Yes, You CAN Have a VBAC! Trust Your Body and Find a Supportive Provider!
Show Notes:
[1:34] Our Reviewer of the Week, Kaiti Klucas, says: "1 million stars! I am 17 weeks pregnant with my first and this podcast is EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for. It’s so hard to know what to trust and which ones are worth your time but as soon as I listened to the first episode I KNEW this is what I’ve been looking for. The first one I listened to was one about Unmedicated Birth, and it made me SO EXCITED. I already feel more empowered and ready to ask the right questions and figure out what’s best for me after one 50 minute episode! I look forward to my walks and down time 100x more now specifically because of this podcast. THANK YOU!!!"
[2:42] This week's episode is all about VBAC. You can birth your baby vaginally if you have had a prior cesarean, and I want to tell you why. So if you know anything about me, this is near and dear to my heart because I am a VBAC momma. Stephanie recaps her different birth experiences with her three boys (Cesarean, medicated hospital birth, unmedicated home birth).
[4:36] It is not "once a cesarean, always a cesarean," even if that's what you're being told. I think what women don't understand is once you have a Cesarean, you get put in this little box by providers as a high risk. If there were ever a time that your provider is important, it is now. It's always important and it's important for everyone. If you've had a VBAC, you have to find a supportive provider otherwise you're going to be fighting an uphill battle.
.[8:12] What are the risks of a VBAC vs. a Repeat Cesarean? One of the biggest risks that you hear about or the most common is uterine rupture. It's important to understand that not all uterine rupture is life threatening. There are different degrees of uterine rupture, and it's not always threatening to the baby or to the mother, so that's important to know as well. The rate of rupture is 0.4%, which equates to 1 in 240 births, and of the women who experienced rupture, 0 to 2.8% of them resulted in perinatal death.
[10:48] A few things to take into account when considering a VBAC: the type of uterine scar (was it a lower incision, was it a T-incision, how the incision was closed, if it was a single or double closure) and the time interval before the prior cesarean and laboring for a VBAC. The average perinatal mortality rate in the United States is 5.54 per 1,000 babies. Neonatal mortality rate is 5.6 per 1,000 in birth, and that makes the risk of babies dying from uterine rupture less than the risk of babies dying from any other complication that might arise during pregnancy and birth. You are not doing anything out of the realm of safety provided that your particular situation and for yourself, everything else looks good.
[12:05] What are the benefits of having a VBAC?
- You have a decreased maternal morbidity (mom is less likely to lose her life attempting a VBAC than having a repeat cesarean). When we're talking about Cesarean, it is a full surgical procedure. It's surgery on your abdominal area. You have risks that include infection and loss of blood.
- You have an easier and quicker postpartum recovery.
- You'll have a shorter hospital stay.
- Decreased risk of placenta accretia (placenta embeds into the uterine wall)
- Cecreased risk of asthma and other lung problems for the baby as they grow
[15:58] When is a VBAC not safe? If you have had a prior uterine surgery like a myomectomy or hysterotomy, which I'm sure I said that incorrectly, a classical scar being a high vertical uterine incision or an inverted T-scar in the upper part of the uterus. A high BMI can also put moms at a lower chance of having a VBAC. High BMI on its own is not a reason to not attempt a VBAC. So definitely reach out to your provider about that.
[16:33] What can you do to prepare your body for a VBAC?
- Three Exercises
- Baby in a good position for labor
- Evening primrose oil
- Red raspberry leaf tea
- Dates
- Find a supportive provider
- Positive affirmations or meditation
- Find It & Flip It Affirmations Exercise
- Be encouraged and empowered to hold strong and feel good about your course of action
[21:12] Stephanie stresses the importance of finding a supportive provider if you're attempting a VBAC.
"I always say, even if you are planning for the hospital, and I think that's great, wherever you feel comfortable is where you should be. I still recommend going and interviewing an out of hospital midwife. I think it might blow your mind, and you do not have to stay with them. I want you to hear what it sounds like and what it feels like to have somebody believe in your body and the process of birth. Just a different perspective. It'll blow your mind. It'll have you leaving there so confident. Like, "Oh my gosh, I had no idea that other people saw it this way!" and it's just a boost of confidence, 100%."
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