VBAC-tavist

I'd add really really good support. Long labours are so hard, and they are scary for our DH's too, so they need to be well briefed in their role as the cheerleader. Even if they are starting to doubt things, they need to help keep you focussed, and stand up for you when OBs etc start pushing for intervention. Cos even for a bolshy lady like me, that can be hard to do for yourself once you've been in labour for a long time.

An excellent pro-vbac MW would help too

A friend of mine just had a second C basically because her MW spent the whole pregnancy preaching risks to her to the point the poor girl was terrified of a VBAC

Oh your poor friend T_rex!

I'll be reading this thread with interest as hopefully I'll be in the same boat soon! except while with be a VBA2C.

You already know a lot of the links I have but when I find new stuff I'll post in here!

Thats my plan for next time, try my hardest to not have an epi..

I've been reading "a good birth, a safe birth" - will go look up it's authors soon. It's a very good read, although it's had me in tears quite a few times. I was uber-prepared for the physiological side of labour last time (I have studied the physiology of birth extensively for work), but I was under-prepared for the emotional side of things. There were a few "i wish I read that" moments.

I didn't have a good enough plan for coping with the distress of transferring to hospital when the homebirth went awry, for example. Nor was I expecting to have to disagree with my MW. She was wonderful, but she wasn't in my head so she didn't always read me right, and I didn't correct her cos I figured she knew better than me. She didn't.

This time, both DH and my MW, will be *required* to ask my opinion directly and make me say something, rather than accept a dopey nod/shake of the head. There was so much going on in my head last time that should have been said, and I was utterly lost as to how to make words of out it. I'm hoping with enough prodding, I'll do better.

I'll also be specifying that NO-ONE is to offer me pain releif. I might ask for it, although I doubt it, but it's really demoralising being *recommended* it every 5 minutes

The other major thing I'll be insisting is that interventions come one at a time. Last time they said we want to do x, y and z; I knew we had to do something so I agreed. What I should have said is lets do x and give that a chance to help, then we can look at y, and THEN z. Instead they did it all at once, and I'm sure if we'd just gone with x (break my waters), everything would have gone on just as it should because the root of the whole problem was the pocket of waters softening the impact of her head on my cervix. Of course, it's likely to be a completely different problem if there is one, next time, but I'll still be sticking to the one thing at a time deal.

My first was a ARM and prolonged labour at 41+6 weeks ending in c-section, I would have definately refused any kind of induction with my second. Luckily I had a great birth with DS2 at 39 weeks.

I took 5w and epo from 35 weeks and my MW reckons that that helped heaps to have a really good birth. I also waited for ages before going into the hospital, and would have refused continous monitoring if I could have (distressed baby), cause I think moving around during labour helps heaps. Good Luck

Oh, and I'm still working on the DH thing. Will let you know once I have a plan

I'm going to be saying no to internals to start with, I don't want to be checked until Ive been in labour a decent length as I don't want to be told I'm like 3cm as I know that will dishearten me, it did with Caden! - I want an little intervention as possible! no pethidine and no epidural if I can help it! and certainly nothing to help contractions, I just want to try and relax and welcome each contraction and trust that my body knows whats its doing.

With Caden I got to 9.5cm, had the epi 2 hours before that, but was stretchable to a 6 well before I got the epi! So my body knew what it was doing it was just taking a long time. I laboured with just gas for hours and hours(about 40) and then had the pethidine for the ambulance ride, which made me feel dizzy and horrible! So i don't want that again!

I feel confident that this time I can totally do it! (just need to get pregnant now haha! next cycle the TTC journey starts!)

Its a bit different for me though TRex as I'm going to be a VBA2C. as you know, Synto makes the contractions much stronger and because I have had 2 C Sections that puts more strain on my uterus scar, so I want to avoid that, if they were going to give me any it would absolutely have to be a last resort thing and only a tiny amount.

I'm not sure if my epi was was caused my emergency C but I don't think it helped matters, I was stuck on my back and there was a lip of cervix in the way that the MW couldn't push, and I couldn't get up to move to help things along, thats when they called for the CS. There was meconium in the waters too, that started just before my transfer to the main hospital, that was at about 7pm and then he was born at 1.03am.

you gals looking at doing hypnobirthing? I have the book, emmecat borrowed it for S's birth and she handled the pain way better. After dd's birth i said i was going to do the course, but not sure if its worth the $??

I had an intense horrible birth with Ty (C's was pretty text book) and I was adamant I would have the next baby with an epidural

When I was in labour with Mila,I started getting panicked that it was going to be as painful and asked for an epi,but my MW suggested to wait 20mins,and by that time I felt strong enough to continue without it,and she was born not long after ( had a very quick labor,2 hours from being 3cms to fully dilated)
So I think thats a good thing to,for them to suggest you wait a bit when you do ask,cos you might find that by the time 20mins is up,you don't want it anymore