not dilating

[Josh]

Hi mums, when i had my first vbac my labour was not progressing very well, and i was in a lot of pain,so i had an epidural and straight away i started to dilate, because my body started to relax and i was calm and i was actually loving being in labour, and only 30 minutes later my beautiful boy was born, it was the best, anyway i have since had another boy the same way,so maybe anyone who wants a vbac and are not dilating in labour go for an epidural, it worked for me. Good luck everyone.

jodie :yelclap:, hubby :sleeping:, kids ValentineValentine

[mishlc]

Wow, Thanks for that. Am due Sept and having VBAC, will keep in mind. Just curious, did you have a Doula at all and how was your birth experience overall with the hospital and everything? pm me if you like?.....

[Josh]

Hi mishlc, when i had my first vbac i was really scared about the scar rupturing from my previous c/s,but all was well... I didn't have a doula i dont really think they are necessary,and my hospital was fantastic they helped me through all the difficult and painful parts of labour,until i had the epidural then most of the midwives left me alone, which was good i slept a little,but honestly go for the epidural they are fantastic, especially for a vbac, i will most certainly have another one with any future births. Good luck.

jodie + hubby:hugs: +kids :kiss::kiss:

[Mamaduke]

When I was speaking with an Obstetrician in regards to having a VBA2C he told me that he wouldn't advise an epidural because the first indication of scar rupture is pain between contractions, and obviously, with an epidural, you wouldn't feel any pain.
Just something to keep in mind.

[cmd'smum]

MD, my Ob told me that the first indication of UR is foetal distress, he didn't mention anything about pain in between contractions? everyone tells you diff things! Are you planning on a VBAC2?

Well done on your VBAC Jodie :yelclap:

[mum24]

A doula is necessary if one: you only want to see one person throughout your pregnancy. She/He will come to your home if you want and will spend as much time as you need at every appointment. Unlike an Ob who is only treating your pregnancy at very rushed appointments and same Ob will say ..."you can try a vbac", a doula will say "you can vbac" and will not rush the appointments and she will get to know you on all levels; and two: a doula will also act as your voice when you are in labour and other people are still saying if's and but's and maybe's.

Scar rupture is so minimal, the statistics are less than 0.1% of vbac'ers. In fact scar rupture can happen in woman who have never had a caesarean.

There are a few remedies that can assist your progress for dialation... one is using Evening Primrose oil starting a week or two before edd. Evening Primrose oil will help soften the cervix thus making for easier dialation.

An epidural is not really a good idea though because then the control is taken away from you and this starts you on a path that maybe you didn't want. For the OP you were lucky, but for others it can lead to another surgery. It's because your control of labour is then taken away. You do need to feel what is going on and you will feel a rupture if it was to happen. The main thing to you need to be active when you are in labour. Sitting on the bed is not being active, having the belts on is not being active. You need to work with gravity when you are labouring and this is only achievable if you are upright and walking or moving about. Progress cannot happen as it should if you are being made to stay put on the bed with the belts.

An epidural is great for pain relief but then how do you know what is going on. You then have to rely on another person to tell you... "oh you are contracting now, oh you've stopped contracting now... see this piece of paper will tell you when you are contracting and when you are not".

Also an epidural is a timing thing too. It really can only be give up to a certain point or it wont take as well as it should and you will still feel the pain of labour.

At the end of the day, a healthy baby is what you are achieving here and the memory of your birthing experience. This will last you well into your elderly years. You will never hear a woman say she cannot remember birthing her children. Whichever way it happens, the best thing any woman can give her self is the best birthing experience possible.

[unhindered]

When having a vbac it is very important to choose your care provider wisely. When entering the hospy system or employing an ob it makes it that much harder to get the desired outcome for you and your baby. That is a normal natural intervention free labour and birth. With hospy's and ob's you have to deal with their policies and proceedures. Which has been proven to be a hinderance in intervention free labour/birth. How did they know you were not dilating? Were you induced? Were you stuck on a bed with monitors on you? All these things plus many more inhibit labour. What time frame did they expect your body to be dilating in, every body is different i have recently read that if a woman appears to stopped dilating then it is her body's way of giving her baby time to reposition it self better for it's journey earthside.

There are many risks involved with epidurals and the effects on mother and baby really do hinder the birth process. Not really something you would be encouraging woman who are already fighting against the system to do.

To greatly improve you chances of vbac then choosing an idependant midwife and birthing at home is really the safest option. No presure, no time frames, just relaxed labouring in your familar environment. A midwife can and does provide great support and believes in normal natural birth.

[Josh]

A doula is necessary if one: you only want to see one person throughout your pregnancy. She/He will come to your home if you want and will spend as much time as you need at every appointment. Unlike an Ob who is only treating your pregnancy at very rushed appointments and same Ob will say ..."you can try a vbac", a doula will say "you can vbac" and will not rush the appointments and she will get to know you on all levels; and two: a doula will also act as your voice when you are in labour and other people are still saying if's and but's and maybe's.

Scar rupture is so minimal, the statistics are less than 0.1% of vbac'ers. In fact scar rupture can happen in woman who have never had a caesarean.

