My VBAC #2 story

To summarize:  EM (2012) was induced at 41 +1 and I ended up with a csection after 24 hours for failure to open.  EL (2016) was born naturally, med free (unintended), and super fast around 38 weeks.  

Imagine our surprise when we found out I was pregnant again for #3.  The first thing I asked my doctor was I had a successful vbac so does it reset?  What is this one called?  My doctor told me unfortunately, once a csec always a csec so this one would be called vbac#2 if it happened.  As with my last pregnancy (and now with the knowledge that I can have a natural, med free birth), I internally debated what my options were but these were the definite.  I had to go into labor naturally, I could not be induced, after 41 +1 weeks, I would have to have a csection.

Around 38 weeks, I began to anticipate that the labor would happen soon.  I had a super fast and earlier labor for #2 and it had been exactly 2 years so why would this be different?  Well, the weeks went by and I was still pregnant and getting desperate to start labor naturally.  I tried everything (poring over blogs and ideas) to get labor started.  I bounced on exercise balls, walked around malls, ate spicy food, got acupuncture, BD, went to a famous restaurant to eat their labor inducing eggplant dish, squats, membranes swept, etc.  but this labor was not starting naturally and I was getting desperate to avoid the surgery.

My OBGYN was a godsend and she decided to secretly and covertly induce me with very little pitocin and scheduled me for induction at 40w +5 days.  It had to be a covert mission because technically and per the practice policy, inductions could not be scheduled for a vbac. All the labor inducing things I did..did help with the fact that I was 4-5cm already and with a previous successful vbac, my doctor was convinced that this could go well.

The lowest dosage of induction started around noon.  My water was broken at 6cm around 2pm.  I asked for an epidural by 4pm (med free births are okay as I had one before but the pain of pitocin left me with little choice) and after the anesthesiologist came and finished with the epidural, I had reached 10cm and ready to get things started.  Except baby #3 was also facing sunny side up just like her big sister and they were having trouble finding the heartbeat.  Literally we spent hours adjusting the heartbeat monitor before finally the midwife suggested internally monitoring the heartbeat.  With that out of the way and everything okay, it was time to push.

Except this was the first time pushing with an epidural and I could not feel any contractions.  I asked them to turn down the epidural so that I could feel it a little bit more to help with the pushing.  #3 was still faced the other way and also had a big head so was having trouble.  The doctor (not my original OB) decided that forceps would be better and with the help of him, EV was born at a whopping 9lbs 3 oz.