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• December 3, 2011 9:33 p.m.

  While there are dangers to the baby in a VBAC with uterine rupture, it is very low risk that the baby will die, only 1.9 babies out of 10,000. While that is a very low number, those still represent real babies and absolutely should be taken into consideration. What should also be considered, and is rarely mentioned in discussion, are the risks a RCS pose to the mother. From my reading, I've found that the maternal mortality rate with a RCS is more than 3 times higher than with a VBAC. RCS maternal mortality is 13/10,000 births and VBAC is 4/10,000 births. Again, these numbers represent real mothers and should be considered in the decision-making process, but sadly, these risks are rarely mentioned by health care providers. You have to sign a VBAC risks consent form, but not a RCS risks consent form and that's a misrepresentation. ACOG now recommends VBAC over RCS in most cases, and it's time that health care professionals and hospitals start giving pregnant women safe options and stop withholding information that inconveniences the care provider. Mothers ultimately have to make their own choice, but that's only possible if they are educated as to the risks and possible outcomes of BOTH procedures.

  - Vanessa

• November 19, 2011 4:27 p.m.

  I had an emergency c secttion 12 years ago with my daughter ( I had pre eclampsia)and I have absolutly no desire should I ever become pregnant again to have a vaginal birth for 2 reasons I am a total and utter coward when it comes to pain and the embarrasment, I know people say you're in that much pain that you could have the world and his wife watching you , but trust me I would care! xxx

  - clare

• October 19, 2011 9:22 p.m.

  I had an emergency c-section with my 1st child and I had a successful vbac with my 2nd child. Having had both a major surgery and the natural birth I would never choose the surgery given the choice. So baby #3 is on the way and she will be a vbac baby too. I only comment because the way my body recovered and the after birth experience was worth the effort and trouble I had to go through to have the vbac..

  - melissa

• October 19, 2011 3:45 p.m.

  First, to M: many women do not want a vbac because they are looking for the "perfect" birth experience. They want it because it is statistically a lot safer for low-risk women and even for some higher-risk women. And some women do have very real feelings of loss and bitterness after feeling duped into a c-section because they weren't informed or pressured by a doctor or simply even when it was necessary. There is no right way to give birth and there's no right way to feel after giving birth. Some women want to attempt a vaginal birth (and the majority will be successful) for all of the health benefits and if they want more children in the future as many providers have a cap on the # of c-section they do- the risks for maternal death, for example, go up tremendously with each one. And some women want to make it easier to care for older children at home, without recovering from MAJOR surgery if it is not medically necessary. Ladies who are interested in a vbac- choose a provider who is 100% on board, not just with words, but with a proven track record for doing vbacs. Find your local ican chapter (look at ican.org) and consider hiring a doula (dona.org) or getting a midwife. Ladies who want a repeat c-section- there's something out there called a gentle cesarean which might be a good option for you if you were unhappy the first time around :) Good luck ladies!

  - Andrea

• September 24, 2011 9:36 p.m.

  Question? VBAC at home? Midwife and doula? First baby 3 yrs ago c-sect after ruptured membrane and pitocin with very slow progression. "fetal distress" was noted, thus the c-section. Is this safe?

  - Rose

• September 3, 2011 5:36 p.m.

  i had a c-sec 4 years ago. i m pregnant with my 2nd baby and the due date was 2 sep 2011....2 days have past and i still hv no pains...i am very normal physically and my ulktrasound tells that so is the baby. the previous c-sec took place cus my baby was badly tangled up in cord and i had a show positive and the OBGYN couldnt leave it open for more than 24 hrs. i badly want a VBAC. pls help cuz i am now post term....how long should i wait now

  - Dania

• August 29, 2011 2:06 p.m.

  My OB offers the choice to the patient - they ask me, how do you want to deliver? Well, here is my response: I want to deliver in whatever manner is the safest for my baby and for me. If the doctor tells me repeat c-section is safest, since she is the one that attended 10+ years of OB training, I think I will accept her response. Sure, perhaps the uterine rupture risk seems low, but guess what, that 2% number exists because it happens! You just dont know if its your card that will be pulled that day. My Dad had a heart procedure that came with a 1% risk of stroke. sounds good right? guess what, he had a major stroke and life will never be the same for our entire family. I guess I just dont understand why some women are so obsessed with the vaginal delivery experience. I chose to obsessed with the healthy birth experience, instead of how I get there.

