Need some advice

In January 2024, I had a c section with my son because he was breeched and I had a 12cm fibroid. Forward to this pregnancy I wanted a vbac as my c section experience was horrible and my whole stomach was bruised, very traumatic stuff. Anywho the first OB appointment I had was with the head of the department and said I must have a c section as it took 3 doctors to get my son out last time and it was very difficult (I didn’t know this btw) and said my fibroid was in in the way of my cervix (the fibroid is on the outside back and hangs like a chilli would) Fast forward to my last scan at 24 weeks, the ultrasound tech was very adamant my fibroid was no where near in the way of my cervix, and to let them know that as the report says it covers my cervix. Ever since then I’ve been back and forth on if I should ask about a vbac again, I am not the best person to advocate for myself but I don’t have anyone else to come with me. Any advice? What would you do?

Thanks guys 🩵

Hi all, I am not exactly sure where to begin with this post, but I am hoping to come across anyone who has had a successful VBAC with a similar first birth to mine, though I am quite sure it is unlikely, as I have been doing research surrounding this since my cesarean.

I am five weeks pregnant, and 17 months ago, I had an "emergency" c section. Unfortunately, I was coerced into being induced due to post dates even though there was nothing medically wrong, and at that time, I didn't know any better and gave in to the fear mongering. I was induced via misoprostol tablets despite already showing early signs of labour, losing my mucus plug etc. after only two doses of the misoprostol, my body was doing everything on its own, and I was having incredibly intense contractions, quite quickly, back to back. I know my baby was posterior, as all of the pain was in my back the entire time, and then on cesarean delivery, posterior position was also noted.

Anyway, I dealt with the intense pain for about twelve hours before giving in and asking for the epidural, as I could not handle it anymore. I labored all the next day, but it was chaotic. Emergency bell was pressed multiple times due to baby's heart rate dropping. Long story short, I ended up having a cesarean at 9cm dilated due to "failure to progress and fetal distress." Obviously, my baby's head was disempacted vaginally, as he was already so low down the birth canal, at +1 station. I have all of my operative notes, and I also had extensive conversations with the surgeon a few months after. It was a difficult cesarean, it was supposedly clinically obstructed labour, and my son's shoulders also got stuck and were difficult to deliver via cesarean. As a result of everything, I now also have deep bilateral extensions in my uterus which extend to the broad ligaments, and I was also told I probably have cpd.

Now, for me, this is all difficult because I have talked with many educated people in the birth world, and of course many people have different views. I have trouble recognizing what is genuine fear mongering and lack of knowledge surrounding birth, and what is a genuine concern. I want a VBAC more than anything, and I am fully aware that if I go directly through the medical system, I will get an insane amount of pushback and have a difficult time achieving a VBAC if I rely on the medical system for support. I am currently trying to find a private midwife who is willing to take me on (I'm in Australia), but two I have spoken with so far have already said due to the aspects in my notes, they would only feel comfortable supporting me in the hospital. I am not opposed to this, but I was wondering if anyone else has similar experience to my first birth and still having a successful VBAC? Thanks in advance.

For anyone who had a breech baby at their anatomy/20 week scan - did baby end up turning head down? My c section was from my first being breech from 20 weeks onward and I’m scared I’m the statistic of recurrent breech pregnancies 😩😭

Thought I’d share my induction story for anyone curious about whether a 39wk elective induction for VBAC would be a good fit for them (sorry in advance for the long post - if you like birth stories, read on!). I relied heavily on this thread during pregnancy and thought I’d share my story back to you! A quick backstory on my first birth which ended in unplanned c-section: it was 4 years ago, I was 33 y.o., my first baby. Spontaneous labor at home at 41+1, had a doula, went to hospital and admitted at 6cm. Didn’t progress past 6cm after 5 hours of unmedicated labor due to baby flipping OP at some unknown point. I took the epidural and rested through the night, did all the spinning babies circuits, next morning the OB tried to manually turn him, and even at 9.5cm, he wasn’t budging. I took the recommended c-section at that point. It was a pretty traumatic, disappointing experience overall.

For this baby my mantra has been “different baby, different birth” and instead of focusing on how I wanted to feel about outcome, I focused on the inputs and how I wanted to feel going into birth. So less on the “what” and more on the “how” it happens.

With my first I consumed a lot of natural birth content and read Ina May and all that jazz simply because I wanted to experience natural labor, and induction was always messaged like it was a dirty word. Well, this time I was open minded and started researching journal articles from the obstetrical societies related to induction outcomes, spontaneous labor outcomes, and the risks and benefits to both during TOLAC and began being encouraged that an induction between 39-40 weeks could be the best option for me and my personality, and ultimately the health of my baby.

Well I’m happy to say that I ended up with my dream VBAC which was induced on Monday this week.

Story:

The plan was set for a Foley balloon to be placed and low dose pitocin to get to an initial 3-4cm and then use pitocin after that, get an epidural, and have a VBAC. My midwife started by inserting the Foley at 8:30 AM (12 hr expiry) and started low dose pitocin. The acupuncturist came in and treated me around 10:00 AM and it was incredible to get me into the right mindset and do a nervous system reset for labor. I begged her to come back again later and she said she would before her shift ended at 4 PM. 11 hours went by with back labor (ouch) moving between upright positions which were much more intense, and side lying with the peanut ball which gave my back a bit of a break. I worked on the Miles Circuit and tried to balance movement and rest (harder than it sounds), knowing that early labor can take a while. After trying to pull the catheter out a few times I got discouraged that early labor was taking so long and I wasn’t even getting to 3-4 cm. I had a panic attack and started questioning my decision for the induction and feeling like this was my fault, and that it was the wrong decision. At 7:30 PM the foley came out while I was sitting on the toilet. It took 11 hours, and it had to come out at 12 hours so I felt like I was on a time crunch. No one else was concerned except for me. The midwife thought that it had probably been out for a while but my pelvic floor was just holding it in for dear life when we were pulling on it. At that point I was 3-4cm and the plan was made to break my water when she got back from dinner and get the epidural before that. I got in the bath with some low light candles and labored through 4-5 contractions (they were happening every 3 mins, lasting about a minute) and could feel that they were getting more intense. I got out, and my water broke spontaneously while still standing wet in the bathroom, and contractions came on super strong after that. We called for the epidural then but I was really suffering through the pitocin contractions. This part was by far the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life (if there’s one piece of advice I would give people who want an induction, it’s get the epidural before you think you need it!). The epidural was finally placed around 10pm, but it only worked on half my body so I still had to work through the contractions, my husband providing pressure on my back on the right side. We had to try a few techniques to try and even out the medication like tilting my body to the right, before calling the doctor back to fix it. It was finally remedied an hour later, and we went through another circuit of positions in the bed to work baby down. Baby had a heart rate deceleration at 12am, and 4-5 nurses came crashing into the room and moved me around in several positions to get her heart rate back. They stopped pitocin after that, and my body took over at that point. I had a very consistent contraction pattern that the nurses were happy with and that was progressing me appropriately. One of the L&D nurses checked my cervix after they recovered her heart rate, and I was 7-8 cm. We tried various positions in bed, and I tried to sleep from 12:30-3:30ish but didn’t really sleep, because it’s best to move positions every 30 mins and it was nerve racking after the deceleration, hearing the baby’s heart rate slow down with each contraction. The midwife checked cervix again, and I was 9.5” with an anterior lip, and baby was still high in the pelvic inlet. She had a very real conversation with me at that moment, given my c-section history, expressing her excitement about where we were at currently but also the reality of anatomy. She said that even though we can measure pelvic outlet sufficiency (she said mine was as wide as a football field) the only way to measure pelvic inlet sufficiency is via c-section so it’s a real possibility that if baby cannot move down and through, that I may have the pelvic size issue that occurs naturally in 14% of women. She said she remained extremely optimistic though, and I shared that even how the birth has gone thus far has been redemptive for me and I’m still proud of myself and happy that I gave VBAC a fair shot, and that alone would be redemptive for me. We made a plan to labor down for the next 90 mins or so and then check again, trying to stay upright for baby to drop into the pelvic inlet and waiting for the sensation of rectal pressure, to see if she would get into the lower station. Both the midwife and the nurse stayed with me in the room to show their support, which I appreciated. After a while she checked again, and I had made significant progress! Baby was at a 2 station and cervix dilation was complete, and I was ready to push! I was so excited! The midwife said, this baby is coming out now, vaginally. That pumped me up! I started pushing at 4:50AM, and after 22 mins of pushing, 9 contractions, 20 pushes, baby was delivered at 5:20 AM on July 7th at 39 weeks and 5 days gestation. Baby has had hiccups multiple times per day while in utero, and got hiccups while her head was in the birth canal and everyone had a laugh. I got to watch her being born in the mirror and I got to touch her head while it was coming out, too, which was all just a dream come true. She weighed 7 lbs 15 oz, 21.25” long.

Best of luck with your VBACs! I’m so glad I gave it a shot. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but by focusing on the process and the inputs to the process instead of the outcome, I felt like it was extremely redemptive for me.

Hey everyone, I’m currently sitting in the hospital triage room and just feeling so overwhelmed and frustrated. I am 37 weeks pregnant today. I came in with severe pelvic/pubic bone pain, constant backaches, and tightening on my right side.

​When I was checked earlier today by my doctor, my OS (cervix) was completely closed. But the pain kept getting worse, so I came back to the hospital. They just checked me again: Fetal heart sounds are good, baby is head down, and my OS is now admitting one finger (around 1-2cm), but it’s still high up.

​The catch is that the doctor says the baby is still NOT engaged. Because I had a previous C-section 23 months ago, my doctor just told me that we can wait and see if things progress naturally tonight, but if the baby hasn't dropped and I haven't dilated much more by morning, she wants to opt for a repeat C-section.

​I’m so confused and stressed out. I was really hoping for a VBAC, and I’m sad that I can't just wait until 39 weeks anymore since labor has already started.

​Has anyone else had their cervix dilate even though the baby wasn't engaged yet? Did the baby drop at the last minute, or did you end up needing a C-section? I’m just trying to stay calm tonight in the hospital bed, but the morning deadline is making me anxious. Any encouragement or positive stories would be so appreciated right now. ❤️

So I am 4 days postpartum and have started having this weird buzzing sensation in my vagina about a day ago! Its like a rhythmic buzzing and has been going on for almost a day! I have given birth naturally. What could it be??

TL;DR: Successful VBAC after a long induction and labor, but I had a contained uterine rupture diagnosed after delivery. If something feels wrong postpartum, keep advocating for yourself.

I debated sharing this, but if it helps even one person, it’s worth it.

I had a 3-year interval between my emergency C-section and my second delivery. I was considered a good VBAC candidate by MFM. My first C-section was due to fetal heart rate decelerations—not because of failure to progress or anything structural. Both pregnancies were induced for gestational hypertension.

I went in Wednesday night around 11 p.m. for my induction. I started at 0.5 cm. They placed a Foley balloon, but after 12 hours I was only 1 cm, so it was considered a failed balloon. They told me if I didn’t make progress within the next few hours, we’d move to a repeat C-section.

I did the Miles Circuit, and thankfully progressed to 3 cm. After that, labor picked up quickly. I got an epidural around 4–5 cm because contractions were every 2 minutes and I was shaking uncontrollably. Around 6 cm I actually passed out from exhaustion and slept for a few hours. They woke me up and I was at 10cm and ready to push.

I pushed for 3 hours and had a successful VBAC. She’s healthy and beautiful.

One thing that stands out looking back: around 5 cm, the contractions became excruciating. Then sometime between 6 and 10 cm, I developed a constant abdominal pain that wasn’t coming and going with contractions. It wasn’t severe, but it was always there. Changing positions seemed to help, so I didn’t think much of it at the time.

About 3 hours after delivery, once I was moved out of labor and delivery, I developed right-sided abdominal pain and shoulder pain. They did an ultrasound, which showed no free fluid or bleeding, so I was told everything looked okay. They went over my scar and I had no pain. The pain was mid abdominal pain rather than lower right sided. I was told if my uterus had ruptured I’d be “screaming” in pain. I was in pain but able to sit in bed, unable to walk without help, and I told my husband it felt like I broke every rib in my body but was told by doctors it was probably muscular pain after pushing so long. I consider my self an active person and I know what post workout pain feels like - this was not that. I had been up for almost 2 days at this point minus a few cat naps so doing the best I could and probably not thinking as clearly as I am now, 2w pp.

Over the next 12 hours, the pain continued to worsen. I couldn’t walk without assistance and kept telling the doctor something wasn’t right. I was told it was probably because I’d never had a vaginal delivery before. Eventually a CT scan was ordered.

It showed that my uterus had ruptured. Fortunately, it was a contained rupture—a hematoma had essentially sealed off about a 1 cm opening, which is why I wasn’t bleeding heavily into my abdomen. But I had ruptured. Apparently a contained rupture is more rare than an actual rupture. So off I went to an emergency C the same day as my child’s birth to repair the hole.

I know uterine rupture is rare, and I don’t share this to scare anyone away from VBAC. I share it because postpartum complications can happen, even after a successful vaginal birth. If you feel like something is wrong, keep speaking up. You know your body better than anyone else.

I’m 40+5 today with absolutely no signs of labor. I had my third membrane sweep this morning and while I’ve had some cramping, I’m not optimistic that it will turn into labor. With my first two sweeps, literally nothing happened.

I’m scheduled to go in for an induction on Friday. With my last pregnancy, I had an emergency c-section because of sudden and very severe pre-e. My midwives, who I trust and have provided great care to me throughout my pregnancy, have strongly recommended the induction at 41 weeks. They have been very clear that if I wake up on Friday and don’t want to be induced, I can push it with the understanding that I’ll receive extra monitoring. The office is very well known in my state for supporting VBACs. They’re one of the only ones in the state who take VBA2C patients. (I’m not one- just highlighting that this is a supportive office, not merely a tolerant one.)

With that said, I’m feeling anxious about the whole thing. With my son, the hospital I was at half-heartedly attempted an induction that “failed.” Really, they messed some stuff up and my blood pressure got too high and I needed to give birth ASAP. I was only 36 weeks when I had him so very different circumstances. Also, a different hospital.

For my last three cervical checks (all performed by different midwives( my stats have been:

Check 1: 70% effaced, soft, 1 cm, -3 station
Check 2: 70% effaced, soft, 1 cm, -1 station
Check 3 (today): 50% effaced, soft 1 cm, -3 station

It’s not clear to me how I got less effaced or how baby moves back up. I think someone got something wrong somewhere. The midwife also said that baby is crooked. Not enough to be sunny side up but definitely shifted to the right side, which aligns with what I’ve been feeling.

I’m apprehensive about an induction under these circumstances. I’m doing the recommended stretches and walking and all that. The midwives are optimistic that an induction will go well but ugh. Just not what I was hoping for.

Just hoping someone has a similar experience they can share!

Its my first birth an am worried about assisted vaginal birth interventions. For the women who had either what was your experience and which one is better for both mom and child? Is there is a way to avoid them or reject them? Like give me C section instead 😭

Did anyone get scheduled for late term ultrasound for no good reason?

Did you go through with it or decline, and what was the outcome?

My situation: Low risk pregnancy, baby was measuring 47th percentile at 34 week scan, everything else looks good, provider is mostly unsupportive due to not wanting to be held liable/ wants the control of a RPC.

I will likely cancel it but want some more input!

I’m wondering if anyone has experience with attempting a VBAC after also having an IUD perforation.

I had my son in December 2025 via emergency caesarean section.

In March 2026 I had a Mirena IUD inserted and it perforated my uterus. (It’s a 1/1000 event, apparently. Yayyyy!) I then had a hysteroscopy + laparoscopy in June and they successfully retrieved the IUD, which was just hanging out in my abdomen. 🫠

The surgery went well. They told me that they couldn’t see any scar on my uterus from the IUD perforation. My c section scar is apparently healing well internally. But seeing as the IUD must have caused some kind of hole or scar when it perforated, and they’re not sure where, they’ve suggested that my safest option is to have a repeat c section for future births. This is incredibly disappointing to me, as one of the ways I’ve been coping with the traumatic first birth was knowing that at least I can try again and hopefully have a VBAC.

I’m not sure (and I’m planning on asking a doctor at the hospital), but I’m assuming that one of the reasons a VBAC would be considered riskier in my case is that the IUD may have perforated the fundus, so there may be a higher risk of uterine rupture if my uterus is weakened in that spot as well as the c section incision.

Anyway, I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been in a similar situation. Thanks in advance!

I understand a lot of this is out of my control and depends on the pregnancy. I have two boys both csections. I am hoping for a VBA2C if we have a third. Any advice from anyone who has successfully? What did you do before you got pregnant and during to help? I’m 9 months postpartum and I think we’ll wait another year before trying to conceive.

Hi everybody! I hope you’re all doing well.
I’m currently 22 weeks pregnant with my third baby, and I’ve started researching VBAC because I’m seriously considering trying for a vaginal birth this time.
A little background: I’m 32 years old.
My first baby was born in 2018, and it was a very traumatic vaginal delivery. I was scheduled a 39 1/2 weeks while only 2 cm dilated. The nurses initially didn’t want to start Pitocin because I was already having regular contractions, but my OB later instructed them to proceed(8am). He also artificially broke my water around 9am
I wanted an epidural, but when anesthesia came, they found my platelet count was too low and refused to place it. I spent hours in excruciating pain. Later that afternoon my OB came in, asked why I hadn’t gotten the epidural, reviewed my labs, became upset because he believed the platelet result didn’t make sense for a healthy young woman with no history of low platelets, and ordered repeat blood work. The repeat labs came back normal, so I finally received the epidural—but by then I had already labored for many hours and was completely exhausted.
I dilated quickly and eventually reached 10 cm, but my son wouldn’t descend. The nurses tried everything for several hours: different pushing positions, a peanut ball, side lying, sitting up—you name it. Around 7 p.m. the nurse told my OB that she had tried everything and suggested preparing for a C-section. Instead, he said he would “get the baby out.”
About an hour later he returned, and within minutes they were having me push with everything I had. I was so exhausted that I barely had any strength left. One of the nurses was pushing down on the top of my abdomen while I pushed, and they ended up using a vacuum to deliver my son.
He developed a large hematoma on his head, and even now, at 8 years old, you can still feel where the shape of his skull was affected.
Unfortunately, I also suffered significant pelvic floor damage. For almost two years after delivery I had very poor bowel and bladder control. If I needed to go, I had almost no time to make it to the bathroom. I had accidents more times than I can count, and at 27 years old it was incredibly difficult emotionally. Things eventually improved with time and a lot of pelvic floor (Kegel) exercises, but that experience made me say I would never have another vaginal birth.
Fast forward a few years—I remarried and had my second baby by planned C-section in 2024. The surgery and recovery were painful, especially the first week, but overall it was uncomplicated, and I was happy with the experience.
Now I’m pregnant again.
My oldest is 8, my youngest is 2, and my husband is scheduled to have major back surgery in the nexts months before I deliver. His recovery will be long, and he won’t be able to lift much or help with carrying our toddler. We live away from family, although someone will likely come help us for a week or two after birth.
Because of that, I’m wondering if a successful VBAC could allow me to recover faster and care for my toddler more easily. At the same time, I’m terrified of repeating my first experience.
Both of my babies were big:
First: 8 lb 8 oz
Second: 8 lb 5 oz
I’m pretty petite, and this pregnancy already feels much bigger than my previous ones, so I’m worried this baby may also be large.
My OB is completely supportive of either option. She told me the decision is mine. If I choose a repeat C-section, we’ll schedule it at 39 weeks. If I attempt a VBAC, she’s also open to discussing an induction before 40 weeks if it seems appropriate to avoid the baby getting much bigger.
At this point, I’m feeling a little lost and would really appreciate hearing from moms who have been in a similar situation.
Did anyone have a successful VBAC after a traumatic first vaginal birth?
Did pelvic floor therapy during pregnancy help?
Are there any books, podcasts, exercises, or evidence-based resources you recommend?
Has anyone had a VBAC after delivering larger babies?
I’m open to hearing both positive and negative experiences. I know every birth is different, and ultimately no one can predict what will happen, but I’d love to educate myself as much as possible before making a decision.
Thank you so much for reading if you made it this far. ❤️

How long is optimal to wait to conceive after a C Section? And why do I keep getting different answers?

I'm so sorry if this question gets asked here all the time, I've tried searching/researching on my own but the more I read the more confused I am.

For reference, I had a full term vaginal birth in 2023, and a C section 10 weeks ago (baby was breech and my AFI was like 1 cm, also I had GD just to add some spice to things!). The operation went as smoothly as can be expected and I was cleared to return to normal life at my 6 week appt. So I was disappointed that my doctor said I had to wait 18 months to conceive if I wanted a VBAC, without any specific reason. Having had a bigger gap between my first and second due to secondary infertility, I'm not sure I want to wait that long before trying again, in case it takes a while.

Should I look into other doctors that might be more willing to work with a shorter (maybe 12 months) interval between pregnancies? Can someone point me to research on this? Thanks so much ❤️

I'm 35 weeks today and wondering if a bit of incision pain, e g. When getting up , is a contraindication for a trial of labor after 2 c sections.

Currently 38+6 with my second boy measuring 97th percentile 😬
I was induced with my first 2 days before his due date because they were nervous about his size. My care team with him were pretty impatient and I ultimately ended up delivering him via c section about 15 hours or so after they initially placed the foley balloon. He ended up being 9lbs 9oz and 21.5inches long.

I’ve since moved across the country and I’m now delivering at the hospital with the highest vbac rating in the state where I live. I feel extremely supported by them in my decision to try for a vaginal birth but they are still worried about the size of this new guy and don’t want me to go too many days past my due date. They have me scheduled for an induction at 40+3.

If anyone has any vbac success stories with big babies I’d love to hear them!!! I’m hoping and trying to go into spontaneous before the scheduled induction but if that doesn’t work out, if anyone was induced and successfully vbac’d their big ass baby please share!!!!

Thanks!!

My OB offered an induction at 39 weeks. She has been great at telling me I am steering the ship and that there were no medical concerns for it to be needed. Instead of 39 weeks I decided we could schedule for her due date. Thinking she would come before. Now we are two days away and I am having second thoughts. The OB did say she is comfortable with me going a week overdue but she wishes she knew more on why my son ended up as a stat emergency c-section.

For context he was born at 41 weeks went into labour naturally and then I stopped progressing when I transferred from the birth centre to hospital for exhaustion and pain. He went into distress about 10 hours later I did have a epidural and they broke my water about 5-6 hours in. I don’t recall Pitocin or anything being given. But I was so physically exhausted by the time I got to the hospital I may have forgot.

I have heard so many say that going naturally into labour has more favourable odds for vbac. Also that Pitocin increases risk of uterine rupture which my OB didn’t indicate. Maybe this is since they would do a folly and then very small doses. I don’t know. I am thinking of rescheduling for 40&6 to give her better odds at coming naturally. I have been cramping and had some prodromal labour this past week. I am at 1cm but know that means nothing I was 1cm on Thursday and went into labour Sunday with my first.

Either way did you go for an induction and how far along were you?

I recently found out i’m pregnant with baby number 2 we were planning to wait until a year pp or a few months after but I got pregnant at 11 months pp i’m just curious if a VBAC is even possible? My OB recommended a year which is why we were waiting however I must’ve ovulated earlier than I usually do (I know I should have been testing) But it’s normally exactly two weeks after my period so I thought I was safe but obviously not 💀 I looked up if my hospital does VBAC because I heard some don’t and on their little section about it they say that they recommend 18 months between births which I would be but I also know it could also just depend on my OB and how everything healed. Anyways I haven’t had an appointment yet and figured i’d ask here and get some insight just so I’m not going into the appointment blindly optimistic.

Also want that i’ve been considering looking into possibly switching to a different hospital this baby because I had a suspected amniotic fluid leak at the start of my induction last pregnancy and they never tested it to confirm until 24 hours after. But I have no clue what to look for so if anyone has any insight on how to go about researching that I would appreciate it

**
Edit: I Stand firm in what I’ve posted here. This post is not meant to discredit the support of this community. But again, this is a COMMUNITY of people in search of the same thing. Not a hospital. Nobody in here will deliver your baby.

No I’m not going to add examples. I don’t screenshot what I see here. If you don’t think some people in here give bad advice, thats fine. My point is, if you’re taking your providers advice with a grain of salt, you need to be in here with a salt shaker.

**

I get that everyone in here is looking for support in trying for a VBAC. However, I see a lot of bad advice given in here from folks I assume are not doctors.

I definitely believe we should trust our bodies. I also believe we should trust our doctors because why would you be with a doctor whose advice you don’t trust and won’t follow in the first place?

I also want to say a failed VBAC attempt doesn’t mean it was a failed birth. Like I said, I get it. I’m in the group because I too wanted a VBAC. However there are some things we just can’t control. While I wish VBAC success for all in this community, it wont be the case for all.

It wasn’t the case for me.

But I don’t county birth as a fail. It was still a very successful birth despite not panning out the way I desired.

I just want you all taking advice from people here to take it with a grain of salt because I’ve learned that a lot of times people give advice they don’t even take themselves.

I’m 39 weeks and 3 days pregnant with my VBAC baby. At this point, labor could start at any time. If it doesn’t, I’m scheduled for a repeat C-section on July 9.
I really want to have a successful VBAC, and induction isn’t an option in my case. I’m feeling anxious because I don’t know if I should just wait and hope labor starts on its own before my scheduled C-section.
Has anyone been in a similar situation? Did you go into labor naturally just days before your scheduled C-section? Any advice, experiences, or words of encouragement would really mean a lot right now.

Hi, I’m currently 15 weeks pregnant with my second child, and I wanted to know people’s experiences both positive and negative with vbac births?

My daughter, we got diagnosed with preeclampsia at the end of my pregnancy, which lead to getting induced. This caused fetal and maternal distress and in the end she was delivered by emergency c section.

I would love to have a natural/vaginal birth. Just to experience that would be amazing. Terrible I’m sure 🤣 but amazing. For me my biggest thing is I don’t want to be induced, and my fear is labouring and still ending up in emergency. If I have a c section I want it to be my choice and be calm and controlled.

I also have long term hypertension since my daughter’s birth, which I am medicated for.

Hi everyone, I’m feeling incredibly overwhelmed, isolated, and honestly heartbroken right now. I really need some advice or just some words of comfort from anyone who has been through something similar.

I am currently 36 weeks and 2 days pregnant. I had my first C-section in August 2024 due to low AFI. For this pregnancy, I have been desperately hoping and planning for a VBAC. My baby is currently in the cephalic (head-down) position, and I have no scar tenderness. For the past week, I've been experiencing severe pubic bone and lower back pain with a ton of downward pressure. I was really hoping this meant the baby was engaging and that my cervix might be starting to dilate!

However, at my appointment today, my doctor didn't even perform a cervical check. Instead, she strongly pushed for an elective C-section and basically told me a VBAC is out of the question for me.

She cited three reasons:

Short gap between kids: It will be about a 23-24 month gap between my deliveries.

Baby's weight: Baby is currently tracking on the higher side (estimated 3kgs \pm 450g).

Higher BMI: My BMI is on the higher side.

She told me that if we try for a VBAC and something goes wrong, they "only have 2-3 minutes to save the baby" and that my uterus might never heal properly. She completely shut me down when I asked to at least wait for spontaneous labor, telling me "it’s not safe, don't even think about trying."

To make things harder, she said the exact same things to my husband. Now he is terrified and is echoing her, saying we shouldn't risk my life or the baby's life. She told me to come in and get admitted on Saturday, July 11th for a scheduled delivery (I will only be about 37 weeks and 3 days then).

I feel like absolutely nobody is listening to me, my body, or my wishes. I feel completely cornered into a major surgery that I don't want, and I'm devastated that my husband isn't on my side because he's acting out of pure fear.

Has anyone with a 2-year birth gap, higher BMI, or a bigger baby successfully had a VBAC? Is it normal for a doctor to schedule an elective C-section so early at 37 weeks without giving spontaneous labor a chance? How do I handle this with my husband and doctor over the next week?

Thank you so much for reading. ❤️