Hellobee Boards Topic: If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?

Hellobee Boards Topic: If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 11 Apr 2026 18:01:29 +0000 Rockies11 on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088908 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:27:48 +0000 Rockies11 2088908@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I had a c-section due to breech. Intially I wanted an RCS because we had a really positive experience and straightforward recovery. Then when I got pregnant again, I felt more like a vbac was the right choice, since a c-section is a major surgery and I don't really want to a major surgery again unless I have too. Here, for births following a c-section for poor baby position, they recommend a vbac rather than an rcs, so it was easy with our OB. The odds even in our scenario which is pretty much best case, the odds of success are only 60 percent, so I figure I will give it the old college try and if it doesn't work, I will feel like I did my best! I am 33 weeks and the baby is in the right position, so hopefully it will work. MrsBooks on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088850 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 15:59:35 +0000 MrsBooks 2088850@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I had a c-section in 2011 and a VBAC last year. My c-section was after 24+ hours of labor. I fully dilated, pushed for three hours, and after all of that it turned out he was stuck on my pubic bone because he was posterior. He was also 9 lb, 1 oz. My son (c-section baby) didn't start breathing on his own and had to be taken to the nursery for a few hours after delivery. I was terrified during the surgery itself because they were having a very hard time controlling/stopping the bleeding. My recovery was very hard, emotionally and physically. When I was pregnant with my second, I wanted a VBAC desperately because I was scared of having another rough c-section experience and recovery. We also planned on having three kids and there are several risks of repeated c-sections that go up with each surgery. And of course I had a 2.5 year old at home that loves to play and rough house! I switched to a new OB with my second pregnancy and she was skeptical that I would be able to have a VBAC. She felt my son's size (and my thin frame) prevented me from being able to deliver him and I wouldn't have a good chance of delivering my second pregnancy without a c-section. I had joined the VBAC facts Facebook group prior to getting pregnant and I followed a lot of the advice women on there often gave: I saw a Webster certified chiropractor, got a doula, planned a med free birth. I got my VBAC last May, and my recovery was sooo much better than with my c-section (even with a second degree tear). I think this is a really personal choice and I hope you are at peace regardless of your decision to go one way or the other. Feel free to ask me any other questions you might have :happy: OhCaptain on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088796 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 15:26:11 +0000 OhCaptain 2088796@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I had a section with my first. I was induced at 40w3d, because my midwife was nervous about size (my belly was measuring 3 weeks ahead). I ended up with a cs due to failure to progress. This time I will be attempting a VBAC, with a nurse midwife, but at an independent birth center, not a hospital. While their are docs who will do VBACs, the hospital itself is not very VBAC friendly. I will not be scheduling a RCS unless I go to 41.5 weeks. littleveesmommy on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088779 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 15:13:16 +0000 littleveesmommy 2088779@https://boards.hellobee.com/ With my first I had wanted to have a natural med-free birth but due to DD1's posterior and brow out position, 3+ hours of pushing with my midwife didn't advance her at all. The OB on call checked me and said that she was too stuck to even try vacuum extraction. I was devastated at the time that all my efforts with hypnobirthing and lasting through labor plus pushing sans meds was wasted. DD1 was born healthy and I am super grateful for that, but part of me mourned the loss of my ideal birth (in hindsight, I was being silly). When I got pregnant with DD2 I immediately had talks with my OB about a VBAC attempt. She was encouraging but warned me that if I have another big baby (DD1 was 8lb 1oz) that's posterior, I would be looking at a RCS. She pushed me to try to curb my weight gain and I got a lot of flack about nutrition throughout my whole pregnancy even though I ate super healthy. I had gained 38lb with DD1 and my OB wanted me closer to 20-25. I surpassed that at 30 weeks and assured her that's just the way my body carries a baby. I personally we never worried about my weight gain because I knew it was just my body doing its thing (I lost all my pregnancy weight within 4 months with my first pregnancy and felt great throughout my second pregnancy). With the 41 week RCS deadline looming, I began to get very anxious around37 weeks. I asked for my membranes to be swept but OB refused saying j had to wait my due date. I was at 2 cm but not effaced. At 38 weeks I was 3.5 cm and by 39 weeks I was 4 cm but still no contractions. She finally swept my membranes saying she gave me an "aggressive cervix check" on paper. Nada. I was still at 4+ cm at 40 weeks and by then I almost just mentally threw in the towel but tried to keep at it. I ended up going into labor at 40+4 in the morning. Even though I was at 4+ cm and my contractions were at 5 minutes apart, I wasn't progressing after 2 hours so my OB offered to break my waters. Within an hour of breaking my water contractions ramped up and within half hour of that, I was having contractions 1-1.5 minutes apart and so intense I couldn't