Molly's Birth Plan and Why She is Choosing a VBAC

Well… here I am, officially 40 weeks pregnant, with a little extra time on my hands while we wait for this sweet girl to decide she's ready to make her entrance. (Hopefully sooner rather than later!)

While I'm in this waiting game, I thought I'd share a little about why I've chosen to have a VBAC at home. My hope isn't to convince anyone that this is the right choice for them as every birth is different, and every family has to make the decision that feels safest and best for them. I simply want to share my experience and what led me here in case it helps another mom who's considering a VBAC.

So first… what exactly is a VBAC?

VBAC stands for Vaginal Birth After Cesarean.

With my first daughter, she was breech from my 20-week anatomy scan all the way until delivery. Her little bottom was nestled deep in my pelvis while her head was practically living in my rib cage which, let me tell you, was not exactly comfortable.

I truly tried everything I could think of to help her turn. Chiropractic care, acupuncture, moxibustion, Spinning Babies exercises, ice packs at the top of my belly, warmth and music down low… you name it, I probably tried it. We even attempted an external cephalic version (ECV) without an epidural, hoping we could manually turn her. Unfortunately, it wasn't successful.

After she was born, we learned why. Her umbilical cord was several inches shorter than average, so she physically didn't have enough room to flip even if she wanted to.

At 39 weeks and 4 days, my water broke around 4:30 in the morning. Once we arrived at the hospital, I had them confirm she was still breech (she was), and we moved forward with a cesarean birth.

Although it wasn't the birth I had originally envisioned, it was actually a really positive experience. We had dim lights, our favorite music playing, delayed cord clamping, and immediate skin-to-skin in the operating room. Looking back, I'm incredibly grateful for how supported we felt.

One thing I was especially mindful of afterward was breastfeeding. Research has shown that babies born via cesarean are sometimes slower to initiate breastfeeding because both mom and baby miss some of the hormonal and physical changes that occur during labor. Things are also often delayed because mom is recovering from an operation which can come with it’s one set of complications. Additionally, moms recovering from c-sections are also more likely to experience delayed milk coming in during those first few days postpartum again due to the delay in hormones.

Knowing that, I was determined to give breastfeeding the best possible start. I offered the breast every two hours during the day and never went longer than three hours overnight. We kept a close eye on diaper output, monitored her weight carefully, and spent as much time skin-to-skin as possible so she could nurse whenever she showed feeding cues.

Thankfully, all of that hard work paid off.

This time around is so different! This little girl has been head down and in a beautiful position for months now, and I can't even describe the sense of relief that has brought me.

Very early on, I knew I wanted to pursue a home birth with my incredible friend and midwife, Fiona. As soon as I saw those two pink lines, I started putting together what I consider my dream birth team because I knew that if I wanted to give myself the best chance at a successful VBAC, I wanted to be surrounded by people who truly believed in physiological birth while also understanding the unique considerations that come with a VBAC.

One of the things I've learned throughout this pregnancy is that most women who attempt a VBAC are successful. Overall success rates are around 60–80%, depending on individual circumstances. Interestingly, studies looking specifically at carefully screened women planning a home VBAC with experienced midwives have reported success rates of around 87%. Researchers believe that continuity of care, patience during labor, avoiding unnecessary interventions when appropriate, and having a supportive birth team all play an important role.

That doesn't mean home birth is the right choice for everyone, and it certainly isn't without risks. We've spent countless hours talking through those risks and benefits with our midwife, our doula, and each other. Every decision we've made has been thoughtful, informed, and based on what feels safest and best for our family.

Along with an amazing midwife, I'll also have a wonderful doula, a birth photographer, and my biggest supporter, my husband right by my side. Oh! And my 5 year old who would probably murder me if she missed a moment of this birth.  We've spent months preparing both mentally and physically for this birth, and regardless of how this little girl ultimately decides to arrive, I know we've done everything we can to prepare. At the end of the day, that's all any of us can do.

Birth is beautifully unpredictable.

My deepest hope is that I get to experience the VBAC I've been dreaming about, but even more than that, I hope for a healthy mom, a healthy baby, and another beautiful birth story whatever that ends up looking like.

Now all that's left to do is wait…Hopefully not much longer.

For now I'll just keep enjoying the baby bump snuggles with my big girl.

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