Tag Archives: C-section

a VBAC, we did it

Tue 08.09.2011

When I delivered my first little girl in 2009 my plan was to have a natural child birth.  I went in determined to make this happen, but after 19 or so hours of grueling labor things didn’t go according to my “plan.”   I ended up having a Cesarean (C-section) despite all my efforts in trying to avoid one.  It was an exhausting experience and not what I may have wanted, but thankfully we had a successful and healthy arrival of little Adeline – you can read about my first delivery experience HERE.  So when we got pregnant with our second, I was bit apprehensive about delivery.  Should I just schedule another C-section?  Do I try a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)?  Will my doctor allow me to even try a VBAC?

If possible, I did not want another C-section.  My recovery was horrible . . . I couldn’t sit up for several days, function without prescription pain medication and tasks such a breastfeeding, laughing, coughing were all very difficult.   Truth be told I also felt a bit cheated, I wanted that experience of having a “normal” delivery.  I wanted to be able to immediately hold my little girl in a hospital room as opposed to an operating room and have the opportunity to do skin to skin as soon as she was born.  I have heard from others that they had a wonderful (well at least a not so bad) C-section experience, but that was not the case with me.  Regardless of the method I would just be thankful for a safe and healthy delivery, BUT if I could have a choice, I would prefer not to go through major abdominal surgery again.  I find it surprising that many moms, including celebrities, are given an opportunity to choose a method of delivery and (MANY) are opting to have a C-section for convenience rather than a medical justification.  C-sections in reality are a riskier choice for mom and baby.  Many don’t realize that they actually have more harmful medical effects over a vaginal birth.

Studies state that even if a mother has a C-section with the first pregnancy,  attempting a vaginal child birth with future pregnancies can be very successful.  The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists came out with an updated list of guidelines (July, 2010) stating that not only women with one previous C-section could attempt a VBAC, but women with up to two previous C-sections, women carrying twins and women with an unknown uterine scar.  A VBAC has it’s risk, but definitely not any more than a C-section.  In fact, a successful VBAC has fewer complications than a elective repeat C-section.  Unfortunately, VBACS are not the norm in hospitals.  Despite the positive findings, the majority of doctors and hospitals do not encourage VBACs -  if they even allow them at all.  It is easier for the medical practitioner and hospital to perform another C-section than attempt a VBAC – but sometimes you have to ask who’s best interests do they truly have in mind?  Cesareans are at an all time high in the United States.  Doctors are too quick to preform them and mother’s are not fully informed of the risks involved in a C-section or the benefits of a vaginal birth.  C-sections are a life saving medical procedure for both mom and baby, but should be done at the right time for the right reason.

So what do I do?  I knew that I wanted to at least try a VBAC.  I discussed this with my midwife (I attend a medical midwife/doctor practice) and the plan we came up with was to schedule a C-section right at the end of my pregnancy (the day after my due date) and if I would go into labor naturally prior to this date – I could try a VBAC as long as there were no major complications.  Still vividly remembering the complications I had with my first delivery, I wasn’t overly hopeful, but it sounded like a good plan to me.  As the months progressed I had myself convinced that I would definitely go into labor early this time (I was 3 days late with the first one), which would mean a smaller baby and hopefully a better possibility of a VBAC.  But before I knew it I was VERY pregnant . . . and despite running after a 2 year old and participating in lots of outdoor adventures . . . my C-section was scheduled in 2 days and there was no sign of this baby coming out.  Ugh, I was so anxious about it, knowing that I had a scheduled surgery to deliver my baby was nerve wrecking to me.  I remember staying up the evening of June 19 stressing about the pre-op appointment I was to have the following morning.  I was just praying that whatever was going to happen with this delivery, C-section or not, that God would have his hand on it because it was out of my control (but to at at least allow me to go into a labor on my own and for this baby to come out when she was good and ready!)

