Here are the ten things I did that greatly influenced my ability to have a VBAC.
*February 2019: I had my second VBAC. She came even easier. Check out more below!
The Risks and Why Have a VBAC
First, let’s clear up some things. Many women I talk to seem scared at the thought of having a VBAC because their doctor has told them that there is a risk of uterine rupture during birth. According to my own care provider and several sources, (including vbac.com) the risk of uterine rupture during vaginal birth after one cesarean is a rare event that occurs less than 1% of the time. Sources such as the American Pregnancy Association report .2 – 1.5%. If you’ve had a low, transverse incision, which is common for c-sections today, your risk is lower than that scar on you. 🙂
Why have a VBAC? Vaginal birth requires less time for recovery, and poses less risks to mom and baby. What motivated me in choosing to try for a VBAC was the long-term effect on my baby and myself. Babies who are born vaginally are presented with a healthy dose of bacteria to their gut that supports digestion, immunity, and overall health. The trip through the birth canal is what nature intended, and what I have found in my own healing journey is that we need to stick with nature as much as we possibly can.
The Big Picture with VBAC
Obviously, things don’t always go to nature’s plan. Thank God we have the medical professionals and hospitals that we do to save lives and intervene when necessary. On the other hand, sometimes the intervening is not for health, but for convenience or profits. My first baby, my son, was born via c-section because my body was forced into labor when it wasn’t ready. I had a false-start, and rather than let the birth happen when he was ready, I was induced and forced into labor. The result? 37 hours of horrendous labor and a c-section.
In looking at the big picture, it’s best to let your body and hormones do the job they were meant to do, as this provides balance, protection, and benefits to your baby and to you for the long run. So let’s get into what I did to have a healthy VBAC, and what you can do if you wish to have a VBAC as well.
1. Choose a provider that is truly supportive of VBAC.
This is number one because the biggest mistake I made in my first pregnancy and birth was being with a practice that had a c-section rate of nearly 50%. In addition to that, the doctor who was with me through most of my labor, and then delivered my son was known as the “c-section happy” doctor. I was able to find out through talking to people within the hospital, as well as doing my own research, that this gentleman prefers delivering babies via c-section because of the convenience.
C-sections are also a much bigger profit generator, as the operation room expense, anesthesiology, medical interventions, and longer recovery period produce a higher profit. After I had my son, he was already talking to me about how great it is to just schedule the surgery for the next baby. “It’s great. You know when they’re going to be born, and there’s no waiting or nervousness for anyone. Right Dad?” He looked at my husband, who at the time, thought that did sound nice. Needless to say, I found another provider after I realized what I had been roped into.
How Do You Find a VBAC Supportive Provider?
You can search online with a term like “VBAC supportive obgyn + your city and state”, and schedule a consultation with one that you find. Ask the doctor or midwife what their VBAC rate is within their practice. Ask them how they support mothers who wish to have a VBAC. Looking at the numbers alone will tell you if they are really supporting women to have a VBAC. The midwife center who delivered my daughter has a VBAC rate of roughly 95% and offers a lot of support to women who are in this boat.
2. Write birth goals; not a plan.
Surrendering has been a major factor in my overall healing and renewed wellness over the past few years. The first time I was pregnant, I wrote a detailed birth plan with my doula. I hired a doula and wrote a birth plan to give birth in a hospital where the doctors I was delivering with had a 50% c-section rate. I really had my ducks out of order here girls!
This time around, I decided to surrender. I focused more on my self-care. I focused on the connection between how I cared for myself, and how that affected the baby. Additionally, I found the power of visualization to be much stronger than writing out a detailed plan on a paper. I continuously imagined staying at home as long as possible, and getting to the hospital too late for medicine or interventions. (That’s basically what happened!) On the other hand, I had my bedroom set up in case I had a c-section and couldn’t do stairs. I mentally prepared myself for that outcome, but consistently imagined having a vaginal birth.
3. Do specific exercises to open up your pelvis and seek chiropractic care for VBAC.
First, here are some great stretches and exercises you can do that prepare your body for vaginal birth. I did these regularly, and I do feel they helped me.
Next, I regularly saw my chiropractor, Kerstin Zock, for adjustments throughout my pregnancy. It didn’t dawn on me until I had a difficult labor with my first baby that I might want to pursue chiropractic care to balance my pelvis for my second baby. I had been seeing Kerstin since my son was a baby, and I knew this was something I’d stick with to give myself the best chance at a VBAC. If you want an extensive explanation of why chiropractic care is extremely beneficial during pregnancy, then please read this page on my chiropractor’s website. From pelvic alignment to preventing aches and pains, there are many benefits of seeing a chiropractor during pregnancy. I will tell you that I rank seeing a chiropractor like Kerstin right up there with choosing the right provider. It was critical in the outcome of my VBAC.
4. Eat dates sparingly throughout pregnancy, but eat more (several each day) during the last 2-3 weeks of pregnancy.
Dates ripen your cervix, and prepare it for dilation. I give a lot of credit to the dates and the tea I discuss in number 5. I shared my date-eating adventures on Instagram toward the end of my pregnancy. Check out this great article on the benefits of dates during pregnancy and birth.
