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| Helen Sumner |
I first started researching VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean) when my first baby
was about six weeks old. When I went to my six week check up with my OB, I asked
him about a natural birth next time, and he told me that it was too risky, my
baby was just to big for my body, and he didn’t want to have to be waiting
around the hospital the entire time I was in labor. (It’s a law that a Dr has
to be at the hospital the entire time his patient is laboring during a VBAC.)
So I left feeling a little sad, but hey it’s what my Dr
said, and we have to listen to everything our Doctors say because they are the ones
who went to medical school, and they have our best interests in mind, right?
A
few weeks later I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I did a quick google
search, and found out that there are a lot of other women who do not want to be
forced into another c/section. I found an amazing vbac support group,
and I started asking everyone I knew who had had a cesarean if they were
considering a vbac next time? A lot of responses were “what is that?” I heard
the stories of why people who had multiple C/Sections went that route. “Well
because that’s what their Doctors said to do.” Honestly, a lot of ladies think
they have no other choice - “Once a C/section always a C/section.” That’s what I
had always thought too.
I’m going to back track a little because if I could
give first time moms any advice it would be do not go into your birthing
experience feeling like the Doctor has your best interest in mind. Do not go to the
hospital trusting the system. Do your research. If I had done just that, I am
positive that my c/section could have been prevented, but that’s another story
for another time. Oh and by the way, I’m sure you’ve figured this out, but in
case sarcasm is lost on you, I do NOT think we always have to listen to our
Drs.
So when I realized that other people did have babies
naturally after a C/section, I started researching the risks. I’m not going to
get into all of the statistics and studies. I’ll provide links to some great
information though. What I found was surprising! There are risks, but they are
smaller than I thought. I’m not going to say that everyone should have a vbac,
I think it’s a very personal decision that you should research, and pray about. There are risks to which ever you choose, you just have to decide which risk is
right for you. We decided that vbac was the right risk for us. It took a little
bit to convince James, but once he saw the research he was convinced. It also
took a little bit to convince a few of my friends and family I heard “please
just don’t risk it” a few times, but I think I bored them with enough evidence
that it was a safe option, to hush them up.
So once everyone was on board, I started trying to
figure out where I could actually have a vbac! I quickly discovered it was not
going to be in Beaumont , no Doctors will do vbacs (I
wasn’t pregnant at this time, just wanted to be prepared.) I starting thinking I
was going to have to drive to Houston Orange Orange
I was ten days late when I had Benjamin. My midwife realized
that I was worrying so much that I wasn’t letting myself go into labor, so I
made a list of all of my fears, and then put a bible verse to go with that
fear. I had so many people praying for me, I knew deep down that the Lord was
with me. When I was on my way to the birthing center, I was crying for joy
because I had so much peace and could feel the presence of the Lord!
Natural birth was the biggest adventure I’ve ever been
on; don’t let the fear of pain keep you from a natural birth. There is nothing
like the feeling of pushing your baby
out, and then pulling them into your arms. Birth isn’t something we should
fear, it’s what we were made for. It’s what our bodies are designed to do, and
there is something amazingly powerful about being able to do it all on your
own.
If you are considering a vbac, or have already decided
you want one, then get a little determination! I had decided that if I did end
up having a C/section, I wanted to be able to look back and say without a doubt
I had done everything to make my vbac possible.
My sweet sister, Tera, paid for me to have a birth
photographer, and I’m so very thankful to her for that. I will forever cherish
the pictures from that morning, and I would like to share them with you all.
Here’s a link to my
birth pictures.
The Landon study proved that vbac is a safe option, link.
This is written by a midwife and puts the risk of vbac
into perspective, link.
I think this last link is what made me decide I definitely wanted a vbac after I weighed the pros and cons of vbac or repeat C/section, link.
I think this last link is what made me decide I definitely wanted a vbac after I weighed the pros and cons of vbac or repeat C/section, link.
Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord:
and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
Psalm 127:3
