What if... ?

You had an accidental unassisted VBA2C?

If you knew you were too far along to make the hospital, would you want an ambulance called, or would you let it happen?

Would you go to the hospital afterwards?

Anybody know what happens when you go to the hospital after an accidental home-birth?

What say you wonderful ladies?

I'm sure what happens depends on the hospital/state/etc. I know I read one story (of just a regular unplanned unassisted, no VBA-anything) where they still made them go in to the hospital and stay under observation for days.

For me it would depend (whether I'd risk such a thing) on the reason for my two previous C-sections. If there was no reason at all to be concerned about my ability to birth vaginally this time around...then maybe, I guess (although if I was truly totally unassisted, I probably would call the ambulance just in case, to be honest) but I definitely would not mess around if there was any reason to think I was at increased risk for anything serious.

But that's just my personal comfort level.

I would go to the hospital. Mostly because i have NO medical training at all. With no midwife there is a chance you could miss something that is important about your baby's or your health. I feel unassisted births are not a good idea.

IMHO when birth happens so fast, it's usually because things are going really really well. It can also happen because things are going really really poorly and your body feels that quickly expelling the baby to the outside is the best option. I think, as an educated mom, you would most likely know very quickly which situation you're in and act accordingly. I think it's generally better to stay put somewhere safe & warm & with some basic medical supplies, than to give birth on the side of the road trying to get to a hospital. Assuming you aren't truly alone -- I would call an ambulance in that case -- and if you & baby are just hunky dorry, then I see no reason to bother with an ambulance, just get yourself & baby checked by your respective doctors within a day or two. If you're suddenly seeing stars, that's not right at all (and is, in fact, a signal of dangerously high blood pressure) or if you feel severe or unusual pain, an ambulance should be called. If your placenta doesn't come out after the birth, that requires a trip to the hospital but not necessarily by ambulance, and I'd probably leave baby at home with a loved one.

Sadly, with our society & insurance regulations, I would probably expect that CPS would be called. They would give me a call, I'd explain that baby just came too fast to get anywhere safely, and they'd close our file. I don't believe they would have any legal standing to do anything else. And I certainly wouldn't let the fear of CPS change my decision-making process. My duty is to my baby and my family, and if I've done right by them, I've done right, period.

I work in maternity. Unplanned unassisted births are more common than most people think. There aren't any sort legal issues following (in Canada). Some people just get quickly checked over (sutured if necessary) and then go home, others stay longer. If all is well, it is up to the mom. As far as it being a VBAC, the main concern it rupture, so if the delivery is done, there isn't reason to be further concerned. Even if you deliver in hospital, there isn't any special VBAC postpartum care.

Personally, I *think* I would call the ambulance if it was a VBAC because it does create a higher risk. In a situation with a low risk mom and pregnancy, I wouldn't. At the hospital, I would just be checked over and then go home.

If I were to have a *truly* unplanned unassisted birth then I would call an ambulance and go in to the hospital. I have zero medical training and I would have no idea what to look for if something were abnormal. If I were to have a planned unassisted birth (of the variety where I'm not supposed to be planning such things) I would educate myself thoroughly on the matter and then probably call my MW after all was said and done to see what she wanted me to do. I suspect my MW group would tell me to call an ambulance because they're overseen by a high risk OB and that's what they'd be expected to do for insurance purposes.

I've actually thought about this for this one. I'm planning on laboring at home as long as possible and my mom had really fast labors. I was her first baby and from start to finish was 2 hours, so my mind has ventured into the territory of 'what if it goes that fast'. I would most likely call an ambulance just to be on the safe side, and I would want LO looked over.

My last birth was unassisted and not planned that way (my MW got there about 15 minutes later....) Oops. It truly was an oops and baby just really came quickly. My MW missed it and my DH missed it (thank goodness my mom and MIL were there to tend to the other three kids and fetch me things like towels!) But I was not a VBAC.....

I just stayed put until my MW arrived and we went from there. All was fine.

My goal for this birth is to have my dh and my mw present. Big goals, eh? :wink:

:lurk:
I know someone who had an unintended unassisted homebirth. Her daughter was crowning as the ambulance pulled up. She did go to the hospital to have her and baby checked over just in case. She was also not a VBAC. No known CPS intervention, but I doubt they would have been called.

A lot of good thoughts here already. I'm aligned w/ Stacey's post. Allow yourself to be in-tune with your birth, and you'll know if you need to call an ambulance or not. The question of going to hospital after is also a "see what happens" situation. If everything is fine, mom is fine, no excessive bleeding or pain that is making her nervous, and if baby is fine: crying, breathing, nursing, pink and alert... then there's no need to go to the hospital. a visit to the dr's office within the first couple of days will suffice.

If you are having a vba2c and you're concerned about this, I would find out as much as possible about warning signs for complications.