I have decided I am going to be a Child birth educator (CBE). I feel I'm being called to share information on birth and help expectant parents educate themselves and hopefully have a better birth experience in turn.
I have begun a blog specifically for keeping track of my thoughts on birth in general, information, and to document my journey to eventually becoming a CBE.
http://blessthisbirth.blogspot.com/
I plan to continue posting in this blog as well but I'm going to be using this blog for more information specific to VBACs. This will also provide a space for me to discuss some of emotions and memories of my c-sections, and allow me to "Get some things off my back" about my VBAC (as the blog title references).
I hope both blogs will help me to grow as a person and hopefully give someone else support and information they may need.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Carol and, in a desperate search to find someone who had successful births after an EXIT procedure, I found your blog. I know the EXIT procedure is rare and there are few statistics on births after one, but I really needed to find someone who had also been through this experience. You are the ONLY person and ONLY online site about this that I have found! June 2009 I had an EXIT-to-ECMO with my second daughter, Brielle, who had a congenital diaphragmatic hernia and was suddenly thrown into distress by an atrial flutter. I wanted to give her every chance at survival and opted for the EXIT. The procedure was a success, but her conditon was too severe and she passed away at 16 days old. Children's Hosp. of Phila told me I couldn't get pregnant again for 2 years. At home my regular doctor saw no reason to wait more than one year. So... here we are pregnant again. (We conceived the day after Brielle's 1 year anniversary of her passing) Needless to say, the trauma of her birth experience, although necessary, has scarred me and I want so badly to have a vaginal birth this time around, like my first birth. Fearful of uterine rupture, my ob seems to be leaning towards a planned c-section. He has asked my preference but I can see the fear of the unknown with him because he has never had a post-EXIT patient before. With c-section, the risk of rupture is 1%, but my scar is 3 times the size of a c-section and no one knows the risks. It was a relief to see that you had an EXIT and later had VBACs... or perhaps we should call it a VBAE? I was just wondering if you had any words of wisdom on my situation and if your doctors had more insight on VBAEs. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.
I was told my c-section was no different then any other except for the added anesthesia and intubation for my first daughter. The EXIT procedure is very rare but in evaluating if you are a good VBAC candidate it should be more of a matter of the evaluation of your Operative notes and scar by a VBAC experienced care provider. They will have to check what that says about your scar type and position specific to you, but you still have a great chance of VBACing. In my research I actually found that having had a scheduled c-section instead of an emergency one when your uterus is stressed makes you a better candidate. Also because you had a previous vaginal delivery that lowers your chance of rupture. And the time between your deliveries shouldn't be an issue as long as there were no extra complications in the surgery for you.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what your care options are up there however if you want your case evaluated thoroughly even though I know traveling for the delivery may not be an option. Please contact Dr. Joseph Tate (770) 449-8171 that's his office's number but I'm sure they can give you his email as well when you call. He is was my OB last pregnancy and has done VBACs and VBAMCs with many moms low and higher risk (if you google you'll see his triplet VBAC and triplet VBA2C mentioned I'm sure). Maybe yall could arrange a consult just where you email him your OP notes (which you should request from your provider and the hospital you delivered at)so you can show his opinion to the OBs closer to you for reference, though I also know many women have traveled from other states and countries to deliver with him.
Hope some of that helps! I hope everything works out for you to have a healing perfect birth experience this time around, and I'm sorry for your loss. L Baker