VBAC SUPPORT

Hi ladies

2 days overdue and nothing yet. Starting to wonder if my body knows what to do? or if my baby knows what to do once she is ready? Or whether I ruined it all by having a c-sec last time

I really just need to focus on positive thinking and not let all this negativity get to me. Yesterday I went to do some shopping- our iron just stopped working so went to return in at makro, went out by myself for some ice cream etc. Just wanted to get my mind off the waiting. But I was EXHAUSTED when I got home! Actually, i was exhausted at the shops! Everyone was like "you look so tired!" and I was! maybe I just need to take it easy and build up my energy reserves incase labour starts soon.

Haven't spoken to midwife yet, but she'd said last week that we'd do a stretch and sweep either yesterday evening or this evening so hoping to hear from her today. I hope stretch and sweep is not one of those "Interventions" that could lead to a c-sec

marijke you said it as i thought it. as in my previous posts i also mentioned how we all need to know our bodies and the processes of labour. i am already reading to prepare for the maybe-next-one...

hope all the other ladies here are ok?

widget, they say second or subsequent babies can be larger due to the uterus being "larger" as in being streched out before... however in my case... 1st kid 3.6kg, 2nd 3.24kg and 3rd 2.84kg... lol. evening primrose oil can be bought at hea;th shops and pharmacies.

scribblinAl - i agree about the convenience factor. dr's have theatre slates every week at the same time. you can "book" your cection 3months in advance if you like hahaha. actually this is not funny but it is how maternity seems to go.

elamsmom - very very exciting about you almost time! pls keep us in the loop and good luck on your vbac!!!!!!!!1 i'm thinking of you and. remember not to stress while in labour as it can slow down. don't let them push you to hurry up. your baby has to have time to come down.

Elamsmom, I bought mine at Clicks. Goodluck, hoping to hear a great story from you soon

ScribblingAL, I'm in CT, so that doesn't help you much. But to answer your question with regards to why 38/39 weeks, because 1) doctors are scared of being slapped with law suits, 2) women are scared, usually by someone elses horror story 3) women are so gullible, we believe every little word coming out of the mouth of peads, doctors, obgyns.

It's actually sad and pathetic, rather off topic but anyway - if you go on FB, all those mommy groups where woman can post questions etc - if you spend enough time there reading what most mommies think/say/feel you can see very clearly how whipped woman are into mistrusting/ignoring their instincts, blindly led to believe that most dr's are the be all and end all of information.

Research people, read everything there is to read, there are pages upon pages of natural ways to get labour started, get baby moved into position. Get to know your body, listen to it and then, when faced with modern medicine, you fight - ask questions then tell them how you want things to go because believe me, if your gynae sees where your weakness is, he/she is going to pounce on your insecurities. A Gynae has studied how to cut, they have spent years perfecting their abilities to do a c-sec, that's what got them into that direction of medicine in the first place.

Hi everyone!

Welcome BoomBoom! I didn't know that second babies tend to be bigger than the first? I also read somewhere that second babies tend to come earlier than first ones...but I can't say from experience if that is true or not.

Joybaby I'm glad your doc is comfortable holding of on a c-section. Lets hope your little girl gets into position and engages soon! My little girl never engaged so I never experience the 'lightening' that everyone talks about...

Elamsmom hang in there! Hopefully the sweep will help to get things going. Will the midwife do more than one sweep if the first one has no effect? From what I heard a stretch and sweep is rather uncomfortable. Good luck! Please keep us updated & let us know how it went. Very excited for you!

I am sure you can get Evening Primrose oil at any pharmacy. I always used to buy Primeve pluss off the shelf at Clicks, but I am sure that there are other brands available as well. I haven't bought it in years.

I got some Red Raspberry drops this weekend from a little herbal and health shop next to the Dischem at Nicolway shopping mall (for those of you in the Joburg area). It sounds like a little miracle potion:

It says that Red Raspberry is one of the best proven herbs for women, especially during pregnancy. It contains nutrients to strengthen the uterus wall. It helps with nausea, helps prevent haemorrhages, and reduces pain and eases childbirth. It helps to reduce false labour pains common in some pregnancies. It helps enrich colostrum found in breast milk. Is also says its great to use for children and infant diarrhoea, fever, colic and colds. Red Raspberry is a blood builder that is very high in vitamins and minerals.

