow-vbac-vs-rcs-what-would-you-do#post-2291465 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 12:18:07 +0000 alleyflowers 2291465@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My due date is tomorrow and I just got back from a doctor appointment. He checked my cervix and I am not effaced or dilated at all (I knew before he told me because I haven't had any contractions and it HURT when he was checking). This is my second pregnancy. My first was born via emergency C-section before I went into labor.</p> <p>My doctor has been very supportive of my choice to pursue a VBAC. He said I have two options at this point, he can re-check on Friday and schedule an induction for early next week or he can schedule a repeat C-section. My dr is willing to induce using Pitocin for a VBAC, but said he cannot use cervical ripening agents. I got the impression that if my cervix is not favorable by that time, the induction may not go well. My biggest fear is to go through a long and painful labor that results in a C-section. </p> <p>Part of me is leaning towards the RCS because I know what to expect and I'm worried that if I don't go into spontaneous labor, I'll end up with one anyways. What would you do? </p>