when to go to hospital?

[monkeytoes]

Hiya,

I am going to VBAC for this pregnancy, and although my OB is supportive of me, the hospital have a few policies in place. They say I have to come to hospital as soon as I am in labour. Just wondering have any of you been told this and ignored it?? I am tempted but at the same time I don't want to put my baby (or my) life at risk.

I'd like to saty at home until I can't bear the pain anymore.

[~Emmylou~]

When mum's are attempting a VBAC in hospital they like to have alot of control ;)

The reason they want you in there as soon as you start to labour is so that they can clock watch - they have very definite ideas about how quickly they want you to "progress". And if things don't happen according to the timetable you're likely to end up with all sorts of interventions and even pressure to call the whole VBAC thing off altogether in the worst case scenario.

I know of a few mums who have VBAC'd and stayed at home as long as possible. I also know of one or two who promised they would go in and didn't and "accidentally" birthed at home.

This is entirely up to you, it's really a matter of how comfortable you feel and how much confidence you have in yourself. There is no right or wrong way, but you don't have to do everything the hospital's way either.

I'm sure you've done your research and you know already what the stats are for the safety of VBAC. You're not likely to encounter any dramas staying at home, but it depends on your comfort level. Only you can decide that, go with your heart.

All the best for your birth and I hope it goes well :)

[my_lot]

hi monkey toes

i had a vbac 5 months ago and i was also told to call as soon as labour started and then come straight in.

i decided long before that to stay at home as long as i could and so i did.

id had 2 v/births before my c-sect so i was pretty happy to have and manage the first stage of labour at home- i felt like id just know when was the right time to go in...and also that way i had no monitoring flat on the bed, no intervention no time limit.

when i did get there i let them monitor for 30 min then i was in the shower for ages then standing. the midwife knew my wishes and stood behind me with the monitors on my belly when she needed to.

i always knew id be ok with it at home and if it went all too quickly i would have just got dp to call an ambo!

[SassyMummy]

I've decided that when the times comes for my VBAC, I'll be having it at home... but that's only a recent thing... for ages I figured I'd do it at hospital.

No matter what "hospital policy" stated, I was going to stay at home for as long as I possibly could. When I got in, I'd happily fib about how long I'd been in labour for... because I'd want them to give me as much time as possible, not some measly amount that would likely have me on my back getting cut open again.

Any problems, no doubt they'd have my on a monitor anyway, so I wouldn't be concerned.

If I were you, I'd just stay at home for as long as possible.

[mum24]

You have to understand that the hospital will have their policies in place as a guideline for themselves to work by. What they fail to communicate is that they a run purely by schedule (the doctors mostly) and that if your labouring is taking up too much of their time they will put the pressure on you to hurry up. How are you going to hurry up? You can't, it's up to your baby and your baby has no concerns for hospital policies. If this was so then all babies would be born exactly by text book!!! So, because you are not hurrying up and getting on with the birthing, a caesarean will then be mentioned and you'll be given an end time to birth by or else! The "or else" is the then inevitable c-sect.

So, and providing all is well with you and your pregnancy, if you can it's best to labour at home for as long as possible.

My experience... when I began true labour with my vbac baby, I too rang the hospital. The midwives said "to not come in until I couldn't stand the pain anymore".

It's best to go with what you will feel comfortable with. Even if you decide to go in when the hospital suggests, you need to own this labour. Take as much control with it as you can. Everyone else can only watch and support but it's you that's experiencing your labour, so it's you that ultimately is in charge.

All the best and
Let Your Birthing Goddess Roar.

[mishlc]

Just to crash this thread, i have been told the same thing and have decided too to delay hossy as long as i can....anyway, Ihad to sign off on a VBAC form and noticed it says fluids will be restricted and an IV will be put in place for just incase.
I don't want this as I think it will make it too easy for them to do unnec interventions and I want to avaoid all intervention at all costs, so do you think I should discuss this with the Drs to not have the IV?

[kadownie]

I'm going to let my Midwife/hospy know when I'm in established labour- and then go in when I feel the time is right- not letting the hospy dictate my labour!

You will know in yourself if you don't feel safe, or something is wrong- trust yourself!!

My hospy has the same policy= but my MW knows I won't be in until the very end.