A longshot...are there any HBAC Mums out there?

[Ruth_Baldock]

Has anyone here had an HBAC? Or do you know anyone that has? Would you/they be willing to talk me through their experiences at all?

Thanks in advance!

[alieh]

Oooh, good question. I'd like to know too!

[The Nappy Lady]

If you go to Yahoo Groups there is a brilliant Home Birth group there (homebirthUK), and I'm sure some of them will be HBAC. It is:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/homebirthUK/?yguid=371386140

I know loads of people who have been helped massively via this group.

Molly

x

[Ruth_Baldock]

Fab, thanks Molly.

[Mellors]

Interesting question. I wanted a HBAC with No 2, and Kings/my local health centre midwives in ED wouldn't support me in it, so I ended up paying for private midwives. I had the most wonderful birth (all natural) with No 2 so it was worth every penny. I wonder if they are more supportive now (this was 2 years ago). I'm happy to fill you in on the details etc etc if you want to drop me a PM, or ask any questions on here.

[Ruth_Baldock]

Gosh, not supportive of a home birth in ED??? Bloody hell.

I remember shortly after Baby Baldock was born, the midwife from my practice (Peckham Way MW) came to do a home visit and to take our, unused, homebirth kit with her and she told me the the Midwives were very supportive of HBACs so not to think my chances of having one were now gone. The midwifery team has stayed the same, and probably will be the same when my booking is taken (anytime from now, am not pregnant but am TTC as I am insane- Baby is only 6 months old!!!!)

(Sorry, this is a bit unclear...Baby was a planned homebirth but ended up being a c-section after I was induced so haven't even got experience with labouring at home or anything...let alone having the bubs in the living room like planned)

[Moos]

After I had Moosling in a planned hospital birth but an unplanned c-section, I was very clearly told a homebirth for any future pregnancies was not supported, as they recommend continuous monitoring of the baby during labour. Something to do with any distress of the baby being a good forewarning of the scar tearing - eek.

[Ruth_Baldock]

Continuous monitering through labour? Oh nononononon. No. Never again. No.

[Mellors]

Yes, monitoring was one of the issues with me.

I was told in no uncertain terms that a homebirth was not supported due to risk of scar rupture and requirement for continuous monitoring in a VBAC. Which also meant no birth pool etc etc etc. In fact at 14 days over (my lazy babies are alwasy late!) Kings tried to c-section me again that day until I had a huff and left in tears.

I ended up (with all thanks to my incredibly supportive private midwives) that evening having a wonderful short VBAC birth, with minimal monitoring, in the pool, after a relatively short completely natural labour (and all this despite being very small and having a 9lb baby!)

Pah!

I wonder if the position has changed? I was with DMC (although pre-Lanes).

[Smiler]

A doctor at Kings said to me recently that there was a 1 in 370 chance of the C-section scar tearing, which seems quite small. At my 28 week appointment with my midwife recently she gave me a Kings fact-sheet about VBAC, which mentioned continuous monitoring, monitoring of progression of labour etc. for VBAC. We didn't discuss HBAC in detail as have always planned a hospital birth, but have got the impression that if homebirth is strongly preferred that they will discuss / consider it.

We may be moving before the birth and jhave been looking into services in the new area. Was miffed to discover that at the hospital near where we'll be moving, where they have a swanky new birthing centre (midwife-led) in the actual hospital but comfy, homely, with nice lighting, sofas and birthing pools etc. no-one who has previously had a C-section is eligible to go there, only to the standard (and not as nice) labour ward!

So think ED / Kings are relatively open to things compared to some NHS trusts!

[Mellors]

St Thomas' don't allow previous C-sections onto their Home from Home midwifery led centre either.

[Ruth_Baldock]

That is utterly ridicolous, but not unsurprising, unfortunately.

If I had to go for constant monitoring, I'd rather have a repeat c-section tbh. It's all or nothing for me, but the monitoring and being unable to move/use birthing pool was a dealbreaker last time round and probably why things went awfully pear-shaped.

[The Nappy Lady]

I think (but do check this out), that the sooner you get pregnant after a C-Section the more wary they will be regarding a home birth because the scar has had less time to heal. If I am right then maybe Ruth you should hold off getting pregnant right now if a home birth next time is important to you? Forgive / ignore this advice of course if you feel I'm talking balony!! I remember being VERY broody when both mine were still little, then it did wear off a bit, and now I am very glad of the age gap we have (though there is no perfect age gap of course, and ours was not a 'chosen' one in the end, just how it worked out).

My friend has now had to have 3 x C-sections. She tried for a natural birth in hospital 2nd time around and came within minutes of a full on scar rupture, which midwives had missed completely (despite constant pain, not just during contractions) and her telling them something didn't feel right. It so happened that her consultant - who was off duty - happened to be passing through, heard she was in labour and popped in to see her, took one look at the scar, touched it (she screamed in agony) and he rushed her straight into theatre....probably saving both her..or at least her womb, and her baby's life.

Now....I HATE scare stories, truly, but please, please look into this long and hard, try to read all the evidence, and see whether you can find latest research - her consultant is doing some study into the thickness of the scar giving indication of how likely you are to rupture I gather. I can try to get his name if you like? I equally know many who have had a HBAC, like Mellors above, and think it is brilliant....but you do need to know all the facts so you go into this with your eyes wide open.

I'm sure you all know I am pro-home birth, but not against all odds if that makes sense and I felt I had to share my limited knowledge with you.

