My VBAC Birth Story

When my oldest son was born, everything happened so fast. I was only thirty-seven weeks gestation when he was born, and it was quite the experience. Outside of extra monitoring and progesterone shots, I had a pretty normal pregnancy, until my 35 week appointment. My ultrasound revealed a possibility of some type of blockage in baby’s kidney, and the next thing I knew I was in labor and delivery. 

Everything was fine but in the next two weeks, I was triaged two different times for high blood pressure. At 37 weeks, I was finally induced due to low amniotic fluid. After only an hour after my induction began, the baby’s heart rate dropped and the next thing I knew I was in the OR. After my emergency c-section, I was able to hold my baby boy for what felt like a few minutes. Then, I was off to recovery without the baby I was so anxious to meet.

The recovery was awful, breast feeding wasn’t working, and I just knew I wanted an overall different experience the next time. 

Six years later, I was pregnant and kept hearing over and over that a repeat cesarean was imminent. I timidly asked my doctor in my second trimester if this was a possibility. I hadn’t had any complications and really wanted to experience having a vaginal birth. She told me that we could definitely try for a VBAC as long as I went into labor on my own. If I went beyond my due date, though, an induction wasn’t an option and we would have to do a c-section. When I was 38 weeks, I had a membrane sweep to see if that would jumpstart things. The next day, I went to work and my contractions started 15 minutes apart. Prior to that, they were pretty sporadic, but these were consistent. I finished up the day, got home, and immediately, my water broke. I wasn’t positive since it wasn’t an unmistakable gush, but I laid down for about an hour and it continued. The sweep had definitely done the trick! My older son went to my cousin’s house, and my husband and I headed to the hospital. 

I saw several nurses after admittance and all of them asked if I was having another Cesarean. “Not if I can help it!” was my response. Broken water was confirmed, and contractions were getting stronger and closer together. I was so nervous about getting an epidural because I was concerned about labor slowing down. But around 3:30am, I got it and didn’t look back. Things were going smoothly and around 8am, the doctor checked and I was 9cm. This was happening! I was so scared and excited that my teeth were chattering. Nurses filled the room, the smooth sounds of Jay-Z put me in a boss mindset, and it was time to push. Two “practice” pushes and two “real” pushes, and he was out! That’s it?! I couldn’t believe it. It was almost … too easy. (Recovery after the epidural wore off is a different story). Especially in comparison to my c-section. But I got to hold my fresh baby boy long enough to have him nurse. I even forgot that he wasn’t weighed or measured before I asked the nurse those questions. It was amazing! I was up slowing walking that evening, where it was over 24 hours with the surgery. 

The important thing is that both times I left the hospital with two healthy baby boys. Thank God that a Cesarean is a possibility when things don’t go according to plan. However, I am so glad I opted for a VBAC with my younger son. As women, we should be totally aware of all our options and make sure our doctors and partners are champions of our decisions. 

Camille
Camille has always had ties to Baton Rouge even though she didn’t live here until she finished college. Both of her parents grew up in the Red Stick but she was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. After graduating from the University of Tennessee (Go Vols!) with a BA in Communication Studies, she moved to Baton Rouge and welcomed her adorable son Caleb (7) less than a year later. She navigated life being a divorced mom until 2015 when she married her incredibly supportive husband Chris in San Francisco. They welcomed baby Christian in the summer of 2017. Truly a “Jane of all Trades”, she has worked in non-profit, local news, retail management, and owned a successful childcare facility. All roads led her to be an elementary school teacher which she believes is her calling. Camille enjoys “family fun days” where they explore BR, CrossFit, baking, and drinking all the coffee. She lives with her family in Ascension Parish with their chubby puggle Chloe.

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