VBAC with a midwife?

[Osmosis Mom]

Rethinking a few things here as I just got ahold of a birthing clinic located next to a Catholic hospital where the midwives take VBAC's. Would this be a safe choice? I like the idea of being associated with a Catholic hospital so I won't be judged on my number of kids, but it would mean not going with my last OB who was excellent. Cost of the whole thing is much, much less, probably at least 1/3 of the cost.

[Quiver0f10]

I had my VBAC with a MW and felt very safe. A good MW will stay with you throughout labor and will be able to spot issues that might be an emergency. I know there is a risk of UR, but the risk is very small. You need to do some research on the risk and make the descision that is best for you and one that will allow you to be in peace.

 

Have you been to http://ican-online.org/ ?

 

I have some articles on VBAC and UR, if you are interested PM me.

[jelbe5]

I have three children, my first was induced and ended up in a C section. I really wanted a homebirth for my next two pregnancies but my dh was too nervous so the compromise was a midwife in the hospital. I had my next two children with a midwife and a normal delivery. The midwife in each birth was great. I highly recommend a midwife.

 

Adrianne

[Mom-ninja.]

You need to give birth where *you* feel safe.

 

That said, I've had two VBACs at home with midwives. You won't find me giving birth in a hospital again!

[Osmosis Mom]

This would be in a birthing center next to a hospital with access to an OB if needed. I haven't met the midwives yet, but it seems like a viable option. I probably would have chosen this way with my lasy delivery (first VBAC) if I had known of it.

 

OK, so I am not crazy for considering this option....

[Jami]

My third dc was born by a c-section, the doc thought her cord would prolapse because of its position and hers and I pretty much always have to have my water broken to move labor on after 5 cm... So maybe an avoidable reason, but nothing likely to repeat. I'd already had 2 vag. deliveries, so a VBAC was quite reasonable for me. But I wasn't doing a hospital again or fighting with "the establishment" about things that might make a VBAC a failure (pitocin or other inductions, epidurals, lack of position options in labor). We had moved to a state with wonderful midwifery options, so that's what we did for #4 and it was AWESOME! The best birth of the four by a mile. I'd do it again tomorrow. Dh loved not being in the hospital even more than I did. :)

[Mrs Mungo]

Rethinking a few things here as I just got ahold of a birthing clinic located next to a Catholic hospital where the midwives take VBAC's. Would this be a safe choice? I like the idea of being associated with a Catholic hospital so I won't be judged on my number of kids, but it would mean not going with my last OB who was excellent. Cost of the whole thing is much, much less, probably at least 1/3 of the cost.

 

My VBAC was in a hospital with 2 midwives attending. They did a great job.

[milovany]

OK, so I am not crazy for considering this option....

 

Here, I'll help you feel less crazy -- then you can tell yourself, "At least I'm not as crazy as her!" :lol: I've had six VBACs at home without a midwife. We felt comfortable doing this and every birth after the VBAC came off without a hitch -- wonderful experiences.

[Hedgehogs4]

i think your intuition will tell you. i had a vbac, and was considering a homebirth. my first ds was a planned hombirth which became a transfer and c-section. the second was a vbac and i considered a homebirth, but something inside me just would let me do it. in spite of what i wanted, something told me not to do it (i firmly believe it was God and he was protecting us). turns out it was the wise choice. we really did need to be in the hospital for the vbac because of the difficulty of the birth (cord around neck, i was bleeding profusely) these things could not have been anticipated. however, if you feel in your gut and in your heart that a vbac at home is a safe choice for you, then NO YOU ARE NOT CRAZY and you should absolutely pursue it. i personally believe that in most cases, homebirths are safer and more normal than hospital births.

[jeri]

and my next two were VBAC with a wonderful midwifery practice. I felt totally safe and they did too. The last one was just after they had made the policy change about not doing a VBAC after a C-section, so they did ok it with the ob-gyn practice first. The chance of rupture is really small and I was ok with that. I think a BC, right next to a hospital, would be a safe choice.

 

jeri

[G5052]

I had a VBAC in a hospital with an OB who had three herself (no midwives at that hospital unfortunately), and have a friend who had six VBAC deliveries with midwives at home after a C-section with her first.

 

Recently a SIL had her second C-section because none of the OB's in her area will do a VBAC and her insurance won't cover a midwife. Sad..!