breath through them. I even said out loud to my husband that I don't remember contractions ever being so painful with DD1 and my waters didn't break until 8 cm. I convinced myself that this was more painful because my OB broke my waters and I lost my mental concentration. At this same moment, my OB informed me that my contractions are too close and I am too tense, and not allowing my body to relax enough to dilate. She gave me a choice of either an epidural or drugs to slow down labor. I started crying and begged for an epidural. I didn't want to take drugs to slow it down to only have the chance of needing Pitocin if it slowed too much, which would likely lead to an epidural anyway. Prior to labor I had told my husband that even if I ask for an epidural, to encourage me to push on without unless I really beg and use the code word. Well, I ate my own words because I was begging for one but he kept encouraging me that I didn't need it. (He told me afterwards that the nurses and OB gave him the dirtiest look for pushing me not too even though I was literally begging). After another 15 minutes of me begging he began to sense I was serious so he asked "what's the code word?". HA! I wasn't even seeing straight at this point let alone remember a code word we established months ago. I kept screaming "I don't know!" and he said "it starts with M". "Mommy mommy mommy!!!", I screamed but that wasn't right. Some obscenities flew out and I demanded DH to just tell me the damn word. Meatball. The stupid code word was Meatball. So there I am, crying and screaming "meatball" repeatedly for the next 15 minutes before the anesthesiologist showers up. (DH said at this point the nurses and OB was shooting him mental daggers with their eyes lol). Within 5 minutes of the epidural I was feeling the famous sweet relief. I fell asleep for about two hours before I felt contractions again and began feeling pressure. I'm not sure if they turned my epidural down or if it died down since I never pushed the button, but the contractions started getting stronger and stronger while the pressure increased. About 45 minutes later the urge to push was insane and I requested my OB check me and I was 10 cm!!! My OB and nurse held my legs while I pushed, with my OB helping me stretch out while directing me where to push. After an hour she asked if I would like to take a break and labor down some more before we try again. I agreed and spent the next 1+ hour on my knees laboring down with a few uncontrollable pushes squeezed in there. My OB returned to the room and, this time around, my pushes were much more affective. Within an hour, DD2 was born on July 4th just after midnight!!! The instant relief was everything that I heard about and all the pain vanished. With DD1 I couldn't get out of bed until 2 days after she was born but this time around, even with an epidural, I got out of bed on my own to pee 1.5 hours DD2 was born. Such a different postpartum healing experience and I am so glad it worked out! oliviaoblivia on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088767 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 15:08:39 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2088767@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I wanted a VBAC but was a poor candidate. We scheduled an RCS for 39w5d because they wouldn't let me go post dates and my due date was a holiday. I had been having really intense bouts of contractions that would be strong enough for me to debate going to the hospital. I had my OB check again before the surgery and I hadn't dilated at all. My first section came after 57 hours of labor where I only dilated to a four and delivered a sunny side up ten pound baby. Her size and my failure to dilate gave me a 35% chance of vbac success. I was worried #2 would arrive at 42 weeks, be 11 pounds, and I'd have terrible complications from labouring with a VERY large baby only to have another section. My RCS was so much easier than my first. I kinda wonder about what a vaginal delivery would be like, but I've been lucky to have very very easy sections. The recovery from a vaginal birth of a macrosomic baby could potentially be far worse than a section. That said, #2 ended up only being 8.10lbs so maybe I could have done it after all. Good luck with your birth. It's so hard making these decisions. I wavered for days and still often wonder what could have happened if I waited longer. daniellemybelle on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088748 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 15:00:34 +0000 daniellemybelle 2088748@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I am not pregnant again but I do have another LO I have my heart set on a VBAC. I want to experience a vaginal birth and I want avoid my nighmarish recovery from last time. I also think that all the interventions of my first birth interfered with the success of breastfeeding so that's another reason I want to avoid a RCS if possible. Having said that, I do have thoughts that a scheduled RCS would be more peaceful than trying to VBAC and ending up with another C-section anyway. I would not be worn out from labor and I would have already dealt with it emotionally. Everyone who I've talked to that has had a great C-section recovery did not labor for a long time beforehand so I think that makes a huge difference. daniellemybelle on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088742 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 14:55:56 +0000 daniellemybelle 2088742@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Ash: @avivoca: Just FYI: From the VBAC Facebook group I'm in, it is very unusual to be able to have intermittent monitoring in the hospital. My midwife practice is fairly VBAC friendly, but they require continuous monitoring for all VBAC moms. I think it's pretty standard, unfortunately, although I am not sure how evidence based it is. Some hospitals have wireless/waterproof