To have a repeat caesarian?

[CHARLIEandNOAH]

Hi - I am 15 weeks pregnant and doing my research early .. This i my second pregnancy and I would love to hear from people that have had a repeat caesarian or VBAC and their experiences. I would also appreciate any good websites with regards to helping me make an informed choice - either way .. Also just with regards to "booking" in for a caesarian, at how many weeks is this generally done and do you get to choose the date or possible dates? I am having my baby at the Mercy Hospital for Women (Melbourne) ..

Thankyou for your time ..

[Chicco25]

Hiya,

I have had 2 c-sections and I found my second one a peice of cake compared to my first - I think its knowing what to expect.

In regards to booking your c-sec - With my first I found out at 38 weeks that it was going to be difficult giving birth vaginally so I was booked in 2 days later. With my second my OB booked me in at 19weeks and I had no choice in date, with my miscarriage my OB had me booked in at 7weeks and she let me choose the date.

So i think it depends on your OB. If you are going public then I have no idea.

Best wishes and good luck with your pregnancy

Anita

[becca74]

Hi

I had a hospital vbac and then after a failed 2nd vbac, I had a homebirth after 2 caesareans (hba2c), and the best place I found for information on vbac and planning positive c/sections was Birthrites:

www.birthrites.org

also, check out: http://www.ican-online.org/
and http://homepages.picknowl.com.au/caressa/

hope you have a beautiful birth no matter what you decide to do

[SassyMummy]

Hi!

Check out the VBAC section of the forum for alternate advise... there's PLENTY of stuff in there about VBAC...the how-tos, the positives, the statistics and medical research, as well as VBAC birth stories.

www.birthrites.org is a support network for VBAC, and has plenty of info, as well as a support network (support groups and such, as well as forums etc).

I want to have a VBAC, simply because I really felt ripped off by having a c-sec, I didn't experience labour, I didn't experience any of that stuff I had fantasized about experiencing. I can't help you much in regards to electing a c-section, because I'm not going to go down that path again.

Generally speaking, homebirth is the best way to acheive a successful VBAC, because it's midwife-based, and there's nobody there to put you on any sort of time restrictions. There's no intervention (induction, which can cause uterine rupture, or forceps or any such thing), and you're supposedly in a comfortable environment. It's not for everyone (it's not for me), but often homebirths are more successful VBAC-wise.

Depending on where you live, Birth Centres are a great way to VBAC as well... but not everywhere has them available to VBAC mothers-to-be because they're deemed as "high risk."

Public Hospitals are often more likely to give you the go-ahead for VBAC, because they're generally midwife-based, rather than OB-based (as in Private Hospitals)... and because midwives believe in a more 'natural' approach to childbirth, whereas OBs are surgeons, and therefore take a more medical standpoint in regards to birth. Of course, public hospitals have OBs as well, but your primary care is often from midwives.