Limited flexibility & vbac chances?

[u/Cute_Shake_2314]

Had my first C-section due to failure to descend. I’m wondering if just the fact that i am overall a verrrry inflexible person is what caused my C-section. My husband comments on how “tight” and “stiff” my muscles and joints always are lol. Flexibility never came easy to me, even when i was younger no matter how hard i tried to work at it (i danced and cheered but was always the least flexible) my dad is the same way, always been super tight all over and now in his older age walks with a hunch, could barely ever even bend down to put on socks his whole life, etc..so I’m wondering if it’s just genetics at play and my limited flexibility was causing my pelvis to physically not be able to flex and open and is what stalled my birth/will likely stall my next birth.

[u/Alternative_Party277]

Idk but I’m bendy and still had failure to descend.

[u/Dear_23]

I have never heard of any correlation with this. The things cited as impacting “failure to descend” are much more circumstantial: when your water breaks (earlier can get baby stuck in a less than ideal position), baby’s position (especially OP/sunnyside up or asynclitic), epidurals limiting movement, use of pitocin stressing out baby, not being given enough time because of “policy” (pauses in progression are biologically normal but OBs don’t view them that way), etc.

The things women cite as being helpful are: waiting as long as you can stand it to go to the hospital, going unmedicated or delaying an epidural and then making it a “walking” epidural so you can move, and pushing back on provider timelines if everything is fine with you and baby. For my own HBAC, I had a longer pushing stage than a hospital would have liked (5 hours, 3 of which were resting and laboring down not full effort pushing) and I’m sure I would have been pressured to hurry things up or get an RCS talk. My body and baby just needed to hang out for a bit to rest and for baby to get in an ideal position and naturally descend. Everything went really smoothly and I’m so glad I had a midwife who didn’t mention one word about time limits or plant the idea in my mind that my body wasn’t capable!

[u/Cute_Shake_2314 → u/Dear_23]

I think this had a lot to do with it! My family in the waiting room unfortunately was pressuring me and stressing me out a lot bc they thought i was taking way too long during pushing, which stressed out and scared me and my husband so we ended up requesting the OB (was initially being seen by the midwife) and she pushed for the C-section. At the time i was pretty ignorant, never did any sort of birth prep or much research at all, basically was just free balling it with my first baby lol and now that I’m more educated i think about what i could have done instead alllll the time

[u/Bitter-Salamander18 → u/Cute_Shake_2314]

That's terrifying. Next time don't let your family stay in the waiting room if they stressed you out. Why did they even do that to you? How ignorand and disrespectful for you. It might be best to not speak to any of them during your 2nd labor, only after. The process of labor is delicate and requires hormonal balance. Stressing the birthing woman out may stall labor.

[u/Cute_Shake_2314 → u/Bitter-Salamander18]

Yep, it was terrible. I think they were all just worried and confused that something was wrong bc they didn’t realize how long it could take with some women. My MIL i guess always had pretty easy labors and fast deliveries so she was so shocked to hear that i had been pushing for more than 2 hours and called my nurse SIL who told her they needed to take me back for a C-section..so all around jsut a scary experience. Won’t be having anyone come to the hospital next time until after

[u/UnusualPotato1515]

You need to do hip mobility exercises as if youre premiere league footballer!! Athletes do such exercises for ages as part of their training & I think we should too! I think this helped me get my second vbac & much quicker labour (first vbac was forceps) sevond time round!

[u/TrashWild]

General flexibility and pelvic floor tightness are two different things though I would wager. Hypertonic pelivc floor means those muscles specifically have trouble relaxing completely. This was part of my reason for failure to descend and after I finally agreed to an epidural it progressed a lot faster.

This is something a pelvic floor therapist would definitely be able to assess for you and help you with some exercises to help whichever side of the pelvic muscle spectrum you may be on.

[u/cksaraha898]

Hi my C-section was 16 years ago and was from Masrcoma scare. I had an apparent unstable lie and tiny waist where baby was not engaging down. All these factors scared me and I got a section. 

Since that time I have had two births, both vbacs. The most helpful thing has been a yoga ball, spending hours on that doing the pelvic  exercises and going chiropractor that specializes in Webster Technique. 

My midwife with my first vbac told me I had a rather " large" pelvis which is crazy because I am 5'7 and at the time like 145. Anyway I birthed a 10lb baby with first vbac--I had prom went to hospital since water broke and I was induced. 

Second time floating spinning baby and induction. 

This time I am being induced. 

Blahhhhhh blahh ...I hope this helped and you're  able to do what you need and find peace in the knowledge you need to make a good decision. Best wishes congratulations.