[smrtmama]

Birth with a midwife is probably safer, because you'll be less likely to end up with a repeat section.

[IsabelC]

^^^ yep, that ^^^

 

If you want a VBAC, don't use an OB.

 

 

 

 

And I know this is slightly peripheral, but I can't help myself, so just for those who might be interested in the UR risk factor:

 

Your risk of dying in a car accident, over the course of your lifetime, is between 1 in 42 and 1 in 75. This is roughly 4 to 5 times greater than the risk of uterine rupture.

You're about twice as likely to have your car stolen (that's an annual risk) than to experience a uterine rupture.

Your odds of being murdered are 1 in 140 over the course of your lifetime. That's 2 times more likely than the risk of rupture.

The annual risk of having a heart attack is 1 in 160, 2 times more likely than rupture. Your risk of dying from heart disease is roughly 1 in 6, or 55 times greater than your risk of rupture.

If you're a smoker, your risk of dying from lung cancer is 1 and a half times more likely than a VBAC mom rupturing during her labor.

You're about 17 times more likely to contract an STD this year than you are to have a uterine rupture; more likely to contract gonorrhea than to rupture, as well.

You're 13 times more likely to get food poisoning than to rupture.

You're more likely to have twins than a uterine rupture. Odds of twins: 1 in 90. That's about 3 1/2 times the likelihood of rupture.

If you ride horseback, you're 3 times more likely to die in a riding accident than you are to experience a uterine rupture.

If you ride a bike on the street, you are 4 times more likely to die in an accident (annual risk) than you are to suffer a rupture.

Having a serious fire in your home during the next year is twice as likely as experiencing a rupture.

You're ten times as likely to win at roulette as you are to have a uterine rupture.

If you flip a coin, you'll be more likely to get heads (or tails) 8 times in a row than to rupture.

The risk of cord prolapse is 1 in 37 (2.7%), or nearly ten times more likely than that of rupture.

And a final irony (heads up, those of you who want a doc to give his/her opinion on your likelihood of rupture next pregnancy!)...

You're 6 times more likely to have a doctor who is an impostor than you are to suffer a rupture. Two percent of docs are phonies (1 in 50), according to several sources I found.

So instead of worrying about rupture, why not take a few minutes to check up on your doctor's credentials? ;) It'd be a more profitable use of your time, and a substantially more likely cause for alarm.

- from an article by Eileen Sullivan

[Osmosis Mom]

Thanks, gals, for sharing.

 

What I liked when I called in was that the person taking the phone was very knowledgable and basically answered all my questions without not being able to answer (or supposed to). I liked that. I also told her I was without insurance -and was still treated nicely!!

 

I do want to just say, though, that my last OB was the head of the Birthing section (whatever it's called) and she was so pro-VBAC (when I even faltered). She went out of her way to enable me to deliver VBAC. She was definitely an OB who believes in testing and ultrasounds ( I do love ultrasounds), but when it came right down to it then she had so many opportunities to let me do a c-section, but she kept pushing me to deliver vaginally and really giving that a chance. Dh and I were both impressed.

BTW then she delivered her two boys via midwife (same practice, but me being VBAC would not have been allowed to do that there due to liability).

 

I want to pursue the midwifery at this point. Perhaps see if they have a free consult before plunking down my down payment....

 

P.S. My very first delivery was a nightmare. It was with midwives (new one at every 2 hour check up until I ended up with Ms. Independent Nightmare-Right-Out-Of-school-I-don't-Need-Any-Supervision. It ended in a horrible vaccum and was a near-death experience. I had just turned 20 then....Since then I delivered twice in a sterile operating room in Japan which was just fine; had the same nurse who acted as a doula and was amazing. Not so great birth with a family doctor who was way too laid back, c-section with twins, and then my last VBAC with annoying labor, but totaly painless delivery it can happen!!!!!Not sure how to repeat that one, though!).

 

Sorry this got long!

[unsinkable]

My dd was a emergency c-section because of fetal distress, plus her shoulder was engaged & she was face-up. The OB said that would never happen again & said the next time I could deliver v@gin@lly.

 

When I got preganant again, at the first visit, the OB wanted to schedule the section:blink:

 

I found a midwifery group & had VBACs with my sons...but this was 14 & 11 years ago. I guess the rules have changed??!?