VBAC

VBAC- Vaginal Birth After Cesarean, VBA2C- Vaginal Birth After 2 Cesareans, VBA3C, and so on...

Most people have never heard this term, I had never heard it until about a year after Jude was born. (For a little background on my children's entrances into the world, check out one of my older posts birth.) Sadly though, the words "uterine rupture" were almost synonymous with VBAC. Whenever you heard someone talk about a VBAC those two words were never far behind. That's why I never even considered one with my second baby. However, it didn't take long after Lennon was born for me to realize that I would never willingly let an uncaring doctor take my newborn baby out of my body through an incision again. That is NOT birth! That is a medical procedure that takes everything beautiful out of the birthing process. I can not even say that I gave birth to my children, I have to say, "when the doctor took him out of me..."

So anyway, I'm not one to sit around and wallow in my pity. I was determined to find hope and make things different next time. When Lennon was three months old I joined a newly formed OKC VBAC support group. One of the best things I have ever done in my whole life! I can't explain how powerful it is to sit in a room with other women who know exactly what it's like to have been robbed of what is supposed to be one of the most beautiful moments in a mother's life. It's also very emotional to hear women tell their birth story years later with tears pouring down their face. I don't think anyone really quite understands how traumatic a cesarean can be for a women who was not expecting to have have one.

Okay, okay, I keep getting distracted with the deep stuff here : ) The main reason for this post is to celebrate the ACOG's (American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) newly revised VBAC guidelines. The ACOG states, " Attempting a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is a safe and appropriate choice for most women who have had a prior cesarean delivery, including for some women who have had two previous cesareans." Well halle-freakin-lujah!!! It's about time they shed some truthful light on the matter.

ACOG also states that, "restrictive VBAC policies should not be used to force women to undergo a repeat cesarean delivery against their will if, for example, a woman in labor presents for care and declines a repeat cesarean delivery at a center that does not support TOLAC (trial of labor after [previous] cesarean)." Meaning with my next birth, I can walk into a hospital and between contractions say, f*#% you! I'm birthing this baby out my vagina and you can take your repeat cesarean plans for me and shove them up your @$$! double smiley face : ) : )