I was reading all of these debates and posts on breastfeeding v. formula feeding (a never-ending-nonsense-of-a-war), thinking "its none of your damn business how I or any other woman feeds her baby."
I was upset once b/c someone made a snide comment about the fact that Carson still sleeps with us for 1/2 the night. I wanted to say "You worry about yours and I will worry about mine, it is none of your business " There are people out there that think their way is the only and correct way. Every baby is an INDIVIDUAL and needs their own individual care. Babies are everchanging and as a mother I have learned that I am the same way, I have changed my views on many issues, one of which is sleep training which I will touch on in another post.
I have digressed....I then noticed on the Feminist Breeder's sidebar that she had a successful VBAC so I read her story and I began to wonder what if I could do that?
Let me preface this by saying that after my C-section, I assumed that my future birth-giving would be via C-section and I am the type of person that never questions medical professionals. I mean come on...they are the ones who have done years of school, training, research, etc...I respect them for that. So I always follow their advice. I always assume they have my best interest in mind. So I don't completely understand people who are "anti-doctor" and all that comes with it. I am more of a "better safe than sorry" type of person.
Without doing any research I just assumed that a C-section was safer for my future babies and myself b/c that is what my Doctor told me the protocol was.
After I read this : http://www.ican-online.org/vbac/postion-statement-elective-cesareans-riskier-than-vaginal-birth
This site listed some risks that definitely got my attention - risks that I had NO IDEA existed.
Examples:
-Women undergoing cesarean are at increased risk of hysterectomy in both the current and future pregnancies.
-The maternal death rate is twice as high for elective cesarean as for vaginal birth.
-In subsequent pregnancies, women with a prior cesarean have higher rates of serious placental abnormalities which endanger the life and health of the baby and the mother. -Women are rarely told that a cesarean places future babies at higher risk.
-After cesarean section, women face higher rates of secondary infertility as well as higher rates of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy.
I wondered why wasn't I informed of the risks to future babies if I had this initial C-section with Carson?
When the Dr. discovered that Carson was breech, the conversation was pretty much like this:
Dr.: Baby is breech you have 2 options, we try to turn him in utero which is a small chance of success based on fluid levels and gestational age; or option 2: cesarean on Sunday.
Me: ummm, ok, what do you think I should do? (I was so scared and I was alone, Cory was not at this apt with me b/c I didn't know it was going to be the last one)
Of course he recommended the C-section and the rest is history (I loved my childbirth experience and hospital stay, I just wish I had all the info before making that decision). I wish I would have asked more questions, but I was in a state of shock. I wish he would have informed me more. I am sure these risks were written in the paperwork that we signed when we checked into the hospital, but it is impossible to read ALL of that stuff when you know that you will meet your 1st baby within 2 hours. Like I said earlier, I am VERY trusting of Doctors.
Anyway, VBAC has my attention, and I will be researching more to know my risks (with both scenarios) and to know my options and my rights.
6 comments:
I completely agree! The easy way is not always the right way. Keep up the research. I never would have done lots of things with Madelyn if it had not been for nursing school research. There is alot out there they don't tell us.
I'm feel sorry for those people who think "their" way is the only way. UGH that ticks me off. I try and be very careful "giving" advice only when asked and stating that "this is what worked for us." Like you said, every Baba/Parent combo is different. Heck every HOME and schedule are different. Things that I would like to do, like stay home, were just not possible for us at the time. Ugh...(again).
I have SEVERAL friends who had to be delivered via section for several reasons and then had VBACs the next "few" times. Their doctors were very supportive. Personally (and this may be crazy) but I just did not want to have Sawyer if a C-section was an option. But again, that was just me. My doctor did lay it all out there for me. Justin was worried, but it turned out with Carys we had no choice because of the toxemia and BP issues she had to come out RIGHT THEN!
Anyway, good luck on your research and I cannot wait to see what you find/decide!
Alison
Ali - So did you have a VBAC with Sawyer? Yes I am sure that Cory will be very worried b/c up until this point all we have heard is VBAC=bad.
This is TFB - a friend saw your post and sent it to me. So, about trusting doctors unconditionally, that's how most of us end up with our unnecessary cesareans. Obstetricians are trained to perform surgery, and most of them get through their entire residency without ever seeing a normal, natural birth. If you hire a surgeon to attend a normal birth they are going to look for reasons to perform surgery. That's what they do. The same exact woman could hire a midwife, and have a completely normal, natural birth because THAT is what midwives specialize in.
Birth is a normal biological function that the medical industry has made billions of dollars capitalizing on, at the expense of mothers and babies health. It's criminal that your doctor never explained the serious long term risks of you cesarean. You are supposed to be provided with Informed Consent, yet women rarely are.
I HIGHLY recommend sitting down with you husband and watching The Business of Being Born. You can watch it right on Netflix. It's the most powerful,, expository example of the unbelievable lies we're all told.
And PS, any doctor who says VBAC=bad is practicing really bad medicine.
Kimberly, interesting post. I'm sorry one of your labels was "regrets" - this process is so hard and so confusing sometimes and sometimes I feel like screaming LOL. When I started down this path, I heard a lot of bad things about c-sections and the long term affects. Basically c-sections lead to hysterectomy, and hysterectomy leads to all kinds of issues. But you know, I've heard it the other way just as much - vaginal birth permanently stretches you out and you end up getting a hysterectomy. Its crazy!
I am neurotic about asking the baby's position everytime I go in and Dr. S thinks this is funny. But I tell him, if I catch her turned breech early enough, I can try to turn her. Check out www.spinningbabies.com Also, there is a really good doctor - one I wanted to go to - but he delivers at Piedmont. You might be able to schedule a consult with him, he has a really high VBAC rate. He could at least spend some time talking to you about it. His name is Dr. Joseph Tate and his office is in Norcross.
Kimberly, my cousin and a few others I know had VBAC and everything was just fine. I will not be doing it only because the reason I had to have the c-section in the first place. For both there are going to be risks but people have been having c-sections for a long time and things turn out just fine.
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