Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)

Until very recently, most thought that once a woman had a Cesarean birth, any future babies should be delivered by a repeat C-section. Today, an effort is being made to allow certain women to deliver vaginally after a previous Cesarean birth.

Vaginal birth after Cesarean (VBAC) is associated with a less costly and shorter hospital stay. It also allows for a speedier recovery and resumption of normal activities. C-sections are somewhat more risky because they involve major surgery and some type of anesthesia. Infection, bleeding and wound complications occur more frequently with Cesarean births.

The first factor that is considered in the option for VBAC is the type of uterine incision that was used with your previous Cesarean birth. The skin incision that you have on your abdomen is not necessarily in the same direction as your uterine (womb) incision. It is imperative that your previous surgical records are used in evaluating this factor.

Certain other factors may preclude an attempted VBAC such as twins, breech birth and above-average sized babies.

Most women who have had a previous Cesarean birth can attempt VBAC since the benefits outweigh the risks. Special medical precautions will be taken to protect both you and your baby. You’ll definitely have an IV in your arm and special monitoring will be performed on your baby to alert us of any signs of fetal distress.

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