Prior to this pregnancy I had lost several pounds, become an avid runner and was determined to stay active throughout my pregnancy to increase the odds of success with the VBAC. My regular OBGYN initially was on board with me trying, but as time drew near, he seemed to be leaning towards me having another c-section. It was by chance that another MD in his group was assigned to me this past Friday for my check up. At this point I was 40 weeks and 2 days. This time my blood pressure was very high, which is not normal for me. She stripped my membranes and then told me to report to the hospital last night.
I was contracting and then my water broke when I got there. After 2 hours of trying to tough out the pain I did get an epidural. My labor was intense, but it lasted 8 hrs. At first the doc was concerned that I wasn't making much progress and the baby's heartrate would drop occasionally with each contraction. But then in one hour I went from 4 cm to 10 cm, and I was ready to push!
I probably pushed 10 good times and he was out! I did it! I was so proud....he's doing well though in the NICU because he was kinda small (5.13#, 19") and his blood sugars were low. But he's latching on well and I'm in love all over again.
If you are seriously considering a VBAC make sure your physician is totally behind you. You know your body and what it is capable of. Take care of yourself, do the research and don't get discouraged by what others think you should do.