3 Reasons You Should Plan Your VBAC
- Naturelles VBAC™
- Oct 15, 2017
- 5 min read
It's normal to feel apprehensive about having a VBAC. Many mothers feel this way because they don't know what to do. This tends to be a result of having lots of conflicting information openly available. When you think about it, deciding whether or not to have a VBAC is hard. I'm sure you're hearing people say you will have a uterine rupture, and you and your baby won't survive.
And on the other hand, you want a natural physiological VBAC, something not many professionals support. I mean, how can anything compete with you and your baby dying??
In fact, the truth is you're more likely to die from a car accident than having a uterine rupture. Yet, you still travel by car, right?
We hear lots of anecdotal information, which consists of peoples personal views or experiences and it plays a massive part in how we perceive VBACs. We then build our own set of emotions and feelings towards it, and it becomes our representation of childbirth, which may be factual or just our made up belief system.
Deciding what to do can be extremely difficult, mainly because you have to consider whether having a VBAC is a good option for you and whether the midwives rhetoric could be a reality for you.
I want to give you three reasons you should start planning your VBAC today, of course, if you have no severe health problems that will cause imminent, catastrophic danger to yours or your babies life.
1. SAFER THAN A C-SECTION
Yes, I said it, contrary to popular circulating beliefs, having a VBAC is, in fact, safer than a c-section. A caesarean is major surgery cutting through major muscles and tissues in the stomach which could pose many catastrophic risks for the mother and baby.
If that's not a reason why you should at least try for a VBAC, having a c-section doesn't end after you've had the surgery. It can create a whole new set of problems every-time you get pregnant; starting from:
The risk of Uterine rupture,
Pain
Adhesions to other organs
Infections after the surgery
Haemorrhage due to having a c-section
Anaemia which is due to excessive blood loss from the operation
Damage to your other organs
Death
and the list goes on and on and on....
That's not to mention the complications your baby could adopt as a result of the surgery. Your baby could experience:
Difficulty breathing
Infections
Injury (Being cut accidentally during c-section delivery)
death
The need to be in a neonatal nursery
Choking episodes after birth
and the list goes on and on and on....
2. PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL
Having a C-section affects some women mentally, physically and emotionally which can last for years after the initial surgery. The majority of women who've successfully had a VBAC have a better experience initiating breastfeeding and bonding with their babies; not to mention their overall mood and health.
It is known, when a mother has a wondrous birth experience, she is more likely to enter into motherhood feeling satisfied, empowered and ready to begin caring for herself and her newborn baby.
The chance of you experiencing Postnatal Depression is lowered, and you feel on a buzz.
Don't get me wrong, you may be feeling nakered after giving birth vaginally, but your overall Physical health will be better. After all, you can get up, lift and even run after you've given birth to your baby vaginally, although, I don't recommend you do that at all for the first 12 weeks post birth.
Mentally, many mothers feel they have failed their baby and their bodies. Some mothers even reject bonding with their babies after having a c-section and postnatal depression kicks in, especially if they've suffered birth violence or trauma.
Having a birth you've planned for, a birth that's gone to plan, even if it's slightly deviated makes mothers feel they have won the battle. You feel like you've accomplished something amazing.
After I gave birth vaginally, following two c-sections, I went to see my consultant who doubted me. He told me, me and my baby wouldn't make it. I felt proud, robust and influential. I kept my head up.
3. YOUR BODY RECOVERS QUICKER AFTER A VBAC
After pains...
I think many mothers would prefer I say nothing more about after pains. They can be extremely painful lasting for many days post birth, and several women state they are as painful as labour itself.
This is something I most definitely experienced after giving birth vaginally, but after having a c-section, I don't ever remember experiencing it.
Your body has rights over you, and while these rights don't disappear, having a c-section increases the bodies struggles post birth. Your uterus has to go back down, Your hormones are all over the place and are trying to rebalance itself out, not to mention experiencing postnatal bleeding. It's essential we treat our bodies with love, care and respect to aid its recovery.
While there are many things you may or may not experience after or during a c-section, I'm sure we can all agree Surgery is no joke and can create more long-term problems for the mother and baby, not to mention; the recovery period is prolonged.
After having a C-section you cant get up straight away and get your baby when she cries, you're in pain. C-sections make you move slower, and the effects of the surgery are felt instantly. You cant get back to normality straight away and carrying anything heavier than your baby is a NO, NO!
Although, I'm an advocate of the mother resting and not carrying anything but her baby after having a baby whether vaginally or via c-section.
Many mothers speak about experiencing sharp cramps and pains in their c-section scar when they become pregnant again. These cramps can be extremely unpleasant at times. The cramps can sometimes prevent you from getting up, so you may need to wait a while before getting up or moving.
My point is every woman should have a chance to plan for a VBAC if she wants to and although I've only given three reasons why you should, there are many more reasons you should prepare for one and why you have a good chance having a VBAC than a uterine rupture.
Please contact us to find out how we
can support your VBAC journey
VBAC should be seen as a normal, physiological birth and women should not be scared to choose a VBAC. But if you feel scared about your VBAC choice, please take a look here: Are you feeling scared about your VBAC. Remember, Rupture happens in under 1% of VBAC births and you have an extremely good chance to have a VBAC so why not checkout : Tips to have a successful VBAC.
If you need inspiration and you feel like you cant do it, checkout my VBAC birth story here: With all the odds against me, my VBAC wasn't post
Or you can Checkout my other VBAC birth story. I had 2x VBA2C and my story is here: No support no empowerment, my VBAC.
An exercise you can do which I did during my VBAC, can be found here: Breath for your VBAC.
Are you looking for VBAC antenatal classes?? If so, you don't need to look no more. Look here: Are you a Birth professional, doula, midwife, childbirth educator or a hypnobirthing instructor or just interested in VBAC??? We have something special for you, click here: VBAC Support Practitioner Training
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