For Nubs- VBAC vs Elective caesarean for baby no 2

[Bruch70]

Glad that was helpful for you. Just wanted to say about the scan thing- i do have a bit of an issue with them, yes they are great for monitoring babies and mums who are at risk and scan be used as a 'screening' tool to pick up any potential problems or abnormalities but i fear they have been made the 'be all and end all' when it comes to defining pregnancy and birth.

Just to make myself a bit clearer, i totally understand women wanting the earlier dating one (or nuchal in some areas) or sometimes, when there has been a pregnancy loss, a viability one even earlier and then the anatomy (sometimes called anomaly) scan to check development (can't do this one any earlier as the organs have to be properly formed to check them).

Unfortunately, the medical world has undermined women trusting their own bodies (yes i know sometimes women have an irregualr cycle or didn't know they were pregnant then a ball park figure of your due date is useful) but i have heard of so many cases when women have been 'told' they have got their dates wrong (sometimes women whose partners are in the forces and only home for a few days- they usually have a VERY good idea of when they conceived!!!) but if the scan says something, it is the LAW!!!

There is definately a downside as well as a plus side. And i have lost track of the amount of women who were told their babies were huge (and sometimes induced for this very reason!!) only to have regular sized babies anyway. When the dating scan was first introduced and i worked in the clinic, women's dates were left according to their cycles unless the discrepancy was 2 weeks or more- over the years this has reduced until people's dates are being moved when there are days involved- the implication of this is if you do go past this scan ordained due date, you might be inviting an induction that you may not necessarily need?

When you think about when your baby was due, remember when he/she might have been conceived and also that the traditional way of working a due date out is based on a 28 day cycle- if you are one of the many women whose cylce is different, this will affect when you might have conceived e.g. if your cycle (like mine used to be!) is about 42 days, i actually ovulated probably on day 28!! if you took the date from my last period (day 1) it would give me a due date 2 weeks earlier than i would actually be! Does this make sense?

I think it is also interesting to note what they do in other countries- in France for example, it is common practice to give women a due date that includes the traditional 2 weeks overdue, so they date to 42 weeks. Does seem to alleviate a lot of the worry and stress that British women have to contend with- also it's a state of mind thing isn't it? If you think something should have arrived, you start to obsess if it doesn't turn up!! And stress hormones (mostly adrenaline) are the antidote to getting labour starting!!

I know i have digressed slightly, nubs but in your case if you decide a vbac is right for you, having an artifically imposed due date that might be different than your natural one could have an impact on if you did go past that date. Hospitals are very cautious about using induction when you have a uterine scar, particularly the gel or pessary (prostaglandin) as it is associated with a higher chance of the scar starting to open up (sometimes called dehiscence, just a posher word!!). Some consultants will be happy with the hormone drip though and this does seem to be a safer option. However, sticking to your guns and trusting what YOU feel is your due date will at least give oyur body a better chance of birthing your baby on it's own. Labours that start and continue naturally tend to be much more bearable.

Again, i'm sure i've overloaded you, but i do think it is important to be well informed!!! Good luck with your consultant appt, keep on with the reading and let us know how it goes! And i know you might be very comfortable with the date you are roughly due (after all, babies do tend to come when it pleases them and not others!) but just wanted to point out that the scan is not always King! Just a thought!

Warm wishes,

Vicky