Articles on VBAC

In an online community I take part in, a fellow mom replied to a someone's inquiry about choosing an elective c-section over a VBAC with this response:

 "I have never seen compelling evidence that vbac is safer than a repeat c-section - that is an opinion not a fact. In fact, most doctors will not do vbacs because they are not considered safe. Repeat c-section still seems to be the prevelant recommendation. (Some will say "because it is convenient for doctors." Yeah - because they are ALL selfish monsters? I don't think so, but that's my opinion.) 

The body is meant to give birth, yes. However, labor was the leading cause of death for women before the advent of the c-section. When they are medically necessary, they save lives of women and babies. With the technology we have today, it is possible to have a planned c-section for medical reasons. Thank God!"

I responded with this:

"You are grossly misinformed about VBAC.  You should NOT give advice to someone based on your opinon and not based on research.  Want some compelling info on VBAC?  Here ya go:

ican-online.org/vbac/postion-statem...

ican-online.org/vbac/fighting-vbac-...

www.childbirthconnection.org/pdfs/A...

wellroundedmama.blogspot.com/2009/0...

vbacfacts.com/

I could keep going, but I think you may get the point.  

Have you been through an UNWANTED c-section because of a doctor pushing you in to it when it wasn't truly medically necessary?  If not, you cannot imagine what it feels like to be passionate about changing your birth options."

It is frustrating to me that people so carelessly influence others in to thinking a c-section is no big deal.  Her information is wrong, plain and simple.  

P.S. Sorry about the formatting.  It messed up when I copied and pasted from the other website.

12 Week Appointment

It has taken me awhile to get this post done because life has been crazy.  Since I last posted, my mom ended up back in the hospital for another week and had FIVE surgeries.  She's home now and is doing okay, but ended up with two more wound vacs placed and pretty much getting liposuction on her whole abdomen from infected tissue.  My dad called me the evening of labor day and asked me to come back down.  I was there from Tuesday-Saturday, came home and had my oldest brother visiting from Georgia for two nights and then had my 12 week visit on Monday.

Since it was a "milestone" appointment, in my opinion, marking the end of the first trimester (more or less) and dropping the chance for miscarriage significantly, I wasn't thrilled when Daddy B couldn't make the rescheduled appointment since I was going to have Baby C with me (it was supposed to have been on the previous Friday).  BUT!  My sweet brother said "Well, I have the day off, why don't I go with you?"  I took him up on it and he was a trooper!

We made the hour drive and after a looooong wait in the waiting room, finally got back to see Dr. C and the visit took like 15 minutes, max.  They weighed me (I'm not tracking it), the took my blood pressure (119/68) and then Dr. C used the doppler to find the heart beat.  Our little peanut was way down in my pelvis and kept running from the doppler!  We would hear it for a second and then they would move.  We finally picked it up well and got a heart rate reading of 170.  Dr. C let my brother take a recording of the sound to send to Daddy B (he requested it, he really hated missing the appointment because he likes to be at every one!).  I wish I could figure out how to upload the sound file, but I'm not that tech savvy. Oh well!

Dr. C had to press sooo hard on my c-section scar to find the heart beat and it HURT.  It has been feeling uncomfortable every now and then if I get up from like watching a movie or get up after sleeping.  I do not like the stretching feeling of that old scar tissue.  He said that's totally normal and I should stop feeling any discomfort soon.  The other thing I asked him about was my headaches.  I got horrible pregnancy headaches with Baby C and they finally went away around 16 weeks.  That was my main first trimester symptom with Baby C, but this baby has made me very nauseous and I've actually lost my dinner a handful of times.  Well the sickness finally ended around 11 weeks and then the dang headaches started up!  Dr. C suspects it's my blood sugar getting low, since food usually makes them feel somewhat better.  Hopefully I only have a few more weeks of them!

I'll leave you with a belly shot of me at 12 weeks.  Not too much of a bump, but trust me, it's a lot rounder than it was 3 months ago!