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Plus Size VBAC Story – I Can’t Believe I Doubted My Body

From the moment I had my first daughter via c-section, I knew I wanted to try a vaginal delivery with my next baby. My c-section was fine, and everything went as planned but it’s not what I wanted, I wanted a vaginal birth. This is my plus size VBAC story! 

baby feet

Plus Size VBAC Story

We waited the recommended time between pregnancies in hopes it would help.

Throughout my second pregnancy, we talked about having a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), and it was the plan to go that route.

On my due date, my blood pressure was elevated so off to triage I went for a workup.

Everything was fine, but the OBGYN told my midwife, “I wouldn’t recommend her waiting much longer to have the baby.”

As a nurse myself I started to doubt my body.

My husband and I discussed the options and decided we should just do a c-section vs. waiting and having to be induced like I was with our first.

Now on the morning of the c-section, we dropped our oldest off, and we went to the hospital.

While getting ready for the c-section, the nurse puts me on the monitor, and about 15 minutes later she says to me, “can you feel those?”

I looked at her and said “I’m not crazy! I am having contractions, right?”

Low and behold I was contracting every 2-4 minutes and was in early labor.

What a little wrench in the plan! We talked with the OBGYN, midwife, and nurses and decided to hold off on the c-section and see where this labor would take us.

By 1:00 pm we were in a room and starting Pitocin to help things along.

In the early night hours, the midwife did a foley balloon to help with dilation and continued to increase the Pitocin as they could. The balloon came out on its own and by 4:00 am my water broke.

The tub was a godsend for me, it helped relieve the contractions and help me to relax!

By 8:00 am I was 8cm dilated and getting more uncomfortable but hey two more centimeters to go “I can do this!” 11:00 am check again because I was significantly more uncomfortable, no change.. still 8cm. Bring on the epidural.

I hoped I could get some rest, but my sweet girl had different plans.

She started to drop her heart rate with contractions, so I was flipped side to side with oxygen on and stopping the Pitocin. I ended up sitting up in the labor bed for hours.

Six hours later I was 9cm, we had been at this for 28 hours.

Related: Sarah’s Plus Size VBAC Homebirth Story

When the night midwife came in to see us, she gave me the news I did not want, “I’m going to have the OBGYN come in and talk to you, I think we need to talk about doing a c-section.”

I was devastated, we had come so far, and I felt like my body was falling short.

The midwife and OBGYN came in and said they would come back and check me in an hour. If there was no change, then they felt a c-section would be safest for baby and me.

Again, devastated. I cried, and nothing anyone could say made it better.

Fast forward one hour, I had my mind it was time to go to the Operating Room, but they insisted on checking me… 10cm and ready to push!!

Game time!

Related: VBAC Story – I Had Successfully Pushed Her Into This World

My mom got to hold my leg while my husband stayed by my head, they brought the mirror so I could see her head.

After pushing for 30 minutes, my sweet girl was in my arms!

Plus Size VBAC Story
Plus Size VBAC Story

Thinking back at those amazingly hard 30 hours and how emotional they were, I can’t believe I doubted my body and my baby.

I have two wonderfully healthy girls one born by c-section and one vaginally.

I’m so thankful that both of my experiences went well and for the amazing teams of midwives, nurses and doctors helped us through both.

The most important thing is a safe delivery and a healthy baby no matter how it happens.

This is one mamma filled with gratitude.

Plus Size VBAC Story

Be sure to check out our VBAC resources to read more articles like this plus size VBAC story!  

Jen McLellan, CBE
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