Well, the next morning I woke up my husband around 6 AM with contractions and by 7 AM we were heading to the hospital with contractions minutes apart.  My midwife came in, examined me and said that the baby was a lot lower and in a better position than my first one was – I got the green light on the VBAC if I still wanted to try it.   But then there was the pain, the excruciating pain… ugh, labor sucks.  I was vividly recalling my previous 19 hour labor experience and the doubt just settled in, I really didn’t think I would be able to try and push another large child out.  A nice, quick C-section sounded SO appealing and I was SO tempted to just call it quits.  I mean, seriously, who tries a VBAC on their due date with a previous 10.4 pd child?  Why put myself through this torture? But I had to try it, especially since I fought for it in the first place.

This whole experience was just surreal.  I remember walking around the hospital room with contractions (in extreme, almost intolerable pain), holding on to the most loving husband in the world and being cheered on by the greatest midwife, thinking that there is no way this was going happen.  Before I knew it (and not a moment too soon), I was on that hospital bed pushing out a baby.  It’s almost a blur, what an absolutely incredibly amazing experience.  Amelia was born at 9:39 AM – through a VBAC at 9lbs 13 oz and 20 1/4″.  We did it!  I still cannot believe. I had a natural VBAC with an almost 10 pounder on my due date with a C-section scheduled for the next morning (crazy!!!)  I am so thankful that I had a doctor and midwife who let me try this (I think the nurses all thought my midwife was nuts), the support system around me that I  needed, that I didn’t give in to my doubts and allowed myself to try this.  As much as I would like to believe that I just became some kind of super mom, I really can’t take any credit as it had nothing to do with me – God allowed this little girl to come into this world like she did.  I like to plan things and think that I have some control over these events, but I don’t.

So would I do a VBAC again or opt for another C-section?  If I had an option, I would try the VBAC again.  I wouldn’t say that either method is exactly ideal.  I had to have an episiotomy, definitely not fun. I was sore like crazy and it hurt to sit and walk for weeks.  I pray and hope that things are still “normal” down there – ha!  Little Amelia also broke her clavicle, most likely from being such a big baby.  The pediatrician caught it at her first doctors appointment (it was missed in the hospital) and although he wasn’t concerned and it has healed with no complications, I was still very distraught by it.   But I’m now 6 weeks postpartum and overall I feel good (you know, besides for running after a toddler, taking care of an infant and completely lacking in sleep)  My body finally feels like it’s going back to normal. I would definitely say that my recovery is much better this time around than it was with the C-section.  I feel as if I could move around much more and be more hands on with Amelia from the start. I also know that if we want more children in the future, the fact that I had a VBAC, would make this decision less riskier and healthier for my body.  Again, I’m SO thankful that my doctors let me attempt this and that I had the God given strength to do it.

So if you are thinking about attempting a VBAC – go for it! It can be done!  At the end of the day there is only so much you can do or try and “plan.”  But at least be informed on what your options are so you can make the best decision for you and your baby.  Every delivery is different and each experience is unique to its own.  Both of my experiences, from labor to delivery, were worlds apart.  Choose a good doctor/midwife, it makes a world of difference, and remember that you have a voice in the way you want to try and deliver your child and ultimately, God’s in control.

 Sources:

HealthGrades 2011 Obstetrics & Gynecology in American Hospitals. July 19, 2011

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists “Ob-Gyns Issue Less Restrictive VBAC Guidelines.”  July 21, 2010

(Eeeeek!!  The picture above was taken walking out the door on my way to the hospital…already in labor with contractions 5 minutes apart. Emotions on overdrive with anxiety, excitement and crazy nervous all at the same time)

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those first few weeks

Thu 08.27.2009

After three days in the hospital we were happy to be heading home.  Two of my sisters (I have three) came to help out with this process.  I didn’t really bring much, but I sure had a lot leaving (take all the freebies with you as you go through things within days!).  Crazy feeling leaving the hospital with three people instead of two. I remember how nervous I was just putting her in the car seat and driving home, we were completely 100% responsible for this precious cargo!!  We had a really sweet surprise once we arrived home,  my family had prepared a clean house, welcome banner and announcement sign (thank God for wonderful family!) I have 3 sisters, 3 nieces, 1 nephew, 1 grandma, and 1 set of parents that ALL that live within a 1.5 mile radius from my home – it’s pure madness but amazing at the same time. Anyways, the husband quickly kicked everyone out of the house (he enjoys his peace and quiet) and we settled in to enjoy our new life. That lasted maybe about 2 hours…

