| Author |
Messages |
|
Archived User
Posts:0
 |
| 02/20/2006 12:14 AM |
 Quote
 Reply
|
Dear Henci,
Hi,my name is Terrie,
I am a 36 year old mother of four.My first child(female) was born in April 1994.She was a natural vaginal delivery after 4 hours of labour.My son was then born in Feb1997 by an emergency C section,after a trial of labour, because they told me that he was in a posterior position.Our 3rd child(female) was born in May 1999.After a 4 hour labour the doctors decided to give me another C section because they said that she also was in a posterior position.Our fourth child (female) was then born in March 2001.With her, i had no choice but to have an elective C section because the doctors told me that i would never be able to deliver naturally again.
My new dilemma now is that our baby number 5 is due this July.And after reading about the VBAC procedure i feel that after a 5 year gap between births i should be able to try & deliver naturally again.
So far not many people in the medical profession that i have spoken to want to know about it.As they say that it is very risky.
I would really appreciate your opinion on this subject.
Should i give up searching on people who do this procedure?
Or should i just go ahead & elect on having another C section?
Thank you for your time & i'll be anxiously waiting for your reply.
Best regards,
Terrie Pappas.
Melbourne, Australia.
By: Terrie |
|
|
|
|
Archived User
Posts:0
|
| 02/22/2006 6:58 AM |
Quote
Reply
|
Your doctors are right that the risk of the scar giving way is greater with 4 prior c/secs. I'm not sure what that number would be because there are no data of which I am aware for scar rupture during labor after 4 c/secs. If I had to guess, I would say that provided labor was not induced and you weren't given oxytocin to strengthen contractions--in other words, you labored "spontaneously"--and given that 5 yrs have passed, the odds are probably less than 5%. I'm not entirely pulling that number out of the air. It's at the high end of the range found for other conditions that increase the risk of scar rupture. By comparison, in a woman with one prior transverse c/sec who labors spontaneously, odds are 0.5% or less.
However, that is not the end of the story. You are also at greater risk during another c/sec. Adhesions and scar tissue accumulate with each surgery, making repeat surgery more difficult and more likely to cause serious complications such as injury to blood vessels, bladder, or bowel. The accumulation of scar tissue with each new c/sec increases your risk of experiencing chronic pelvic pain and of bowel obstruction. The risk of problems with placental attachment and getting proper nourishment to the babies of subsequent pregnancies also goes up with each c/sec, which, again, can pose serious health risks both to the baby and you.
In short, it isn't a matter of choosing a "safe" method of delivery over an "unsafe" one. It is a matter of making an informed choice of what you feel is right for you. And while you will probably not experience problems whichever way you go, nonetheless, just in case, whichever choice you make, you would be well advised to have your baby in a hospital capable of handling the need for an urgent c/sec and that has a neonatal intensive care unit.
-- Henci By: Henci Goer |
|
|
|
|
Archived User
Posts:0
|
| 03/04/2006 10:33 PM |
Quote
Reply
|
Dear Henci,
Thank you for your advice.I have found a midwife & an obstetician who will help me with the delivery of this baby & the choice to trial VBAC. We have lined up a hospital that is able to handle an urgent c/sec if it needs to be done.I will keep you informed of my progress.
Many Thanks
Terrie. By: Terrie |
|
|
|
|
Archived User
Posts:0
|
| 03/05/2006 9:32 AM |
Quote
Reply
|
This is wonderful news! Please do keep in touch.
-- Henci By: Henci Goer |
|
|
|
|
Archived User
Posts:0
|
| 03/05/2006 9:48 AM |
Quote
Reply
|
I was reading this last post and I wanted to ask a follow-up question. My husband and I are trying for baby #3. I have had 2 previous c/sec (the first being for a footling breech and the 2nd because they "said" they were worried about rupture because I had some unexplained bleeding). Anyway, after the second surgery, ny OB said that I would have to have c/sec for any further deliveries because I had so much scar tissue from the first surgery - so much that it made it harder for the second surgery. This is all coming from my OB which I was ot happy with at all. Anyway, I know that the rupture rate for a VBAC after 2 c/sec isn't that mcuh higher than with having just one c/sec but my question is the scar tissue. My oB made it sound like the scar tissue would be the reason to have another surgery. IN your last post, it sounded like research is pointing in the opposite direction - the presence of scar tissue makes it more risky??
My lasy c/sec was in 2003 so it's been awhile but like you said, I want to choose the delivery that is the "safest". I think if there wasn't the scar tissue issue, I would have no problem "fighting" to find a provider who will allow a VBAC but I'm wondering if a VBAC would be the safest choice??
Thanks,
Sara
By: saraf |
|
|
|
|
Archived User
Posts:0
|
| 03/12/2006 2:30 PM |
Quote
Reply
|
My understanding of the consistent findings of the research is that each successive cesarean surgery has high potential for increasing the amount of adhesions, that is, internal scar tissue. Surgical adhesions make subsequent operations more difficult and more likely to result in injury to blood vessels, the bladder, or your intestines. Adhesions can also cause chronic pain and bowel obstruction from a twisted bowel. Surgical adhesions are a result of surgery. They would not develop during vaginal birth. If your ob feels otherwise, I suggest you ask to see copies of the studies supporting that opinion. Then you can make an informed choice.
-- Henci By: Henci Goer |
|
|
|
|
Archived User
Posts:0
|
| 07/25/2006 10:21 PM |
Quote
Reply
|
Dearest Henci,
I would happily like to announce that the delivery of our 5th baby came on the 17th July 2006.
We successfully attemted VBAC with No complications what so ever.
After a long & agonising 9 months to convince the dr's that after 3 c/s i was willing to take the 2-3% risk of rupture to deliver this baby naturally, it couldn't have gone any better for us.
I think that we actually left the hospital very amazed.
I thank God that He guided me to a very supportive team of people who without their support i'd probably have ended up with another c/s.After all the research we had done & the fact that my body had actually laboured 3 times before & that there was a 5 year gap between this baby & our previous c/s baby, the odds were in our favour.
It was a short 3 hour labour.And i think that it wasn't as painful as i expected(the religious drinking of Raspberry Tea,from 32 weeks, might've helped that).
As we couldn't use any drugs during this delivery i kept myself focused on my breathing, which from what i learnt, helps keep the baby from distressing.Which i feel is the most common reason why c/s are perfomed these days.
So there you go VBAC can be attemted successfully.But the only bit of advice i have for all the other ladies who would like to VBAC is make sure you do all your reasearch because the risks are still there.
Best Regards
Terrie,
Melbourne Australia.
By: Terrie |
|
|
|
|
Archived User
Posts:0
|
| 07/28/2006 11:29 PM |
Quote
Reply
|
I am SO happy for you! Congratulations!
-- Henci
P.S. I was just in your neck of the woods. I spoke at a conference sponsored by Home Birth Australia and the Maternity Coalition of Australia in Geelong on July 1-2. What a fabulous group of powerful women! By: Henci Goer |
|
|
|
|
|