The bottle says to take is as follows:
2nd trimester - 5 drops 3 x per day with water
3rd trimester - 10 drops 3 x per day with water
last month - 20 drops 3 x per day with water
for breast milk - 15 drops at meal times.

So I've started using it today. And it wasn't that expensive - R48.90 for a 50ml bottle.

Elamsmom, I'm sure you can get the primrose oil from Dischem? Take heart, your little girl will make her grand appearance soon. I can relate to you about being apprehensive about the possibility of another c-section. It is one of the reasons why we are not having any more kids. Emily's birth was traumatic and I had post-natal depression, and I would certainly not want a repeat of that. I just wanted you to know that the apprehension is natural - turn it into your motivation and make it work for you. Could you not get a doula, someone to support you during the birth? That support is so crucial. I'm not blaming the nursing staff at the hospital for the way things turned out but I am convinced that if I'd had the emotional and mental support that I needed, things might have turned out very differently.

On the topic of Caesars, seeing as that's what this forum is all about, I find it interesting that all these gynaes are scheduling c-sections at 30-something weeks, instead of waiting for the mothers to go into labour naturally and then doing them. Is there a medical reason why they do this? Besides the convenience factor?

Marijke, sounds like your body is gearing up for the birth. Are you based in Joburg? I was just interested in the midwife you are using? Exploring all options, you see... just in case.

This thread is hotting up, as all the preggy ladies near their due dates. You have a lot of people rooting for you ladies, hang in there and keep us posted. Even though I don't post much, seeing as I'm not pregnant, I am following all your stories with interest and am supporting you all from the sidelines.

As a matter of interest, I read that Kate Winslet had her first child via an emergency c-section after hours of labour and she was so traumatised and disappointed, and felt like such a failure, that she actually told everyone that she had had the baby naturally. Her second child was a successful VBAC. So it happens to the rich and famous too VBACs are possible! Take that into the delivery room with you xxx

Hi ladies

My baby was due yesterday but no sign of her yet. Should be going in for a stretch and sweep either this evening or tomorrow evening. Hopefully that will get things going.

I have been bouncing on the birthing ball, drinking my rasberry leaf tea. She has definitely dropped since last week but other than that, I feel no signs of labour. Just tiny tiny little period pain like pangs every once in a while but really nothing to write home about.

The only thing I havent had the energy to try is BD.I literally can't bring myself to feel in the mood for it.

I also haven't tried evening primrose oil. Where can I buy it?

Marijke, hope baby sticks for another few weeks. Wish we could swop and I be the one feeling all the labour symptoms!

I am so terrified of my labour not progressing leading to a c-section. ppl have started the whole "keep an open mind" thing and I just can't. To me, keeping an open mind os almost like giving up. Like I need to mentally block out the possibility of a c-sec or I'm afraid that if I entertain the thought of one, I'll end up having one.

Hey everyone,

Just a quick update from my side as well, as I am completely checking out of real life at the moment and only focusing on what my body needs to do. I'm very la-di-da about anything else, I can't even be arsed at the moment if we have bread or milk in the house. Sad as it is I just can't get my mind or body to give a damn! 34 weeks 3 days today.

Anyway, went to bed Friday night and had a horrible night with loads of period like pains with tummy contracting, got up at 7 and told hubby I'm tired and went back to bed after breakfast, actually slept for about 2 hours, had my best friends baby shower at 1pm so had to get moving, started timing my 'pains' from 12:39 and had 29 till bath time, had 4 or 5 during bath so asked midwife about it. I tested urine to make sure it wasn't something else, she said it could be baby trying to engage early and I had to do the polar bear for a while to get baby into the correct position.

If it didn't clear up I would have had to go to the hospital this morning to be checked out, luckily it worked as I still haven't packed my hospital bag or have the babies room ready, but guess I'll have to get moving as I don't see this one wanting to stay in till 41 weeks (which would be the longest the doctor will let me go)

Going to try to be still till I hit 37 weeks then walk and do everything possible to get this baby moving and engaged if at my 36 week checkup it shows that baby hasn't engaged yet.

Very excited!