VBAC?...or not?

I went to the doctor this morning for my OB Interview. Ya know...the one where they tell you how much it's going to cost you, do your health history, and give you all sorts of information. When it comes to the cost of delivery and maternity care, c-sections are always going to be more expensive. So when discussing how much I would owe them today, the lady asked me whether I wanted to have a VBAC(vaginal birth after cesarean) or if I just wanted to go ahead and elect to have a scheduled section. This is a decision that has always been on my mind and one that I have thought very long and hard about. There are risks to both of them and also pros and cons. So I just needed to figure out what would be best for me.

Risks for VBAC
*tear or opening in the uterus
-if a tear occurs that would probably require a blood transfusion, may cause damage to the uterus requiring a hysterectomy[im way too young for that!!], damage to the bladder, blood clots, and in some cases even death.
*risk to the baby after VBAC are brain damage and also death. 1 out of 10 babies will suffer brain damage or death

Pros for VBAC
*faster healing time after delivery
*quicker return to normal activities
*lower financial cost
*less chance for complications from surgery



Risks of a Cesarean
*blood loss requiring transfusion
*more scaring
*infection
*injury to organs
*problems with anesthesia

Pros of Cesarean
*no tearing or episiotomies
*ability to plan delivery
*avoid risks of VBAC



So after going over all these things I have made the decision that I will have an elective scheduled c-section. My doctor agrees with my decision. He says unless I'm one of those people who just "have to push out a baby or they'll just die"...then a c-section is the safer, smarter choice. To be honest, there are several people who have said to me that I'm not really a mom until I've had to push out a baby or that my delivery with Emma wasn't painful because I wasn't in labor. I try not to let those things hurt me because I feel as though making the decicion to do what is safe for myself and my baby is "being a good mom". I don't need the pride in pushing out a baby. If thats not what God planned for me, then I'm ok with that. I just want my babies and myself to be healthy. So I'm glad that this decision has been made. I was going back and forth about it and really wasn't sure until today. But I guess the good thing about all this, is I can plan everything and everyone will be able to be there this time when I deliver.


I also scheduled my next ultrasound for Sept. 2!