Thread: New around here

So glad you are here, Jen! I'm excited for your successful VBAC!

Originally Posted by alwayssmile

Have you talked about how long they'll "let" you go? I know I've read too many stories where women were told they could only go to 39 weeks or 40 weeks, which isn't very reasonable. Even though you went early with your DS, you could easily go much, much longer this time!

The doctor that I really love has only been the one to talk to me about this. She told me back when I was first pregnant that they would "let" me go to 41 weeks. I was actually pleasantly surprised by that! I really thought 40 weeks would be my definite cut-off date, especially after I saw that on some VBAC literature, too. After having a 36-weeker, I really can't wrap my head around the idea of going to 40/41 weeks, but I guess weirder things have happened! But I really don't expect to go that long. I really am just hoping to hit 37 weeks this time!! I'm aiming for June 7th at the earliest, though, which is 38 weeks. I hope he cooperates!

I was having a ton of BH's around 31 weeks (same timeframe I got put on bedrest with DS), so they brought me in for an NST and fFN test. My NST was great (had the awesome doc, thank you Lord!) and baby looked excellent. My fFN was negative (which we thought it would be) and when she checked me, I was "completely sealed shut". She said she couldn't even get a fingernail in there if she wanted to. Which is really great! When I went in at 31 weeks with DS (same kind of BH's - lots and lots of them), I was already half a centimeter dilated and really thinned out. So, it's good I wasn't dilated this time around!! I've had minimal BH's for the last few weeks, but the last day or two I've had a lot. I have my 34 week appointment on Wednesday, so I'm debating having her check me. I have an u/s before my appointment, where they'll measure my cervix, so I think if it looks bad on the u/s, I'll have her check me and possibly do another fFN test.

Mara, I plan on not making anymore appointments with the "bad" doctor the rest of this pregnancy! Unfortunately, I don't think there is much I can do if he's on call when I go into labor!

Joy, yes, the big baby card is SO OBNOXIOUS! I read your birth lodge the other night and you are SO INSPIRING!! I may definitely be picking your brain in the next few weeks to make sure my birth plan sounds "good".

I'll definitely be coming to you ladies lots to keep my resolve up!! Ultimately, I want a healthy baby and mama (obviously!), so I hope they don't try to use scare tactics on me the closer I get!

ETA: I wrote this post earlier today and thought I lost it. Since I wrote it, my BH's have disappeared. Ha. I'm wondering if I had a lot due to my MIL totally stressing me out last evening! I'm still upset with her! Must be the hormonal rage.

Welcome. I hope your VBAC is a success. Once you get closer to the time it might be good to have an idea of the doctors call schedule at the hospital so you don't get stuck with a doctor who isn't supportive. A close friend of mine had a VBAC after 2 c-sections and she had very few doctors that were supportive. She knew the schedule at the hospital in advance though, and was able to get in there when her very supportive OB was on call. She was actually a bit lucky, because when she got there a not so good doctor was around and she had to spend the first hour of so at the hospital fighting with the doctor (until that doctor's shift ended)

Also, your story reminds me a bit of a friend. She had her first baby at 35 weeks. Her 2nd baby she had at 40 weeks and a few days! She was so prepared to go early and the waiting game at the end was awful for her. So just because you had 1 early baby doesn't mean then net one won't go to term (or passed)

How is the hospital where you'll deliver? If it's very VBAC-friendly, you can tell them to NOT call the bad doctor if he's the one on-call when you go into labor. You might have better chances with a resident who is being nicely indoctrinated, oops I mean properly trained, in the VBAC-friendly ways of the hospital.

Originally Posted by Spacers

How is the hospital where you'll deliver? If it's very VBAC-friendly, you can tell them to NOT call the bad doctor if he's the one on-call when you go into labor. You might have better chances with a resident who is being nicely indoctrinated, oops I mean properly trained, in the VBAC-friendly ways of the hospital.

The hospital I'll be delivering at is super VBAC-friendly! My OB's deliver at two local hospitals, both of which are VBAC-friendly. However, the hospital I had DS at is "less" friendly than the one I will deliver at this time. The place I went to last time is a bigger hospital with more "generic" care. I didn't necessarily have a bad experience there, but I'd like the other hospital more based on their VBAC stats (100 VBAC's out of 400 babies born). The hospital I had DS at has a much lower VBAC success rate. Not to mention, the LC at the hospital I had DS at was absolutely HORRIBLE!! DS was c/s, 4 weeks early, and fully tongue-tied, and she not once mentioned ANY of those as potential hurdles we'd have to figure out. Oh, she told me my milk "might be a little late" due to my c/s, but that was it. Our BFing relationship lasted 3 weeks before my supply was just so low, I couldn't keep up anymore. For the last two years I've blamed myself for not being able to BF, but have recently realized his tongue-tie was most likely a LOT of our problem. I only wish now the LC had done her job and worked with me on that.

Rambling aside, ha! See, I have to call my OB before I go to the hospital. Like with DS, I called the on-call doc, and she was the one who told me to go to the hospital. So, I don't know how I could avoid the bad doc that way?

If you think you're in labor, go to the hospital. If you're not sure, stay home. Easy peasy. And if you're really unsure & want a second opinion, call L&D and talk with a nurse.

You can do that?

Also, that IS my biggest fear! Not knowing if I'm in labor! I had back labor with DS because he was oblique and posterior, so I never experienced "normal" contractions! This baby is already head down (LOA, I believe), and I have a lot of groin (butt bone, to be exact) pain this time around I never had with DS. So I'm hoping no back labor, but that makes me scared I won't know what the other kind of contractions are!

ETA: I'll just get on here and ask you ladies if it's real or not.