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How big was your first baby? I had a C for my first, and was on the fence about trying for a vbac or going for the 2nd C when I was pregnant with my 2nd. My first baby was a 10 pounder, and my doctor told me that the trend was for 2nd babies to be larger than the first. And she also told me that larger babies increased the chance of uterine rupture. I ended up choosing the repeat C. I am not preaching (because I know this is quite a controversial topic), but just sharing what I determined was personally best for me. My son ended up coming 2 weeks early, a week before my scheduled C. He was 9 pounds and had virtually no soft spot on his head. The doc told me that it was a good thing that I opted for the C-section because I might not have been able to get my son's head out v____ally due to the soft spot issue. If you try for the vbac, I would make sure you are delivering in a hospital that is equipped to do an emergency c if needed. I know that there are risks with the elective c-section, just as there are risks with any major surgery. And the risks of uterine rupture are low. But the repercussions of uterine rupture are severe and almost always fatal to the baby. I personally could not live with myself if something happened to my baby that I could have prevented. But a lot of women have successful vbac's every day. So, you just need to ask around, do some research, and make the choice that feels best to you in your heart. I wish you the best of luck!

My due date is 7/28 and I still haven't decided what I'm going to do yet. With my first child I had a c-sec because I was 11 days over my due date and had not progressed at all and my doctors felt my bones where to small to deliver the baby, they guessed she was over 9lbs. They did not induce me or anything but just went ahead and scheduled a c-sec. My daughter was 7lbs 13oz. so they were off on the weight. This was 12 years ago and now that I'm pregnant with my second I'm not sure what to do. My doctor said I could try for a vbac but he would like to go ahead and schedule a c-sec at 39 weeks unless I object. He said if I go into labor before then I can try the vbac. I still haven't decided what to do. I would like to have a v____al birth to avoid the recovery process after a c-sec, but then again I don't want to go through labor just to find out I'm still not going to be able to deliver v____ally and end up needing an emergency c-sec. They tell me this baby is going to be a big one and who knows if they are right or not. I wish someone could tell me what to do but I guess it’s a personal decision that only we can make. I don't have much longer to decide though. Last night I had really bad Braxton- hicks and ended up getting sick as well. Today at work I've had 3 people tell me that it looks like the baby has dropped just from yesterday, not that this means anything because I still have six weeks until my due date. I know this doesn't help answer you question julesnac but thought I would share my story since were in similar situations. I would love to hear stories of vbac's as well.

thanks guys. every piece of advice, tips, stories all help make an informed decision from those who've been there- or are there. Nerdy (cute) my first was 8 lbs 13 oz. he was a big baby and i'm not sure how this would affect it given the soft spots and what not, but he did, and still does, have a big head :-) however, i gained 55 lbs my first pregnancy because i took on the i'm pregnant let me eat what i want att_tude. and i don' t mean healthy food. i was soo swollen with water weight, i guess from a bad diet. and i did put on quite a bit of weight myself. i was particularly lazy and i'm sure as a cause of that i was less healthy. i've spoken w/ the dr who delivered my first and my new midwife and they both think i have a chance to try vbac around 70-75% success. my first was also posterior. i had back labor for no kidding, two months prior to my due date. everyone serious thought i'd be a month early. i was 5 days past my due date and having back pains so bad i couldn't stand it. when we went to the hospital i was at 3 cm so they wouldn't send me home. then the induced. 6 hours later they broke my water. they couldn't monitor contractions externally so they tried the scalp monitors internally but couldn't get them to work after three tries. by 18 hours after i checked in, i spiked a 104 fever and they baby's heart rate spiked to 180. it was then they decided to do an emergency c-section. so... what i'm getting to, is what they both say is that there were a lot of circ_mstances that may not repeat themselves. as for #2 being big, i guess it all depends. i've been a lot healthier this time around because of my first experience. i have exercised a lot more and tried to do things different so i can do a vbac. i also had a really rough experience w/ c-section and want to avoid it at all cost. i have researched all the risks involved, started when my first son was months old. anyways, i have looked into the pros and cons for over a year now. i really really want to give it a try but i also know i have to keep the open mind that i may have to have another c-section, even an emergency one. oh- and yes the hospital is fully staffed to accommodate emergency sections if necessary. thanks again for your thoughts. and LL let me know how things go with you. good luck with your little one.

I should have added that although my 1st c-section went extremely smooth, my 2nd one had some complications. I think that the ease of my first C made me unafraid to go for the 2nd one. But with my 2nd C, my incision opened up. Well, actually it never closed. It was clearly gaping open between the staples and it would bleed when I would cough or sneeze. When they took the staples out - PLOP! It was open. Ugh. I had an open abdominal wound for 7 weeks post-partum. Try dealing with that while you take care of a newborn and a tantrum-thowing 3-year-old! I was pretty depressed and miserable for awhile. Based on that experience, I am not sure if I would be as open minded to a third c-section. But alas, I don't have to worry about that because dh recently had a vasectomy. LOL! If you had a bad experience with your first C I can totally understand why you might not be as willing to jump back on the operating table again.