As soon as I found out i was pregnant for the third time my mindset was:
"this really is going to be my last chance to have a vaginal birth, I HAVE to do everything I can to make this VBAC dream come true. ”
Honestly, thats how it felt, a dream. And I was being given a rare opportunity to have a dream come true. But I knew that it wouldn't be a walk in the park, I was going to have to give it my all, on every level. This is a brief quick read of my birth story…
Risk factors:
Yes I had quite a few, I think its also to point out these are considered risk factors by the NHS - I didn’t feel all of them were especially.
📌”old” (38)
📌two previous c-sections at 10cm/ full dilatation
📌GBs positive (in 2nd 7 3rd pregnancy)
📌previous GD
📌previous big babies (8.12 & 10.3)
📌2 previous nicu stays
📌previous LLETZ treatment (this is the pre cancerous cells removal from the cervix)
📌also had a massive SCH bleed week 15-19
My two previous were full dilation CS, one was a homebirth turned cascade of interventions and one was a suspected scar rupture both babies had NICU stays.
I had fairly standard antenatal care but declined:
(Everything I decline was based on extensive research into my specific circumstances.)
🚩consultant led care
🚩fundal height measurements
🚩growth scans
🚩GTT this is the standard GD test (I measured by own sugars for 5 days each month)
🚩antibiotics in labour
🚩Post natal clexane injections
🚩No sweeps or VE’s
My VBA2C Birth
(I’m no longer with babies dad so I’ll just call him C)
Labour started gently on the Sunday night with noticeable but very faint contractions.
Did school run on mon had a few but nothing major. Had a massage booked and again had quite a few during that - never more than an hour without one all day.
Tuesday morn by the time I was making breakfast was swaying and having to stop/breath.
Decided to tell C to do school run and stay home. We got the house ready. Pool up. Tens helping. Tons of bloody show. Organised for the big kids to stay elsewhere.
By 2 was fizzling out. Back to one an hour. Felt pretty gutted.
Went to bed around 10pm woken at 12 as things picked up was then up till 6am having fairly strong regular contractions. But just knew I wasn’t tipped over into full labour.
Wednesday THE SAME! Got very emotional cried that I would be in early labour for ever. Went out for lunch and did a lot of heavy breathing on my eggs… I was then up alllll night again.
Again things eased up Thursday day. I was laid in bed trying to rest as was now pretty exhausted from 4.5 days of contractions no sleep for 2 nights and I HAD A BLOODY cold come on. I was snotty and foudn it hard to breathe through my nose.
Waters went 2pm As was GBS+ knew I wanted baby to arrive within the next 18 or so hours (from my Sara Wickham research)
Things became a bit stronger and more regular although disturbed by the kids coming home. After bed time really picked up. Around 11pm started to vocalise so C called our doula. At 1am it’s all stopped again…. I was gutted. I was so tired I lay on the sofa for a sleep, convinced id wake in the morning with the kids watching Peppa Pig.
But I woke up to some mighty contractions an hour later. By 6am I was in the pool and OMG bliss. i had always wanted to experience the pool in labour and this was everything I had dreamed of. Absolute bliss. I remember thinking, as i floated about in the pool in my kitchen:
“this is one of the best experiences of my life”
C took the kids to childcare around 8am and things ramped up again. I finally felt in proper deep labour.
But then around 9am I went for a shower to mix it up and decided I was bored of labour and I wanted to go to bed. I was done.
Then I decided I wanted another CS but couldn’t face the journey to get there (hello transition) C offered me a banana for energy levels and I shouted I f-ing hate bananas at him (not true!) I started to get very pushy, but was struggling with the sensations as I was out of my deep zone. My superstar doula got me back downstairs and into the pool and my goodness that reset me. Again blissful and focused.
Everything went totally existential from there. Nothing existed except me the pool and my baby. (Who was making a very slow decent)
Being abel to feel his head was an incredible experience, though it took every bit of effort to get him down and finally, eventually… pushed and pushed and his head was born.
Waiting for the next contraction felt like an eternity. I shifted my position and accidentally bopped his head on pool floor as was waiting on next surge. thanks goodness the pools are inflated/padded!
Then I felt something come out. Thought he was fully out and had a panic as no one could see him in the pool! (Was actually just his arm out and I realised he was still half in me) Then the rest of his followed. I lifted him strait to my chest at 1016am.
I knew he was fine. He pinked up and was making little noises. His short cord was annoying AF though, I couldn’t quite bring him as high as i wanted to.
The afterwards:
I was then ravaged by terrible after pains. And felt absolutely dreadful. I had several large passings of blood which I thought were the placenta due to size.
The placenta came after 1.25hrs and I instantly felt great again. MWs were called and arrived around 1.
They estimated my blood loss around 1.1 ltr.
Unfortunately his breathing was little fast (I’d also noticed this before the mws arrived) and they found his oxygen a bit low/him a bit cold. Given my history of GBs NICU stays I agreed with the transfer, although really didn’t want to go anywhere.
Ambulance arrived before I’d even got my pants on!
By the time we arrived his temp was fine and didn’t need O2 (skin to skin in the ambulance)
No separation or NICU. So the my first time to have night one with my baby! Can’t lie was gutted to be in hospital, but I was on such a high from the birth I let it wash over me.
They tried pathwaying me for HDU care due to my blood loss but seen as my iron levels were high enough to not even need tablets I declined. I felt absolutely fine and better then after my CS’s where I’d lost about 500mls.
We stayed 2 nights when it was clear babies breathing was now ok and NO INFECTIONS we went home! Yay! We did have some back and forth with jaundice but again didn’t need to go under the lights like my first two so that felt like another win.
All in all my VBA2C was the most magical, life affirming event… the biggest high of my life. I was buzzing for months. (And I spent a lot of my 20’s seeking highs!)
I’m now super passionate about supporting others on their VBAC journey, and having experienced both a successful and unsuccessful one have a good experience of both sides
I know what a life changing experience it can be, and I want that for you as well.
I’d love to work with you towards your VBAC birth - and I have a whole range of ways we can do that, click on the VBAC button above to find out more.
Becca x