There are a few remedies that can assist your progress for dialation... one is using Evening Primrose oil starting a week or two before edd. Evening Primrose oil will help soften the cervix thus making for easier dialation.

An epidural is not really a good idea though because then the control is taken away from you and this starts you on a path that maybe you didn't want. For the OP you were lucky, but for others it can lead to another surgery. It's because your control of labour is then taken away. You do need to feel what is going on and you will feel a rupture if it was to happen. The main thing to you need to be active when you are in labour. Sitting on the bed is not being active, having the belts on is not being active. You need to work with gravity when you are labouring and this is only achievable if you are upright and walking or moving about. Progress cannot happen as it should if you are being made to stay put on the bed with the belts.

An epidural is great for pain relief but then how do you know what is going on. You then have to rely on another person to tell you... "oh you are contracting now, oh you've stopped contracting now... see this piece of paper will tell you when you are contracting and when you are not".

Also an epidural is a timing thing too. It really can only be give up to a certain point or it wont take as well as it should and you will still feel the pain of labour.

At the end of the day, a healthy baby is what you are achieving here and the memory of your birthing experience. This will last you well into your elderly years. You will never hear a woman say she cannot remember birthing her children. Whichever way it happens, the best thing any woman can give her self is the best birthing experience possible.


Hi mum24, I personally dont think a doula is necessary, but if a woman wants one then that is obviously her choice, also with regards to epidural's, I still felt my babies being born, i felt all the pain that goes with it, because the epidural was wearing off by that time,and I do know all about pain because i have given birth 9 times,and i have used every pain option available and nothing beats an epidural for making your labour just that little bit easier.

jodie, hubby
DD Rhiannah 17
DD Biankah 16
DS Dane 11
DD Alisha 6
DD Azminah 5
DS Zahid 3
DS Zhakri 2 c/s
DS Khalid 16mths vbac1
DS Azharuddin 15wks vbac2.:sleeping:

[unhindered]

Trying to find the right words for what i want to say.

Epidurals don't make labour easier, they inhibit it and yes you would of felt a hell of a lot more pain when it wore off because your body would have stopped producing all of it's natural pain relieveing hormones because the epidural inhibits the body's production of them.


Is it not far better to educate woman on the process of labour and how the body naturally produces pain relieving hormones. If a woman is left unhurried, unwatched and undrugged then her body and baby will work together to birth the baby in the time frame that is necessary for the woman's body and baby.

Lets look at why society thinks labour is painfull. For one most woman are being induced or trying to naturally induce labour. Trying to force the body to do unatural things to birth when neither the baby or womans body is ready. Thus creating unnatural labour making it more painfull.
Two woman do not have a good understanding of the birth process and the need to totally surrender and let go to the experience. Instead woman are scared of how painfull the experience is and therefore fear creates tension which in turn creates pain.
Woman moving from the safety and familarality of their home to hospy's or birth centres, just the travel in itself is enough make the body go into flight or fight respose. Let alone hospy policy and proceedure that does not advocate normal natural birth. This is where employing a doula to help facilitate this has been proven to help woman during their births.

I just think woman need knowledge and support especially woman who are going to vbac. Woman's bodies aer not defective they do not need intervention or pain relief for labour and birth. If left well alone and with the right support labour and birth can be painless or a lot less painfull then society makes it out to be. I have expericed two undrugged natural, vaginal births both were intense but i have had far worse period pain.

[Josh]

As i mentioned in my previous post, i still felt my babies being born,and i do know what pain feels like i have experienced labour quite a few times now...nine times, and for me(maybe not for everyone),an epidural does make labour a lot easier to handle.Anyway there is another thread on epidurals for those who like to discuss this topic.:thumbsup:

jodie+family:yelclap:

[PinkBinkie]

Hi Jodie
Congrats on your new bubby :yelclap:
I have LONG labours so when and if I have a 3rd bub I would definetaly consider an epidural and maybe getting induced, just so I had some rest from the pain of contractions and some energy to put into pushing. Thanks for your tip........I don't think you meant this to be a big debate over the pros and cons of epidurals

[mum24]

Most women do have long labours. Labour can actually start two weeks before the baby is going to come out and no I'm not talking about Braxton Hicks. Unfortunately in today's society women have been so well trained in their thinking that hospital led edd is gospel and that labour is meant to be the same day the baby is born that the actual reality of the entire birthing process has been lost. This is why there are many women who end up have unnecessary medical interventions. The belief in the woman's natural ability to birth a baby has been eroded out of today's lifestyle almost forever.

[DQ]

I personally am really sick of posts like the OP being broken down into segments that certain people want to hang onto.

I feel the OP should be commended for her sucessful VBAC not once, but twice, however she managed to get to the desired outcome.

WELL DONE JODIE!!! :smiliedance:

Some women don't need educating on the process of labour and how the body naturally produces pain relieving hormones. We are not stupid. We will do what is right for us and our babies during the birthing process, we don't need to be made to feel stupid.

Congratulations again Jodie!!!!! :thumbsup: