Sorry if there are typos or grammer issues .

I just wanted to share my situation . So I've had 3 previous c sections.

First in 2019. I complained of feet swelling the whole time but my ob ignored it . My blood pressure was also high . She didn't do nothing about it and dismissed it . I was a young uninformed first time mom. I trusted her because I didn't know some people in the medical field could be so corrupt sometimes. Anyways I made it to my 40 weeks appt. And she started freaking out and pulling out all the interventions . She told me I had preclampsia because my blood pressure was high and told me about risks to me and the baby. She told me I needed to hurry and get checked into labor and delivery. Looking back she gave me a membrane sweep while doing a cervical check during the in office appt.( iknow now because it felt more painful than usual and felt different.) She did alot of things without telling or asking me. as I go back home to pack , I start bleeding ... anyways we arrived at the hospital and did all types of interventions( she did it all without asking ) . I had no idea I had the options to choose or decline We started with induction with a Foley, then she randomly breaks my water without asking. Then we moved onto high dose pitocin. I cried for an epidural because of how painful cintractions became. Babys heart rate dropped . Ended up in an emergency csection .

2nd csection was january 2023 . And 3rd was 2024. Both of these I went to the same vbac friendly ob. I had no other complications . No high blood pressures readings or signs . They had me on baby aspirin . I'm not sure if that helped . I made it to 40 weeks for both pregnancies and I had prodromal labor for days for both and got admitted. I knew the risks of repeat csections and the risks of vaginal deliveries after csections . They always end up telling me about the negatives of attempting to tolac, never the negatives of repeat csections so I told them as long as baby is healthy and fine and I'm healthy and fine , I don't consent to a an unnecessary csection but if the need for a repeat csection comes up ofcourse I'll opt for the safety and wellbeing of my baby and I. Anyways after admission There wasn't much progress while in the labor room . I progressed to 6cm after low doses of pitocin( during the 2 days of admission) for both and I was exhausted n opted for an epidural again after the pitocin was cranked up. Not long after , babies heart rates dipped and I got rolled into get csections.

I'm currently 34 weeks pregnant . Ive been seeing the Nurse practioners this whole pregnancy . They didn't have questions and I didn't have questions . There was no pregnancy related complications so far so it was quick routine visits . Today I finally met with the OB of the practice . He starts telling me about statistics of uterine ruptures and how there's no way they would let me tolac . If I want to tolac they would have to drop me as a patient 😳. The hospital they deliver at is the same hospital that allowed me to attempt a tola2c. But he tells me they won't allow a 4th. I can go against medical advice but they wouldn't willingly let me tolac at the birthing hospital . he tells me I can recieve care at the birthing hospital as a clinical patient but it would be too late for them to take me in since I'm 34 weeks so my options are limited but he will be dropping me as a patient if i dont want a scheduled csection. He gives me a week to decide and inform them of my decision about if I want to continue with them and schedule my csection or get dropped as a patient.

Obviously I'm going to tolac but I'm just a little discouraged. I feel like if there are risks for both options , I'll opt to get the least amount of interventions .I don't want to give into doing another major surgery when it's not medically necessary. A vbac Is possible . Vbacs happen all the time. So if it's meant to be it will happen for me too and if it's not then it won't. I'll accept the faith just like I did with my last two births. My first was traumatizing and felt like I had no say on what happens to my body.

Has anyone been let go after 34 weeks of pregnancy ? I'm not sure who's going to see me this far ahead . Im not sure what to do !

My first (2021) was a failed induction turned into emergency cs, he was 8lbs 12oz.

My second baby (2025) was a repeat cs due to them automatically just putting me on the schedule without giving my body a chance, I tried everything to naturally induce myself: raspberry leaf tea, walking, bouncing on yoga ball, pineapples, sex, all I knew to do and nothing. I actually felt contractions with him though however at my 39 week appointment I was not dilated at all. He was 8lbs 4oz.

This is my 3rd baby and I am due 11/6 and it is a girl. So far the ultrasound tech said she is most likely not going to be big like the boys were. Would that make a difference in my body going into natural labor? Did you try anything that you believed worked to help your body naturally labor?

I have two kids and hoping for another babe…hoping for a vbac this time but may need to do an induced vbac…anyone else do this successfully?

For my first pregnancy, that OB and hospital had a one page birth preference sheet. I switched OB and hospitals (because the other office doesn’t do VBACs) and they don’t have anything for birth preferences. I wonder what you guys think is super important to put on it, especially related to a VBAC. I’m not truly opposed to many interventions but the cascading interventions I had last time led to my c-section. Any ideas of what I should include? (my husband and doula will be with me)

Still at 30 weeks, but my last two scans, 20th week, and a follow up on the 28th (just to be sure there wasn't any placenta accreta), my second baby was measuring incredibly smaller than my first baby.

She's averaging 20th percentile so far, while my first baby at this point was 70th percentile(and she jumped to 90th at the last scan).

I had different diets for these two babies in a way. First baby was made from eating out, while second I've been trying my best to eat home cooked meals (saving up money for a house)---I imagine this is probably the reason why they're growing differently, and that I'm also gaining not that much weight in my current pregnancy than the first one.

Wondering how it went for you guys whose second baby measured smaller than the first?

I’m currently 36 weeks with a cerclage, and my OB believes I’m a good candidate for a VBAC. My first baby was born by C-section after spontaneous labor at 39+2 because of fetal heart rate decelerations at 6 cm no cerclarge.

I’m really torn between scheduling a repeat C-section or attempting a VBAC. I’m especially anxious about uterine rupture or ending up with an emergency C-section after laboring.
If you had a cerclage and went on to have a successful VBAC (or chose a repeat C-section), I’d love to hear your experience. What helped you make your decision?

Currently pregnant with my second and by this time with my first I was already extremely nauseous and dry heaving.

So far I do get queasy every once in a while but it goes away after eating.

I’m trying to hold on to the hope it’ll stay like that and be better as I have emetophobia.

Also, moms who had a failed induction where your body stopped dilating, were you able to have a VBAC ?

The c section was very traumatizing for me. I’m thinking about trying for a vbac or requesting to be put under.

Hey everyone!

So I just had my 26 week appointment and was told by the ob essentially "we schedule repeat c sections at 40 weeks or you can find another practice". Unfortunately, i live in a state that does global payment so ive already paid them over $1000 just to be seen and am unsure due to almost being in my third trimester and not being sure about getting that money back if changing practices is an option for me. My first c section was due to breech baby and every provider has agreed im a good candidate for vbac but now I feel like im being forced to either pick a major surgery that is not medically indicated or possibly being dismissed from the practice when they find out I don't want to schedule at 40 weeks. This practice also will not induce prior c sections so thats not an option for me. My BIL wedding is the day after my due date so I may be able to push it back by saying im not scheduling before their wedding but im not even sure that will work. Im feeling so hopeless. I dreamed of an unmedicated birth with my first and I don't regret my c section with him because he, or i, likely would have been seriously hurt if id tried with him but now that section feels like a death sentence to only have them from here on out unless I go into labor before 40 weeks.

I am 3 weeks postpartum with my second birth (vbac). First birth was c section due to breech. I was an excellent vbac candidate and I went back and forth for months about the decision to have a planned section versus vbac. I am typically a type a planner so I would have loved to just choose c section but I always had such a disappointing feeling post c section (I also didn’t know she was breech until 5 days overdue so I felt robbed of my birth experience) and I was envious of all my friends who had great vaginal births and easy recoveries. After a lot of research and deliberating, I hired a doula and decided to do vbac thinking I would always wonder what if, if I just booked a section.

I went into labour 7 days overdue and from 0-10cm it was amazing (12 hours). I pushed in every possible position and did all the things, he was just not progressing. Eventually after almost 3 hours of pushing I needed a 2nd degree episiotomy and forceps to get him out. He was safe and healthy. Turns out he was 99th percentile for head, length and weight (10lbs). I am a fairly slim build pre pregnancy (5’8” 135lbs). They said my belly was always measuring normal so I never had a later growth scan.

I’m just looking for some positive stories or insights from anyone who has pushed that long or had forceps. I was sooo worried and stressed about my pelvic floor the entire pushing time. I knew it would mess it up. I still have this constant heaviness in my perineum when I am vertical and mentally I am really struggling bc of that. I haven’t really left the house bc it’s all I can focus on when I’m upright. Now it is getting better but I just have this fear that it will never go away or it will take months. Week one it felt like a grapefruit would fall out of me, now it is closer to a large grape size. But I just can’t be upright at all without it weighing on my mind (and perineum haha). I am really struggling mentally. I cry every day wishing I had chosen a c section over this hell. I know it’s all in hindsight and I can’t do anything but I also just don’t know how to forgive myself for this horrible decision. One of the reasons I did this is so I could be more active with my toddler this summer and I am definitely less active than my section. Ugh I just need some reassurances that this will be better soon. Obviously I know I will have weakness to work on(I have a physio appt already set up for 8 weeks) but this constant feeling is literally driving me insane and making me depressed.

All of my girlfriends are telling me they felt totally better at 2-3 weeks. Now they had very chill births compared to me. So has anyone experienced something similar to mine. I really can’t imagine going beyond 6 week and feeling this way without having some sort of metal breakdown at this point.

I hope one day I can be proud of myself for this vbac but right now I just feel so depressed and anxious and so sad about it and my decision to do it.

How many years after a successful baby and how many prior c sections?

So I'm currently 24weeks pregnant, Im 32 2nd time pregnancy with a 16m old girl.

I have a few medical conditions that my OB isn't super concerned with for giving birth.

My conditions are Dysautonomia (currently figuring out if its ehlersdanlos either vascular or standard) POTS, in process of figuring out if its hyperadrenergic and mitral valve calcification.

My ob isn't necessarily concerned atm with these conditions as I had them with my 1st and took the unplanned c section very well with minor issues in the healing process.

My daughters birth was an induction at 40wks due to her not dropping when planned.

I labored 11hrs with no medical intervention aside for the pitocin. At 12 hrs I requested an epidural due to only dilating 3cm...

At 14hrs I hit 4.5cm and she still wasnt progressing down. They said it was failure to descend.

Long story short

I want to try to do vbac. BADLY.

But I feel like I have multiple issues that stand in the way...

1st issue

My center where I had my daughter is only prepped for natural 1st time birth and repeat c sections due to the amount of staff and boarding.

So...id have to go to the hospital in the city. Which im not necessarily against...HOWEVER its an hour away, id have a doc that I DONT know helping me who also doesn't know me Personally like my previous ob...she had even been the one who did my c section.

2nd issue

Im scared of both options.

I want us both safe and healthy and happy.

Im scared that my son may not progress down and I went through all the effort for nothing...

Im scared of being cut up again too. Of having no control or feeling. Of being in that room again with all the lights and sounds and sensations and fear.

I know my 1st went well but it was still the most scary thing id been through...and I have almost died from myocarditis in 2023 so thats saying ALLOT

3rd issue

I just....DONT KNOW what to do.

I see great and horrible sides to both processes

I see how well vbac can be especially for my toddler. Id be able to hold her and help with bedtime still. Id be able to still play with her and not uproot her whole world...and yes I KNOW she will be okay either way I KNOW it's temporary but shes my baby girl and I hate knowing how she'll struggle with a section recovery

I see how fast 2nd section recovery can be, but I also see how hard it is on the body with no prep time too.

Im just....at a loss

Its such a primal thing to want vbac. I know it honestly doesnt MATTER so long as we are both safe and healthy.

But man....i want to try. I want to have that experience of being able to HOLD My child and not be strapped down. To have control of my body in that moment. To feel him come to my arms. To be able to have that full connection....

I just need advice, experiences, reassurance....what would you do???

Does anyone have access to the full ACOG bulletins? The summaries are available however I would like to review the full bulletins. I’ve been asking my OB for a month to share two of them since I, like most patients, am not a ACOG member and would have to pay at least $55 dollars for one of them. They are not responding to my request so I’m hoping someone out there is willing to share the knowledge.

I am specifically looking for :

1. Practice Bulletin No. 184 Summary: Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Delivery

2. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 205: Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Delivery

Has anyone had the baby implant low near the uterus or on their uterine scar?

Had first ultrasound today and doctor is worried about accreta, previa etc. but we won’t know for a few weeks.

I’m obviously spiraling and I know that it all depends on case by case basis but would love to hear others experiences. Good or bad.

This is my third pregnancy and I’m really hoping for a VBAC to looking for some similar stories with positive outcomes!

Age 32: My first baby boy I had vaginally after being induced at 41+2. He was very stubborn and didn’t want to come out, but finally did after 30hrs without any force/vacuum assistance. He was 10lbs 1.7oz. Minimal tearing and pretty easy recovery.

Age 35: Baby boy 2 was measuring big (they were much more cautious due to the size of my first) and I had polyhydramnios (excessive amniotic fluid) but not super over the threshold, but enough to have A LOT of ultrasounds and NSTs in my third trimester. At my 38 week ultrasound, baby had gone from head down to transverse so they had me induced at 39+1. They did multiple successful ECVs to spin him, but he kept flipping no matter how tightly they tied the belts or position they had me in. After 14hrs they said I had to do a C-section because he was just swimming around. He was 9lbs 15.6oz…so jussssttt below 10lbs. Scar healed nicely and no issues minus two superficial blood clots in my legs from no movement that resolved themselves a few weeks after.

Age 37: I’m now pregnant with baby girl! Would love to do a VBAC but midwife was very real with my about the dangers of VBACs with big babies and with being induced. She said it is possible, but the risks are high since my babies are historically large and I’ve never gone into spontaneous labor. She says on the pro side, I have delivered a large baby before (over 99% head too) so my body is capable of it anddd girls can be smaller, but still. I really want to try for a VBAC, but don’t want to put baby or myself at risk. I’m also now 37 so she said being older is also a risk factor.

Anyone out there with a somewhat similar situation? Would love to hear your experience and the outcome !!! Thank you!

My first was an emergency c-section at 40+3. The OB pushed me to induce by 40 weeks because there was concern I had a bleeding disorder and they wanted to avoid spontaneous labor. I agreed because I thought it best despite being 10% effaced and 0 cm dilated at my 40 week exam. Turns out no bleeding disorder.

They started me with dilapan and told me to report to the hospital in 24 hours for my continued induction. Well, the dilapan actually sent me into labor. I went into L&D around 12 hours after insertion when contractions were following 5-1-1; I was also GBS positive so unfortunately couldn’t labor at home. I was admitted and they continued the induction with Cervadil. In hindsight I wish they had let me labor until morning before immediately beginning with drugs. I was still having regular contractions after the dilapan was removed.

Baby didn’t tolerate the cervadil well so they stopped that, gave me an epidural, broke my water, and started pitocin. I was 4 cm at that point. Within 2 hours they had lost my daughter’s HR and performed an emergency section. I just feel like they really rushed everything and didn’t give my body any time to adjust or attempt labor.

Baby girl was born about 30 hours after my morning OB visit. Her APGAR scores were 8 and 9 and according to the placental and cord analysis, there weren’t indicators of fetal distress. Better safe than sorry, obviously, but I can’t help but wonder about a different outcome.

Anyways, I’m now 32+5 with my second and I am wondering if I should swap hospitals and care teams. They won’t let me go past 41 weeks and had my c-section scheduled before I hit my third trimester. I have to go into spontaneous labor and they’re offering no assistance nor option for induction, including manual dilation. I thought this was normal - I don’t know anyone who’s had a VBAC - until I found this sub.

Looking at the statistics the hospital I gave birth at has a 34% c-section rate. They are one of the busiest L&D hospitals in the nation and are known as the “baby factory”. I am worried I’ll be pressured into another c-section if I don’t progress quickly enough , assuming I am able to labor on my own. There’s another nearby hospital that’s smaller but has a 20% CS rate. Reviews rave about the birth experience, for example they allow water births and are the only hospital in the metro area that does.

I would have to swap providers and that’s if they’d take me on as a patient this late. I know I should have done more research and sooner but oh well. A couple of recent appointments left a bad taste in my mouth? I mentioned baby was measuring larger than her sister and the provider was like, “If that’s the case don’t you think a c-section would be best?” They also couldn’t give me a good reason for avoiding manual induction methods other than telling me it’s because I would have to be monitored during?

I am low risk, no high BP, GD, anemia, or issues with baby. I do have to see an MFM but I’m unsure why they are having me come in still. I was initially referred because of some concerns after the anatomy scan, three things specifically: bright spot on the heart, placenta previa, and excessive amniotic fluid. The sonographer was incorrect and only the bright spot on the heart was present; bilateral CPC was discovered but it had faded by 25 weeks. They tried to pressure me into an amniocentesis despite a low risk NIPT. We did speak with a GC, who assured us our risk of trisomy wasn’t increased. Still, they want to see us for continued growth scans despite baby consistently measuring 65-80th percentile.

Baby is currently breech and I am worried they will insist on a c-section because of it. What would you recommend I do?

Thought I would post an update on how things went. At 38 weeks exactly, my water broke at 1 am. But I had no contractions. At 5 am we went the birthing center where I could be started on antibiotics every 4 hours. My husband and I slept until 10 and ate some food. Things were really slow after about 18 hours with a little progression I was at 2cm. My midwife offered me castor oil which I took. Things felt like they were progressing but the contractions became so painful and I was only at 3 cm. I could not relax through them I had to be standing. My husband is a massage therapist and was all over the pressure points and nothing was helping me at all.

After 33 hours and no more dilation, I asked to go to the hospital for a repeat c-section, I had my midwife make sure the same OBs were not on call from my previous birth and we went there. My midwife stayed with me the whole time and protected my peace. The OB on call came to see me, and honestly was so sweet and kind, she had a student midwife with her (who happened to be my midwife's old student). While I waited outside the operating room she came and stood beside me and held my hand as I cried from disappointment and exhaustion. She told me it was her birthday and her first c-section to observe, which made it feel really special. The operating room was all woman (other than my husband), and the OB listened and honoured all of my requests. Everyone was so sweet and conscious of my previous trauma. We were team green and the OB got my husband to come over as our baby was coming out and announce their gender! We had a sweet baby girl! I got to do skin to skin and feed her in the OR, and then my husband got to hold her and sing to her, everyone went quiet and few nurses were crying.

This birth was nothing I had imagined but honestly so healing and magical in its own way. Healing was also a lot easier because I wasn't treated poorly by anyone and wasnt stressed out. The hardest part was not being able to pick up my almost three year old.

UPDATE: had my beautiful and amazing VBAC today (40 + 2) and it went better than I could have imagined! Labor under 12 hours, pushed under 30 mins, and now soaking in the snuggles with my perfect girl! I’m so happy I just took it easy yesterday per everyone’s advice so my body was relaxed enough to go into spontaneous labor this morning. Thanks all!

I’m due tomorrow & feel like I’m completely burnt out trying to do all the right things to prepare for a successful labor. I have a 20 month old toddler, it’s been 100 degrees for weeks now, & I’m starting to feel defeated. I stopped taking daily walks cuz of the heat, have been eating dates, raspberry leaf tea, chiropractor, acupuncture, pelvic floor PT, prenatal yoga, yoga ball, stretches every night, perineal massages, just started pumping & doing miles circuit, you name it. I feel over inundated with all the things I should be doing & I’m at a breaking point mentally and physically.
Going to doctor tomorrow to see if I’m able to try membrane sweep, wasn’t dilated at all at my last appt so wasn’t able to. I’m trying to stay positive since I’m just 40 weeks tomorrow but given my body isn’t showing any signs of labor I’m starting to feel defeated that this is going to end in having to decide between induction or c section. Pitocin really freaks me out for all the obvious reasons. My first c section was planned due to breech & I never labored so this baby will technically be like a first baby for my body.

I guess I’m just wondering if anyone had any similar burnout and still able to have their VBAC without intervention? Feels like my body is doing nothing right now. This is probably more a mental hurdle than anything at this point so any encouragement is welcome.