continuous monitoring which means you can move around and get in the tub or shower while being monitored, which sounds AMAZING! You might want to ask about that. Even if they don't have it, the more moms that ask about it may help them justify the investment :) All that to say, if you do have to be continuously monitored, from what I hear the best bet is just to wait as long as possible to go to the hospital so you can move around at home. You can even walk around the parking lot if you are nervous about needing to be close to the hospital! Ash on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088700 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 14:25:27 +0000 Ash 2088700@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @shellio: Oh no, rupture is definitely my fear! And my dh's! He's not super supportive of a vbac (although he would support my decision). I'd definitely want to be monitored as much as possible but I still want to be as mobile as possible. I'm just beginning to really hate that I had a cs with a ds... which I've been pretty comfortable with up until now. I don't want a RCS to be my only option. Mrs. J on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088671 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 14:06:44 +0000 Mrs. J 2088671@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Ash: PS if you want to do it, I hope your doc supports you. My mom had a C with me (I was born at 33.5 weeks), and she felt like she didn't need one. After I was born, she switched docs and had my sister and brother vaginally. shellio on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088605 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 13:32:05 +0000 shellio 2088605@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Ash: I had a C/S for breech the first time around and a scheduled RCS for #2. I really wanted to try for a VBAC and my OB was open to it. I work in OB/L&D (as I know you do or did) and spent tons of time reading all my textbooks and all the most current data I could find and none of it completely sold me either way! Since my first was breech and I had never gone into labor or stalled, I had a good chance of success so that helped convince me. I guess there was a part of me that wanted to experience labor and "real" childbirth although I don't feel disappointed at all by either of my birth experiences. My OB was very open to either option, my area is VBAC friendly so there was no pressure from her or from the hospital either way. She helped me make my choice by saying I could schedule a RCS and try for a VBAC if I went into labor before that. As she said, some people feel like scheduling at 38 weeks is right, some wait till 39, 40, etc. We had our RCS on my due date and I still sometimes feel guilty that I didn't wait a few days beyond that. The recovery after the second was more difficult for me - I've heard from many people that recovery gets easier every time so you never know what to expect. I did have a 35# 22 month old but my DH was home with me the entire time so its not like I had to do any lifting. (Except for one time when he fell off a bench and hit his head on the wall and I had him in my arms before I even realized what I was doing, ha ha.) I do plan to try for a VBAC this time around, even though I've had 2 C/S. However I'm comfortable with whatever happens. Keep doing your research and know that no matter what decision you make, you still might ask yourself what-if... Impossible to know what will happen or what would have happened! Try to be open to the possibilities, and find a provider you trust. There are some good questions here for your OB, but keep in mind that the big risk if you TOLAC is uterine rupture and if this happens while you are at home unmonitored, there is very little that can be done for baby by the time you get to the hospital. I don't say this to scare you but just keep that in mind when you consider how long you want to labor at home. Sorry to write a rambling novel :) GL with this tough decision. avivoca on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088567 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 13:09:21 +0000 avivoca 2088567@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Ash: You should ask if the hospital has tubs and would allow you to labor in the water! I took a shower during labor (my tub isn't big enough for pregnant me) and contractions definitely felt easier/hurt less in the water. Ash on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088509 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 12:31:57 +0000 Ash 2088509@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mrs. J: I'll have to pull my hypnobirthing info out from my memory! Ash on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088507 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 12:31:23 +0000 Ash 2088507@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @LuLu Mom: hahaha I hated it too but I loved it at the same time. @Mrs. J: yeah, I think that's really what it is. I don't think I'll get my water birth because I switched obs and therefore I switched hospitals and they don't do water births buuuut I never got to labor in the water last time so I won't know what I'm missing. Hahaha! I just want a second shot. Mrs. J on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088495 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 12:23:30 +0000 Mrs. J 2088495@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Ash: obviously you know I didn't have a C section, but your last thing got me :"I was dead set on having a RCS but now I feel like I'll be heartbroken if I'm told I have to have one." Is part of this feeling like your choice was taken away the first time and might be taken away again? I know you wanted a water birth before...would that be a possibility this time? I think my Bradley teacher talked about VBAC water births. LuLu Mom on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088493 