So I heard that the time you spend in the hospital is a “honeymoon” period during which your sweet baby eats wonderfully and sleeps all day.  Well we did discover that this lovely period was over that first night home, I think it was probably  one of the worst nights we had.  It couldn’t have been more than 3 hours after my dear husband kicked my sisters out when we were calling them to come back and help.

We (or rather I) was all of a sudden having a difficult process with nursing.  I was able to finally calm her down, nurse and go back to sleep only to run into the same problem later that evening.   It is the worst feeling ever to have this little baby cry her heart out and you can’t make her stop.  My goal was to breastfeed 100% due to all of its benefits, but sheesh, apparently my milk came in that evening and the whole process was miserable.  Adeline couldn’t latch on and it was just an overall a painful, uncomfortable, horrible experience for me l – definitely nothing “natural” about it.   I finally ended up pumping a bit and bottle feeding her – it worked great.  It took some figuring out (and a visit from my sister),  but we were finally able to feed and calm down this little princess successfully. I would like to take the time to note that my husband somehow learned how to sleep like a rock that day and hasn’t changed ever since.  All of a sudden he can sleep through screaming, feedings, fussing and not even nudge – how amazing and convenient all at the same time – ha!

But overall the first few weeks were tough.  Adeline got the breastfeeding down but it was still a painful process for me (thank goodness for Lansinoh).  She was also gassy A LOT with tummy aches.  We were constantly burping and carrying this little girl around to ease the fussiness.  I remember calling my mom a few times and asking “Since when do babies cry so much for no reason? No one tells you this.” She seemed to get particularly fussy around 6-7 pm in the evening.  You would just have to hold and soothe her till it passed.  During the day I would put her for naps on her tummy and that seemed to help her a bit.  Someone gave us baby gas drops at the baby shower, the first time we used them it was fabulous, really seemed to work right away.  Other times it didn’t seem to do anything at all.  Then we discovered the pacifier and it worked wonders with Adeline.  She really like to suck so she taught herself to use the pacifier and sooth herself when something was bothering her.

So all in all, those first few weeks – probably the first six (for us) were tiring, busy and stressful.  Getting up in the middle of the night for feedings was tough due to the obvious lack of sleep and I am not a big napper. But I really can’t complain too much as from the beginning Adeline would mostly only wake up once for a nightly feeding.  I had a co-sleeper bassinet right next to the bed, which made things much easier.  Personally, one of the hardest things was recovering from the C-section.  Those first few nights it was difficult to even sit up or walk around.  My dear hubby James would have to change her diapers and bring her to me for middle of the night feedings.   It was difficult to deal with as I’m used to being pretty active and independent.  I would say experiencing delivery and then those first few days home with my husband,  has definitely made our relationship stronger in a whole different sort of way.

So overall – here is what I learned those first few weeks as a first time mom:

  •  C-section recovery is extremely painful and disabling

  • Breastfeeding is a lot more painful and difficult (in the beginning) than I expected

  • Babies will sometimes just cry for no reason

  • Family and sleep are extremely valuable

  • I love people that bring me food (I actually always love this but it became especially significant those first few weeks)

  • Coffee is the best thing ever (but not too much)

  • Never change a diaper on your bed without a changing pad underneath

  • Babies spit up a lot

  • Your hormones are not quite yet stable

  • It’s still a crazy and surreal feeling that you’re a mommy to this little person

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Welcome Adeline Faith – my delivery experience

Sun 08.23.2009

Our little girl, Adeline Faith, came into this world at 5:09 pm on March 15, 2009.  Being our first, we were very anxious, nervous and excited for this little one to arrive.  Original due date was March 12 so she was running three days late (inherited this characteristic from my side of the family).   My pregnancy, for the most part, was great.  I would say that I had the most difficult time during the first 3 months when at 6 weeks I entered a dreadful world of 24/7 nausea. Seriously, it was horrible…makes one never want to go through it again! But somewhere between 3-4 months it died down and closer to 4 months completely went away and life returned to normal.  Second trimester brought no problems and then third trimester was just uncomfortable because I just got so big.  I value my sleep and trying to turn sides, not sleep on my back and going to the bathroom every other hour seriously put a dent on my sweet dreams.

