Am I good candidate for a VBAC?
Hi, I (30F) am expecting my second baby. There will be a 20month age gap.
My first was an unplanned c-section.
With my first, I had contractions start sometime after midnight. In the morning my water broke and there was meconium in it. I called my midwife who had me come into the hospital for triage. Baby had some very subtle heart decelerations, when I was triaged with my midwife, at the hospital at 11am. It was recommended that I get induced so I could be admitted to the hospital (I was only 3cm dilated) and thus baby’s heart rate could be monitored. My other option was to go home without heart rate monitoring which I was uncomfortable with in light of the heart rate concern. I got induced with Pitocin at 1pm. dilated to 6cm around 4pm; got an epidural around 4pm. At 4:45pm baby wasn’t responding well to contractions (subtle dips in heart rate after contractions) so an OB recommended a c-section. Baby born at 5:23pm by c-section. Baby’s head was very deep in my pelvis, OB needed to get her out feet first. Her head was a bit cone shaped and she had two very large Cephalohematoma bumps on her head that took a few months to go away.
While labouring my midwife had me in a side lying position with a peanut ball between my legs. Anytime I moved even slightly she would insist that i move back so that the heart rate monitoring was positioned correctly. I had very intense back labour so it is believed that baby was “sunny side up”. After the c-section, my midwife and OB could not tell me why the baby’s heart rate was dropping after contractions.
I was told because I had a c section that I would require continuous heart rate monitoring for all subsequent births via VBAC, so I’m nervous that I won’t be able to move at all during labour during a vaginal birth. My hospital does not have wireless heart rate monitoring. I’m worried that the same thing will happen again if I go for a VBAC. Any advice or commentary appreciated.