1st baby stuck?

Abbey

*long post*

Talk to me about TOLAC/VBAC. I'm pregnant with my second. I feel like I don't have anyone on my side beside my husband.

With my first I had a slow amniotic fluid leak at 22 weeks on. My water broke full on movie style at 38 weeks. I was in labor for 28 hours and pushed for 2.

We live in a rural area and the doctors office was short staffed, the doctor who was on call when I went into labor was pregnant and had already been at the hospital for 30+ hours. She was visibly exhausted. We didn't have a great relationship.

After pushing for 2 hours she told me if I wanted a c section I could have one. The peer pressure and exhaustion got the best of me and I gave in.

It turns out my son was sunnyside up, and he was stuck, so stuck his forehead was indented (I was told)

Later I was told that I had a narrow pelvis and he probably wouldnt have made it out vaginally. (Apparently they can't test for this??)

1 thing was never clear, the furthest I was told I had dialated was 9cm.

Having a C-Section was obviously not our birth plan. So this time around we would really like the opportunity to at least try.

I've already hired a doula so I have somone on my team. Right now we're trying to decide where to birth this child. The hospital where our first was born said that they would be willing to schedule our C section for 40 weeks as long as nothing presents as a problem sooner. That if my water broke on its own we would be allowed to progress with labor until it stalled. No pitocin would be administered.

The other hospital that is an option can't see us yet, but is larger, has more to offer (including nicu) and we have no idea if they'll be more supportive of a VBAC.

Tell me your experiences! Good or Bad.

I'm a planner and this is creating so much anxiety!

Thanks for making it this far! I had to get it all out!