VBAC SUPPORT

Hi ladies

Well, you may have guessed when I suddenly went quiet that I was having my baby!

Had a successful VBAC last Thursday 4th October.

To cut a very long story short(will write full birthstory later), this is how it all happened:

Wed 3rd Oct: stretch and sweep at about 10am. afterwards felt very "tender" inside. Left Genesis, and went to do some errands and shopping. was told to try to walk a bit and to do squats to try to get baby to come down and when watching tv to straddle a chair(so that the backrest was in front of me) also to open up the pelvic area and help baby come down. So after the shopping and walking, I did that when i got home. I could feel small surges every now and then but nothing regular and I didn't want to get my hopes up for nothing.

Day went on like that, and I went to bed around 10pm.

At about 2:30am, I woke up feeling the surges had become stronger and more regular. I didn't wake up hubby, but tried to watch tv and see if i could get back to sleep. i probably napped a little bit more but not a deep sleep. Around 4am, i think i went to the loo and when i wiped i saw the mucus plug. I wasn't sure if it was all of it or just a bit of it..I still wouldn't know how to tell whether it has all come out or not but now I really knew that I was in labour and baby was coming soon.

The pains were definitely getting stronger but still manageable. I tried labouring on the bed but ended up kneeling on the floor with my arms leaning on the bed and my natural instinct was to rock from side to side/ back and forth through a contraction.

hi everyone

how are you all doing?

joybaby, swollen ankles are the pits but trying to keep active helps the circulation so maybe give it a go... and it'll help baba engage too!

anyone heard from elamsmom?

marijke, hope you are calming down now and not so crampy. shoo you gave me a fright and i even told craig we might THE CALL!!! have you got vbac books? i am getting some on 19oct. you can read them if you like since you will need them before me... when can you come visit? or can we come to you?

kiiwiet - that site spinningbabies.com is fabulous. i will def use that if/when i fall preg again. the information on there is insane. what a brilliant source of information for any women doing natural birth. thanks for that!

That's the reason my gynea prescribed EPO many years ago - I used to get bad PMS. I took it probably for a good 5 years if not more.

About the EPO capsules, I started drinking them this week and there has been a huge improvement in my mood. I'm not that much of a PMS person, I can keep those under control mostly but the last couple of weeks of pregnancy can really do my head in, so started taking two in the mornings (orally) and it really did help

Anyone heard anything from Elamsmom?

Joybaby, it sounds like your head is in the right place... Regarding the EPO, yes, its the standard soft gel caps that you buy at most pharmacies. You can take it orally from 36 weeks and vaginally from 38 weeks. You can do up to 2, 3 x per day. Some people say more, so I don't think there is any harm in doing it more, but 3x per day worked for me... Ps, wear a pad as it can cause an oily discharge (sorry tmi).

Hi girls.

Thx for all the replies.
I'm well aware of my gynae's reluctance. That's why I asked for assurance for taking it one week at a time. If at 38 weeks she's still high, then I'll ask to see him a week later and if still high, wait it out yet another week. As long as she is growing, placenta and amniotic fluid good, I cant see why he won't allow me that request. But as gynae's go, he is definitely trying to play it safe. I also have to respect my husbands wishes, of not 'taking chances'. So this means if gynae starts saying he's worried to leave it any longer, then I'll have to accept it, to honour my husband's concerns. This was the condition he had when I spoke about wanting a natural birth, as he wanted me to have another csec as that is his experience from last time.

She is very busy, but not in terms of rolling around, rather lots of punches and kicks, and pushing her bum out that it sticks out like a basket ball above my belly button lol! But she is definitely still high. I do self examine my cervix and cannot even reach it.

Re helping engage - I must borrow my friends pilates ball from next week once I'm at home. Cant really do the walking thing as suffering terribly with swollen ankles.
Thx for the tips though. Personally I'd rather be flat on the couch the next few weeks, but I know it wont do engaging any good Will remember to squat, as long as someone is there to help me up again after!

Thx for the info on the rasberry tea leaf & epo. Is it just the standard EPO tablets you buy off the shelf? And do you take it orally?
I was a bit worried if they would cause labour to start while baby wasnt yet ready for it thats why I was reluctant. But I'd welcome an easier labour any day So will go buy some this weekend!

Joybaby, I'm thinking the same as Marijke with regards to your gynae. Don't know at all if you have ANY alternative to fall back on, but my gynae is also willing to let me go to 41wks - the same as with my last pregnancy when there wasn't a history of a c-section. He's treating me like he did with the first pregnancy and because I live on a farm and it's far to travel, he was even willing to stretch the 36wk check-up and internal to 37wks! Before I changed my appointment to next week (the week that I am 37wks), it was set for the week after when I'm just before 38wks! I saw the GP @ 34wks because he is closer and my gynae was fine with all of that! It's a bit unfair to expect things to happen by 39wks!

Check out www.spinningbabies.com for tips on how to get baby to turn if lying wrong and to get them to engage and all of that. I'm so sure walking helps! I had to travel to town today (110km there and back!) to sort out some stuff and didn't rest in the afternoon like usual, and I'm sure my tummy dropped another fingerwidth! I'm also cleaning house because my nanny has a broken leg and the one that helped out the past 3 weeks have decided that housework is inferior and doesn't pay enough..! :angry:

Elamsmom - hopefully no news is good news..!