A VBAC Ban

Since having my daughter we moved to another state. Shortly after we moved I started researching the doctors and hospitals in the area. I quickly found out that the local hospital has a ban on c-sections. I was pretty shocked - I knew bans existed but I guess I didn't think I'd have to deal with one. I thought my biggest hurdle would be finding a VBAC friendly doctor.

The hospital here told me via email:

"Our facility does not do VBAC’s. The standard of care is that if you do them there needs to be an Anesthesiologist and OB doctor in the hospital for the entire duration of the labor. We have primary care doctors here, meaning they are back and forth between their clinic and the hospital during business hours and in the hospital after hours, as needed, per each individual patient’s care needs. This is the same for the Anesthesiologists."

I then expanded my search to the closest city - Tucson, Arizona. I quickly found two hospitals who allow VBACs and then I began checking with my insurance for in-network doctors. I contacted a few different doctors and OB groups to find out if they supported VBAC. I was relieved to find one that has local office hours once per week so I don't have to drive to Tucson for all my appointments - Tucson is over an hour away (80 miles).

At my first appointment my husband and I sat down with one of the doctors in the group. She stated that I'm a great candidate for VBAC and said the risk of uterine rupture is less than .2% for me. We then went over all the risks of having a VBAC and I received a list of the risks, which I have to initial each bullet and sign at the bottom. I was relieved to find a doctor who supported me.

There were a few things that concerned me though. First, we went over all the risks of a VBAC but not much was said about the risks of another c-section. Next, the doctor told me that if I don't go into labor on my own by 41 weeks then they will schedule me for a c-section. Third, they will not induce me if I go past my due date since it increases the risk of uterine rupture. And finally, they prefer that women attempting a VBAC get an epidural in case they end up needing a c-section. I'll go into detail about why these bother me at another time.

A little about me.

I had a c-section in December 2009. I will avoid a repeat with my next baby.

While pregnant with my daughter I was terrified of having a c-section and hoped for a normal birth. I even counseled my husband on what he was supposed to say if the doctor started talking about a c-section while I was in labor and he performed great in his role when the time came. In hindsight now I see where I could have prepared myself better for my labor & delivery though.

While pregnant I held on to this hope that all would go as planned - I would go into labor on my own, dilate appropriately, get an epidural, and birth my daughter. What I didn't plan for was a posterior baby and how unprepared I was for the pain of labor.

I was so worried about being able to breastfeed successfully - I read a ton on the subject - that I failed to do anything proactive to prepare for childbirth. I didn't read any books on the subject, I took the one day course at the hospital with my husband which only taught like 15 minutes of breathing techniques, I didn't research pain relief options (who needs to right? Everyone knows about epidurals. Ugh). What I didn't think about could fill a book.

Now I'm pregnant with my second baby (24 weeks!) and I'm committed to avoiding the same result. I'm planning for my VBAC as though it's my full-time job. I'm currently reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, Easy Labor: Every Woman's Guide to Choosing Less Pain and More Joy During Childbirth, Husband Coached Childbirth and Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way. Yes, I'm reading all of them at once!