Top Secrets for Having a Successful VBAC ( vaginal birth after cesarean)

Your Doctor Isn't Going to Tell You, so Don't Bother Asking

2. Don't let them talk you into induction. This can be a hard one too, especially when you are uncomfortable and can't wait to see the baby. Believe me, I know that too. I once went to 41 weeks 6 days. But under normal, healthy circumstances, there is no reason for an induction. The main reason in the U.S. for inductions is not for any medical reason, but to make it more convenient for the doctor. Many, many more babies are born on weekdays than on weekends in the U.S. Hang around any maternity ward and you will see it almost empty on the weekends. This is because so many doctors induce during the week so they can have their weekends free. This also means they don't have to get a call at 3 a.m. to come to the hospital for your delivery. What they will not tell you is that unless there is a real medical reason, like high blood pressure, prolapse, diabetes, etc., there is no reason for an induction. No, going past the due date is not a reason. A normal pregnancy is from 38 to 42 weeks, so the due date is right in the middle of that. No, having a "HUGE baby" is not a reason. All doctors will tell you your baby is huge. They will look at the ultrasound and say - look, it's so huge, we need to induce. An informal poll of six people who have had babies in the past three year showed that every single one of them were told this, and it was not true for any one of them. Three of them had babies in the 6.5 pound range. What your doctor won't tell you is that the weight estimate for an ultrasound has a margin of error of 15 percent! This means essentially that it is completely useless. They use the estimate to get you an induction and hopefully a c-section.

With an induction, you are given pitocin, a synthetic labor hormone that gives you extremely strong contractions. Most people are unable to cope with these "titanic" contractions, which can be many times stronger than normal contractions, and need an epidural to cope with the pain. Then, you have the stalled labor and the c-section.

3. Have a birth plan. Old ladies will tell you that no one in their day had a birth plan. No, they didn't, and they didn't need them. No one was standing over their shoulder waiting to give them a c-section either. The plan must be very specific in nature, and you must get the doctor to agree and sign the plan in advance. If you don't, they will later say they "forgot" about it. Been there, done that. If the doctor signs it, it is amazing how well they remember it! You should also bring the plan with you to the hospital, and show it to your nurse once you are assigned one. The plan can include directives such as, you are not to be offered pain medication unless you request it, and that you are to be allowed to walk around unless there is a real medical reason that you can't. I was once told that I was not allowed to walk at all. Once I convinced them that as a healthy adult, yes, I could walk around, I was told that I had to sign a form first. Amazingly, it took a full hour for them to find the form for me to sign. So, be ready for anything.

Even all of these tricks will not assure that you have a VBAC, but they give you the best chance there is in today's medical climate. Good luck!