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 12:22:37 +0000 LuLu Mom 2088493@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Ash: I can completely understand that, I think I would be in a very different position if I had not had the chance to experience a vaginal birth. I felt it, I tried for it, so I guess I don't' feel like I'm missing out this round since I've experienced it, even if it wasn't successful. (and not going to lie I hated it, I had back labor and was puking between each contraction) Ash on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088484 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 12:13:49 +0000 Ash 2088484@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @avivoca: I'm gonna write those questions down so I can ask them! Thanks! @LuLu Mom: I'm just not too sure big babies run in our families so part of me wonders if #2 might be smaller. DS was 9#7oz... and OP. I was dead set on having a RCS but now I feel like I'll be heartbroken if I'm told I have to have one. LuLu Mom on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088460 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 11:55:40 +0000 LuLu Mom 2088460@https://boards.hellobee.com/ So I don't fit your question either as I have decided to do a RCS, but I also had to decide if a VBAC was right for me but I wanted to give why I decided to go with RCS. My first pregnancy, I was induced due to blood pressure issues at 39+2 days. I progressed nicely, stalled out, but eventually started to push about 14 hours later. I pushed for 2 1/2 hours, and baby was sunny-side up and stuck. I got a fever, DD's heartrate went up and it was decided a C-section was needed My doctor and I reviewed my first delivery, and because of the size she was (and the size of babies my family makes, we've never had under an 8 pound baby) and the fact that I was not blessed with child bearing hips and have a narrow canal, we decided I would most likely end up again in a C-section. I had a very easy recovery with #1, I'm hoping it's the same for #2. Yes having a 2 1/2 year old at home is going to make it a little more difficult, but we've been talking about "mommy having an owie on her tummy" and I'm already working on not picking her up so I think we should be okay. avivoca on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088457 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 11:52:27 +0000 avivoca 2088457@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I don't qualify because I never had a cs, but I have a few questions. How open is your provider for allowing you to labor in different ways, like walking around with intermittent monitoring or laboring in water? Would you be allowed to labor at home before coming in? What is the policy regarding moving around after the water is broken? Does your provider/hospital require you to come to the hospital as soon as your water breaks? These are some things you'd want to know. Mrs. Blue on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088450 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 11:48:28 +0000 Mrs. Blue 2088450@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I don't technically fit your question's criteria because I didn't end up getting my VBAC, but I went to 41 weeks trying to because I really wanted it. My biggest reason is I knew the recovery would likely by much easier on my toddlers because I could do more for and with them right away. I'm just shy of 5 weeks post c-section, and I can say that I'm pretty sure that I was right about the recovery. It's been challenging to keep up with the boys and try to explain to kids too young to understand why I can't hold them for an extended period of time, etc. so I end up just doing more than I should. Good luck with whatever option you decide! Ash on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088403 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 11:25:22 +0000 Ash 2088403@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @snowjewelz: yeah, my oldest will be 18.5 months. Incision plus toddler doesn't sound as appealing as it once did. Ash on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088401 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 11:24:29 +0000 Ash 2088401@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @wonderstruck: the main reason for my c section was because his heart rate was 180 and I wasn't progressing fast enough to get him out d/t him being big and not engaging to dilate. My doctor told me I had a 15% chance of delivering vaginally because of size. @NeekieRose: that was my thinking too! I'm dreading ending up with another after laboring but I'm also dreading the recovery this time around. My 1st was a breeze but you figure I was in the hospital for 10 days while he was in the nicu and I had nothing else going on, a hospital bed!, and no other kids. snowjewelz on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088286 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 10:32:17 +0000 snowjewelz 2088286@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Ok so this is not me, but my SIL but I hope it helps... She had a c-section first time around, wanted a VBAC for 2nd just b/c she missed out on natural birth the first time, and also recovery will be tough with the older one not even being 2. She had to have a doctor that was very supportive of this, b/c she was stalling and the doctor was very open to trying different things to get her going and push for VBAC which did end up happening for her! NeekieRose on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088246 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 10:17:11 +0000 NeekieRose 2088246@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Ash: I am *still* agonizing over this! We have a plan, I had to schedule a c-section for 11 days past my due date at the latest regardless of whether or not I wanted to attempt a VBAC but I