5. Drink red raspberry leaf tea throughout pregnancy, and especially the last 2-3 weeks you are pregnant.
Red raspberry leaf tea is known to strengthen the uterus, which is helpful to any mom but especially one trying to have a VBAC. I drank this tea throughout my pregnancy, and more often during the last couple weeks. The day I went into labor, I brewed a pretty decent-sized glass pitcher of red raspberry leaf tea and drank all of it.
6. Spend time envisioning your vaginal birth. Replaying the vision of what you want on a regular basis is very powerful.
I highly recommend the book, Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin. This book will mentally prepare you for a VBAC. It was a major factor in developing the mindset I needed to have my VBAC, as well as motivating me to visualize my birth regularly.
There are two places I had visualizations: the bath tub at night, or when I walked outside. I frequently took evening walks during my pregnancy. When I would go for a walk, I would pay attention to my posture, breathing, and hold in my abdominals. I focused on strengthening my body for birth as I’d climb the hills of the back road I live on. As I walked, I’d imagine my labor coming on gradually, progressing well, and then leaving for the hospital when my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart. I would see myself getting to the hospital, only to find that I was nearing full dilation and ready to push. A hurried scene of being rushed to the delivery room, I could see my husband and I surrounded by my nurses and midwife as I prepared to deliver. I’d tell myself that she was going to come quickly and safely. Funny thing….she did.
Bath Tub Magic
In the tub, I’d sit cross-legged, as this is a great position to sit in to prepare your pelvic floor for birth. I would focus on my breathing and try to empty my mind from the day I had. There was one mantra in particular that I adopted from Ina May Gaskin’s book, Guide to Childbirth. It was very simple, but something that I kept with me while I labored and gave birth to my daughter. “You’re opening. You are opening for her during every contraction.” Ina advises women to open their mouth, which helps you to open (down below) for birth. I would envision this part of my birth, and when I did give birth, I asked my husband to tell me I was opening during my strongest contractions. With my mouth open, I would repeat what he told me. I also moaned and hummed a lot, which soothed me and helped me ride the waves of contractions.
7. Do not have an induction.
If you have a provider who knows what they’re doing, they won’t use any type of induction on you if you’re trying to have a VBAC. The synthetic hormones that are used in inducing a birth are very strong, and can increase the risk for uterine rupture due to the force of the induction drug.
8. Stay at home as long as possible.
It was July when I had my daughter. Once my labor was consistent, my husband, son, and me headed to my son’s favorite pizza place and then to the nearby stadium to walk on the track. We also walked in the park that was close by. I stayed moving, and I stayed at home. When women are in labor, we want to be where we are most comfortable as long as possible. After we walked and played outside, I got into the bath tub once we got home. This really helped me relax and stay focused on opening as I sat in the warm water.
9. When you go into labor, start walking and try not to sit or lay down.
As I talked about above, it’s best to keep moving. Let gravity do its job, and help that baby move down the birth canal by being up and moving. I even did squats and lunges to help things move along.
10. Trust how God designed us because your baby and your body know exactly how to birth.
You were built for vaginal birth. Say this out loud, “My body was perfectly designed to have a vaginal birth.” Don’t be afraid of contractions, for they are the surges that help our body to open. Don’t be afraid of pain, because your body creates its own hormones and pain relievers. I went into my labor and delivery with an open mind. If the pain became unbearable, and I wasn’t progressing because of my tension, I was not ruling out an epidural. I really wanted to go 100% natural, but I wasn’t so stringent about everything like I was with my son.
The crazy thing is that when I was ready for an epidural, the nurse told me it was too late. It was just as I had imagined. I was 9 cm when I asked her for it. I will never forget my husband looking at me, as he could see the fear in my eyes. In that moment, he said the most powerful thing to me. I mean, for a second I wanted to kick his ass, but then when it sunk in, it motivated me deeply. His blue green eyes were as intense as could be as he nodded his head yes, “This is what you wanted Linds. You were meant to do this.” I’m in tears right now as I type this because it was so powerful. After he said that, and it really hit me, I transformed into who I needed to be. As I felt the rush of the next wave coming to open me, I looked at my nurses and my midwife, and I nodded my head yes. 22 minutes later, I was holding my daughter.
The Bottom Line
I was 33 years old when I delivered my daughter, Celia. I feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally now than when I was 28 and delivering my son. I turned 29 two days after he was born. Just because you get older doesn’t mean you are less capable of doing this. Your belly may have a scar, but you are not broken. You are a strong, capable, and beautiful woman who was perfectly designed by a God who created you out of love. Maybe you weren’t born into love, or had love consistently throughout your life. But if there is one thing you need to know, you are a vessel of love for that baby….and for yourself. If someone like me did this, then by God so can you. Honor your power, and get the proper support. You are stronger than you could ever imagine.
Do You Need Support with Your VBAC?
Please contact me by using the form below. I’d be happy to share further insight into my VBAC experience.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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