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Can I Labor in Water During a VBAC?

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,I am expecting my seventh baby. My sixth was an emergency c section due to fetal distress (meconium). I want to have a VBAC. I found a midwife that is willing to help me and I asked her if I would be able to labor in the water. She said, "No. After having a C-sec, your scar could open up like a zipper when in the water so that would not be possible.

"I do not know how I can handle the pain without a epidural. I have always had one but this time wanted to do naturally so I don't end up with a C-sec. So I have two questions, I guess.

  1. Is it possible to labor in water after a C-sec?
  2. And will the epidural raise my chances of having another C?

I am so fearful of pain. Everytime I go to the hospital, I am in a lot of pain and I am only dilated to 2 cm. I also usually need to be induced because I am always overdue. I look forward to hearing your answer.

Thanks.
mjk

ANSWER

We don't usually recommend water for women with a prior cesarean.

It sounds like you had five vaginal births with epidurals, so I would expect you could do it one more time. Good luck!

-- Cynthia, CNM

Cynthia Flynn

Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.