could have scheduled for as early as 39 weeks. We compromised and picked the day the surgeon who did my last c-section was scheduled past my due date. So the c-section is scheduled for 40+3, if baby decides to come before then, I will try for the VBAC, otherwise it's RCS on March 31. My c-section recovery was so easy with R, but I know there is no guarantee that it will be this time. But I dread attempting a VBAC and ending up with a RCS anyways! I feel like there is no right answer? Maybe I should be positive and think there is no wrong answer? wonderstruck on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088236 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 10:13:26 +0000 wonderstruck 2088236@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Ash: I would definitely talk to your doctor and go for it, you can always change your mind! I was pretty dead set on a VBAC, but as I was diagnosed with GD, then had to go on medication for it, then was told baby was measuring big, then started having some not so great tests at the doctor's office, it became clear that I needed to come to grips with it going either way so that I wouldn't feel too disappointed in the end. And I didn't really, a VBAC would have been nice and the RCS recovery kind of sucked, but it's still a temporary thing. I'm four months postpartum, so I'm totally healed and at the point where it doesn't really matter to me how he got out. What were the reasons for your c-section besides baby's size? I know my doctor said that the main time a VBAC is less likely to be successful is when failure to progress is one of the reasons. Ash on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088213 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 10:01:32 +0000 Ash 2088213@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @creativemomma15: love your story! Thank you! I really really don't want to recover from surgery while taking care of a newborn and a toddler. And I want to experience a "normal" birth. @wonderstruck: that's my fear! I'm so sorry you didn't get your vbac! I'm going to talk to my dr again at my next appt. wonderstruck on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088142 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 09:15:34 +0000 wonderstruck 2088142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I wanted a VBAC because I was afraid recovery from a RCS would be pretty tough on me since I had a 30lb toddler at home who couldn't even walk yet. Unfortunately I ended up needing a RCS due to issues stemming from gestational diabetes. And I was right, my recovery was awful and took forever. creativemomma15 on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088115 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 09:03:31 +0000 creativemomma15 2088115@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @ash: When I first got pregnant again, I was leaning more towards a c-section. I recovered really well from my first c-section and felt like I knew what to expect with that. Also, my first Drs appoint went terribly with the OB basically scaring us into a c-section by talking about VBACs gone wrong and all that. We decided to make the next appointment with the other OB at the practice and see what he said. That appointment was so different from the first. He was 100% in support of a VBAC for me. My c-section was because DS was breech and that's it. I actually dilated to 10cm when I was in labor with him (my water had broke and I went into labor before we knew he was breech). He recommended a VBAC because we knew I could dilate and the only reason for my c-section was because he was breech. I had the rest of my appointments with my midwife and felt really empowered and excited for a VBAC. I knew there were risks but we had the best support. I knew I would go into the hospital quickly and be monitored. I also knew they strongly recommended an epidural in case anything went wrong I was already prepped that they could do a c-section quickly. I also just prayed that if I was meant to have a RCS that baby would be breech! We also knew that they wouldn't use pitocin to induce because the contractions are harder, so I knew that if I didn't go into labor on my own that I would have a RCS, but I was okay with that. I honestly expected to go early again (DS was 36 weeks). At 38 weeks I was still pregnant and my midwife stripped my membranes. She wanted to make sure we had another shot at it at my 39 week appointment if it didn't work at 38 weeks. Well, 24 hours later I was beginning labor and within 4 1/2 hours I was fully dilated and pushing. Pushing took me 1 1/2 hours and honestly it took me a little bit to figure out how to push most effectively. But, all went well and there were no problems and DD was born healthy via VBAC. :) It was completely different from DS's birth! I got to hold her right away and she never left our side! (DS was a NICU baby) I did tear some, but recovered very well again. I am so glad I had a VBAC and will definitely try it again for any other babies we have. Sorry for the novel, but I love sharing my VBAC story and having these discussions. If you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask. And most importantly, you have to be comfortable with your decision! If a RCS is for you, then go for it! If a VBAC is for you and you feel the support to try, then try it! Ash on "If you had a vbac, what solidified your decision?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-vbac-what-made-your-decision#post-2088054 Fri, 27 Feb 2015 08:12:42 +0000 Ash 2088054@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I was dead set on a RCS but the more I think about it, the more I'd like to deliver vaginally. I ended up with a cs for multiple reasons and one of them was baby's size. My ob made it sound like my chances of delivering via cs are higher than delivering vaginally. If you had a vbac, how did you decide not to have another cs? And how did it go?