Molly

[Ruth_Baldock]

You're right Molly, and I do take your advice on board. Although we're TTC I doubt I'll get pregnant anytime soon as I had PCOS before getting up t'duff the first time.

I'm also just trying to get all the information I can. I fear I will probably get scared and go for a repeat section with the next one to be honest. I'm all talk no trousers really... :(

[lillyanginger]

Ruth,

I had baby one as an emergency c-section at Kings and really really really did not want to have to repeat that experience. When I was pregnant again, I was very keen (but not totally set) on a 'non-casearean' birth as I had all kinds of problems with baby one.

I also wanted EVERY painkiller available on this planet - I was not going to do a repeat of number one birth!!!

Child number 2 was born at home. It was a very very different birth - in a good way. That was 8 years ago.

I have no idea if I can help you at all, but please feel free to pm me if you wish.

[craigy]

just for the record, st thomas' does allow VBACs on their home from home birth centre but you have to have a meeting with the consultant midwife to discuss being 'out of the guidelines'...

[LeilahB]

Hello all - I had an emergency c-section with my first and am now pregnant again, due November, and currently registered with brierley for a home birth. They've been very supportive - and I had a meeting with a consultant at King's a couple of weeks ago, who explained the risks of the scar rupturing (about 1/300 he reckoned), but basically said it was up to me. My brierley mid-wife also said that of the 10/12 home births they do a month, approximately 2 of those are HBACs and that she has never in her 20 odd years of being a midwife seen a scar rupture. So there must be quite a few women out there doing it. I may chicken out at the last minute, and my first was 16 days late so we may end up in hospital being induced anyway, but at the moment, the plan is a home birth (I had a MISERABLE time in hospital the first time round and desperately keen to avoid the same experience).

[gwod]

Slightly off topic but I just wanted reassure those of you that had and an emergency C/section as their first birth experience that other hospital deliveries are usually not nearly as traumatic as that.

An emergency C/s is the worst of both worlds...labour and an operation, as well an often traumatic time in birth when the baby/mother is in danger followed by a potentially a long stay in hospital. My second and 3rd babies were born my em C/section and so I had planned c/section for the last 2, the first of which I was dreading as I associated my previous experiences with what would happen during the delivery. Actually, the planned C/sections were lovely, and I was well enough to leave hosp quickly, and recovered very soon with both.

It must be very hard to imagining a good birth if your only experience so far was bad, but try not to polarise your choices (ie. hosp birth was bad, therefore home birth will be good) as there are lots of options in between which may also suit you.

Best of luck.

[Smiler]

Thanks gwod!

[ClareC]

Worth adding that not all emergency C Sections are a bad experience........ I had an emergency C Section at St Thomas's after what I would guess to be not the best of labours. The operation was fine, the staff were amazing and the recovery quick - far less painful than I ever anticipated and a breeze compared to the labour! I was out of hospital in less than 48 hours, up and walking after around 12.

I have no doubt that I would choose elective C Section next time round!

[Ruth_Baldock]

Some people do have empowering and positive c-section experiences, but then equally there are people like me who went through hell with theirs (labour wasn't such a laugh either, not because of the pain but all the tomfoolery that went with it- failure to progress etc etc)

To be very, very honest one of the reasons I don't want to go back to hospital was the awful, AWFUL experience I had on the post-natal ward. I know the staff are all rushed off their feet, but loads of stuff happened that made me never want to set foot there ever again (My pain meds and DVT jabs being forgotten about for one...never did get them in the end!!!). If someone could say 'You can have a repeat section and go home the same day' (impossible) I'd go for the elective section most likely...

[gwod]

I really empathise Ruth, my emergency experiences were also bad (in one instance, as bad as it can get) but the last c/sections really were OK...and I found that, as the delivery went Ok, I was much better equiped to deal with the post natal ward - though I agree its never going to feel like Champney's!

Incidentally I did get out of hosp within 24 hours of my last daughter's births, but it would be hard to guarentee.

[ClareC]

I think however the birth turns out (home/ home from home/hospital/ elective C section / emergency C section etc) there will always be good and bad experiences.

The post natal ward was definitely the worst part for me too, fortunately I only stayed there one night which given the C section was an emergency one shows how little time you can stay in, I was told I would be in 3 - 5 days originally! Presumably with elective the time must be as short as possible.

I totally empathise with you Ruth and do realise that not all emergency C sections are like mine. it does also cross my mind that an elective next time round (fingers crossed there being a next time) may be a far more painful experience given I won't have had a labour first thus changing my perception of pain!!

[Ruth_Baldock]

Totally agree with you, Clare. I know people who have had homebirth's but have had a 'bad' experience. I suppose it's a case of the grass being greener, or something.

I think with an elective, if you're in good health and haven't had a huge amount of blood loss, and the baby is all fine, you can be out that evening or the next day! I have been researching this, and someone on a yahoo group was operated on at 6am and left at 7pm. I think she's in the minority and most women are in for at least one night. I was in on Friday night, the whole of Saturday, Saturday night and then I made SUCH a fuss on Sunday early hours ("I. AM. GOING. HOME. TODAY! TODAY! TAKE THIS LINE OUT!!!) that I was discharged at 10am that Sunday! Ha!

[esme]

i have 3 friends who had amazing experiences of home births (1 unplanned but had to be home birth as she went into labour very quickly - second child) - king's team have a great reputation and i have to say compared to my hospital birth their care actually sounds far better. they had concerns about noise of labour affecting their neighbours etc. but overall had a great experience and recommended home birth... i would def consider that option if i have another :)