[Vol 1 Issue 52, December 24, 1999]
My first child was born in 1996 via cesarean due to breech position. Thankfully my membranes ruptured before the scheduled cesarean date so I was able to experience early labor. I was rushed into the OR when I arrived at the hospital.
I am pregnant again and due within the next two weeks. My doctors are not very supportive with the VBAC but I am determined anyway since I had a low transverse incision. I am concerned because my doc says if I go over my due date they prefer to schedule another cesarean. Please help me; I don't want this birth to become another medical procedure. Is there anything out there I can take that will cause my cervix to efface and dilate?
-Jenn
North Carolina
[Vol 2 Issue 1, January 7, 2000]
Try curb walking to help bring on labor. I know it sounds funny, but I really believe it helps. Walk along a curb, one leg up on the curb and one in the gutter, then turn around and go the other way.
-Calista
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As a childbirth educator, I once had a student who was due in three weeks and had a similar situation, a doctor whom she just found out had the highest c-section rate in the area. Her first birth had been very difficult, with a long recovery, both physically and emotionally. We had just finished discussing birth options in class and she wanted to know what to do. I first told her I could not tell her what to do (she really wanted some directing advice) but told her she needed to do some very deep introspection about what was most important to her.
The next week she came back and told me she had changed docs *only two weeks from her due date*, to a doctor who was much more willing to support a mom's wishes. She called me about five weeks later to share her birth story with me. It turned out that she had had another c-section, but the big difference was, she felt terrific about it. Her recovery was going very well; breastfeeding and bonding were jubilant parts of her life. She felt this c-section was the best alternative and let her bring home a healthy baby. Without it the outcome might have been far more tragic.
The whole difference was her trust in her care provider. If she had had the same c-section with the care provider who was unsupportive, she would have wondered the rest of her life whether it was necessary. But she did her homework and took that leap of faith in finding a care provider who let the mom take the lead, and it made all the difference in the world.
-Patty
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If your caregivers will not support a VBAC, then change!! Find a midwife who will support your informed choice. It is never too late to ensure that you have the best childbearing experience for yourself and your family. Take control of your journey and have the birth you deserve.
-Karen Blake
Reprinted from Midwifery Today E-News (Vol 1 Issues 52 & Vol 2:1, Dec 24, 1999 and Jan 1, 2000)
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