As you may or may not know, Scarlett was frank breech and had to be delivered via C-Section. At first I was disappointed by this, however it truly was the only way she could come into this world safely and that is really all that mattered. The thing about having a scheduled C-Section is.. you're fully rested when you go in. I didn't go through 20 hours of labor or any amount of time pushing, my body was rested not exhausted. I believe that made my recovery faster and easier. And that's what scares me about a VBAC (among other things).
What if I go through 20 hours of labor this time and spend some time pushing and THEN end up with a C-Section anyway? One of the main reasons I want to attempt a VBAC is for a faster recovery, so that it doesn't hinder my ability to care for Scarlett as well as our new baby.
Now, I do have a couple things going for me here. I am almost a perfect candidate for a VBAC. The only reason I had a C-Section was due to her position, not because my hips were too narrow, etc. This gives me great hope that I can do it. However, from what I've read, and I'm not sure if my midwives would admit to this if asked, is when a VBAC patient comes into the hospital, the staff is immediately nervous due to the added complications that could occur. Honestly though, I did wait long enough for my scar to fully heal so a uterine rupture shouldn't be an issue but I am sure they will have it on the brain.
Another fear.. the unknown. I know what a C-Section is like. I do not know what a contraction feels like, what labor will feel like, what delivery will feel like or what recovery will be like. Obviously, first time moms probably have this fear and for some reason, I wasn't scared of the C-Section. Maybe because it was a surgery, not hours of pain. Add to this that I am planning to have an unmedicated birth. Not having had any crazy amount of pain before in my life (besides some terrible gas pains in the beginning of my first pregnancy), I'm not even sure of my pain tolerance level.
One thing I do know, this is going to be a wild ride and in the end, I get a baby. I am positive he will be worth any pain I have to go through to get him here. Things I plan to remember (or that I will be reminded of by Alex during labor..) are:
This terrible pain has a purpose.
This pain has an endpoint.
Count slowly to 30 and the contraction is half over.
You CAN do this.
That's all I have so far. If you have any motivational phrases that worked for you during labor/delivery, I would love to hear them!
I hope to have a successful VBAC birth story once this little one arrives. Send some good vibes into the universe for me!
2 comments:
I think it's neat that you're trying for a VBAC! One of the things I've been telling myself is: "My body knows what to do." I've heard the more you can relax, the more your body will be able to do its work. We're also having a doula with us to help with back rubs and suggestions during labor. I'm also hoping to deliver without medication and I'm telling myself that women have babies all the time - we can do this!! I don't know what the pain level will be like, but I'll let you know soon!!
Olivia, you are so right! Our bodies do know what to do, I've recently been reading about labor/delivery without pushing because our bodies are naturally pushing with each contraction, why push harder??
Best wishes in your delivery! We can't wait to hear the news that he's arrived!!
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