In the name of Allah, the Loving, the most Wise
In a previous post I shared my birth story and how I was completely caught off guard by an emergency c-section. I had been so determined to have an intervention-free, vaginal birth that I didn’t even research anything to do with cesarean births. Although ultimately I’m so grateful our son came out healthy and I was healthy as well, if I’m being honest, I was pretty disappointed that I wasn’t able to birth my baby naturally. I also shared, in another post, some of the risk factors related to the c-section scar tissue and what we can do to mitigate those risks and empowering ourselves back on track toward wellness.
Continuing on our little journey here, today I want to share 5 things I’m in the process of doing NOW to prepare for a VBAC with our second child when that time comes. Although there is never any guarantee of how your birth experience will turn out, you want to take the time to plan and prepare. As they say, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. It is important to make sure you keep a check on your expectations but at the same time, there are quite a few things that we can do to make it a lot more likely to successfully deliver our baby vaginally despite previously having a c-section.
Before I jump into that list, please take note that I am not a medical professional. I’m only sharing my experience. I’m telling you what I’m doing, based on my own research. We all have to do our due diligence and take the time to research on our own a bit, as well as discuss things with our health care providers.
1. We made sure to avoid pregnancy for at least a year.
A huge risk factor of laboring and birthing your baby after a cesarean birth is having a uterine rupture. My midwife and a lot of the resources I have turned to following my c-section made it very clear that we would need to prevent pregnancy for a full year if we had any intention of trying for a vaginal birth. You must allow time for all the layers to fully heal and gain the strength back. Remember that you had a major abdominal surgery and both pregnancy and labor are very tough on your body.
2. I’m getting healthy and fit.
It is important to me that I love the way I look but more importantly, before I get pregnant with our second baby, I want to make sure that I am healthy and that I feel strong. All of this requires gradually building healthy habits into your daily routine, such as drinking plenty of water each day, being careful of overeating and making time for movement! Everyone emphasizes exercise, and that is super important, but stretching is super important as well. Our body now is the only one we’ll ever have so we have to make sure we’re taking care of it.
3. I am reading & listening to empowering information about VBAC and ladies who’ve had them.
It is important to do some research when preparing for a VBAC. Equally important though, is reading stories of women who have successfully done what you are trying to do. I particularly enjoy listening to stories on Youtube and reading other ladies blog posts. Whenever you are feeling doubtful or afraid, you can look to the stories of others to gain strength and a reminder that it’ll be okay. Reading other people’s stories, you’ll be able to skim through what worked for them and what didn’t so that you can weed through what might be useful for you to try.
4. I am helping my husband get prepared to support me through labor and giving birth.
We most likely won’t be hiring a doula. We have decided that hubbybubs will basically be acting as my doula when we have our second baby. When we had our first child, I had spent a good amount of time trying to make sure my husband knew all the different stages and symptoms and whatnot of labor and birth. I think this time however, I’m going to focus on the actual things I would like for him to do to help me feel supported during the birthing process.
5. I will be utilizing herbal remedies to help detox, balance and strengthen my uterus and my overall reproductive system.
I believe in using Earth’s medicine to support our body and our health. I intend on utilizing vaginal steam and herbal tea in order to make sure that my womb is healthy and strong and that my hormones are well balanced before I try to get pregnant with our second child. Vaginal steaming helps to detoxify the uterus and vagina to help you reach optimal reproductive health. There are also herbal tea blends that help support your reproductive system, mainly through helping to regulate your hormones.
6. I will be checking and double-checking that I choose a midwife who has a high success rate for VBACs.
Choosing the right care provider is one of the most important factors in planning to deliver vaginally after a c-section. I would really love to have a home-birth for our second child but that will depend on a lot of factors. I do know for sure though that no matter where I will be giving birth, I will make sure to choose a midwife who is very supportive of VBAC and who has a high success rate with her patients who have tried to have a VBAC. I will also make sure that I have a birth plan to share with my midwife and care team so that we can discuss my vision for my birth and make sure we are all on the same page.
7. I am learning about cesarean birth and making sure I have realistic expectations.
Although I pray that I am able to succeed in giving birth vaginally and I’m doing what I can to prepare myself to do so, if for some reason I do have to have a second cesarean birth, I don’t want to be in the same boat as the first time. Obviously I’ll be planning for the birth that I want to have, a natural vaginal birth, but I will be able to also have a contingency plan in case I need it. I want to have the knowledge and tools, that if I have to have a c-section, I can plan and prepare for a gentle cesarean birth that is more on my terms. This way, even though it will not be the birth I desired, it can still be a positive experience.
Ultimately, I pray that whenever it is time for our second child to come into this world that their birth will be a safe one and that we will both be healthy and happy. Ideally, I’d love for that to be a vaginal birth and I plan on doing everything within my power to achieve that. These are the main things I’m doing to prepare for that journey when it comes. Perhaps you’ll find some of these things helpful in your own preparation as well.
Question for the comments: What is the number 1 thing you are doing to prepare for your VBAC?
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