But then it finally just happened.  During the evening of March 14 (a Saturday) my husband and I settled down for the evening to relax and have a movie night.  We were watching “P.S. I love you” and my hormonal self was already tearing up 15 minutes into it. I had some Braxton Hicks off and on all day but half way through the movie it started to get a bit more intense.  (come to think of it we never did finish that movie…) As the contractions began to get stronger and stronger we forgot about the movie and quickly called my sister – who is conveniently a nurse and appointed to be at my side throughout this process (lucky me).   She quickly came over and confirmed that yes, I was in fact in labor (I’m not quire sure why we needed confirmation, but I guess I didn’t want to panic everyone with a false alarm).

The emotions that you go through are crazy – nerves, anxiety and excitement all at the same time.  My plan was to have a natural childbirth at our local hospital.  I attended a practice with a medical midwife and a doctor, the midwife was going to be by my side.  I have heard that labor may be a very long process with your first child, so my goal was to labor as much as possible at home so I wouldn’t just have to sit at the hospital bored and in pain.   The inconvenient part about going into labor around 9:30 – 10:00 pm at night is that you can’t exactly sleep through contractions (not that I didn’t try).  Walking appeared the be the best way to bear through it…so walk I did… with my hero of a husband following behind for safety precautions.   I would literally sit on him at times, I think he was sore for a whole week after doing squats with a pregnant woman.   So there I was, walking the dog at 5 am with my exhausted sister and husband following me…quite a site. Eventually we went to the hospital at around 8 am (Sunday morning) and we were all very excited to hear that I was already 8 cm dilated – yay!!!  Great news and for a moment (just a moment) I thought that this might actually not be so bad.  Contractions were extremely painful and it was getting tougher and tougher by the minute..but hey, I already survived ALL night and felt pretty mentally set to do this.  But THEN…it kind of just stalled.

Contractions kept coming but little Adeline was just not coming down all the way.  For hours I walked, sat on bouncing balls, went into the shower…etc..I’ll spare you all the details.  It felt like I was trying every possible thing to get this baby out  – I was finally given a little bit of Pitocin, tried every position and even pushed for three hours.  I was beyond exhausted, hungry (starving actually) and very much in pain.  Yes,  I am insane for putting myself through this natural torture, but I was determined to push this baby out.  After 19 hours of labor there were growing concerns for Adeline’s safety and my own, the doctor came in and advised that the best decision would be to move forward with Cesarean (C-section). Ughhhh!!!! After all that?!  But to tell you the truth, however disappointed I was, I was ready to just get this baby out of me.

So into the operating room I went with the most supportive medical staff, sister and husband on hand.  Everything at that point happened very quickly.  Before I knew it I heard that little cry and she was here…at 5:09 pm all 21 inches and 10 POUNDS 4 OZ of her – Adeline Faith Labocki…. and yes, I did say 10 lbs 4 oz.  (seriously, who has a 10 lb baby?!) No one expected that one…no wonder I couldn’t get her out.  And although I did get quite large during my pregnancy, I wouldn’t say I was “10 lb baby large.”  But our blessing was finally here, one of the most amazing experiences and gifts God has chosen to bless us with.  Despite the long labor and C-section, she was a perfectly healthy, gorgeous, BIG little girl.  My birth story didn’t exactly go as I may have had it planned in my head.  But that’s okay, everything happens for a reason and I am so thankful that our sweet Adeline had a successful delivery in her own way.  A whole new element of happiness entered our world that day, along with a whole new journey of motherhood and all that comes along with it!

photography by the amazing Gina Leigh Photography

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