  - M

• August 4, 2011 12:13 a.m.

  I had an emergency c-section two years ago. The baby went into distress while they were letting me sleep (for 3 hours)after an epidural and by the time the doctor checked the monitor (I think the nurses had changed shifts and forgotten me) he was very worried and rushed me into surgery. Two years later I'm forty and in good health and pregnant again. My new doctor agreed to let me try for a vbac. I did a lot of research and was a little worried about uterine rupture from the scar. I decided that I would only try for vbac if I went into labor naturally. Due date came and went and 4 days later I decided to try induction. I was leery about using drugs as I heard this can increase the risk of uterine rupture; but after talking to my doctor I decided to try pitocin. I was able to dilate without using very much pitocin and 5 hours later the doctor broke my water. This sped up the contractions and made them more painful. The nurse gave me some pain medicine that lasted an hour that didn't dull the pain much, but it helped me to relax between contractions. It was 5 hours from the time my water broke that I gave birth to my healthy 7 lb 3 oz daughter. I wasn't sure that I would be able to have a vbac. The doctor had a surgical staff on hand just in case. After pushing for an hour I finally was able to make myself crunch forward (with hubby's help) and push harder. Two minutes later I was holding my baby in my arms. I'm so grateful to my doctor for helping me achieve a vb

  - Peggy

• August 2, 2011 11:38 a.m.

  i had my son almost 2yrs ago will be in oct. i was enduced w him and never did feel any contractions while in labor, the nurse had broke my water and stated that my son had a bowel movement in the water. they done an emergency c-section and my son was swollen from his sugar bein so low that he was at high risk of facing a deadly seasure. they rushed him to a higher facility where he stayed for a week on antibiotics. thankfully he got better and went home! i am preg. w my 2nd and he is due sept. 24th 2011. i heard the risk of ueterine rupture is higher if u go thruogh w VBAC before a 24month c-section period! my dr. highley recomends that i try to go w a VBAC! she is all for it and i'm glad but i am also scared at the same time. i do not want anymore kids so i'm not sure if a c-section or a VBAC would be great for me. i would very much so like to try a VBAC. i have never really experienced what it's like to enjoy naturall labor. does anyone have any suggestions or good advice for me? thank you -kathy

  - kathy

• July 27, 2011 12:25 a.m.

  N: I know I'm late with this comment, but I just found this blog. My suggestion is to find a midwife who will work with VBAC's. If you can't find one in your area or your insurance won't let you use one, then find a good OBGYN who will let you do a VBAC. Those doctors are few and far between, but they do exist. You just have to find one. Also, look at the hospital policies. Some will allow VBAC and some will not. And remember, policies are just policies, not unchangeable laws. Some hospitals will bend their rules about not allowing VBAC's if you have a good case.

  - Tanya

• June 27, 2011 12:22 p.m.

  I had my daughter 3 yrs ago. My water broke at home. When i got to the hospital i found out that she was breached and because my water had already broke they couldnt turn her so i had to have an emergency c-section. It has been three yrs and i am now pregnant with my second child. My c-section is alittle lower than my bikini line. I realky want to have a normal delivery but because of the risk i am torn of the desicion .On one hand I feel that im being selfish for my own wants and god forbid if something went wrong and i lost my child because i was too selfish to just go through with a routine cesarian, and on the other hand i REALLY want to experienced a natural delivery. I really dont know what to do!

  - Julie

• June 25, 2011 4:34 a.m.

  I have read and appreciate everyone's comments, but I have to say- I am 16 weeks pregnant with my second child, 10 years apart, and I am almost certainly going with a c-section. My first labor was induced, and after 30 hours of no dilation, 8 hours of pitocin, a failed epidural attempt, and a horrible post-op infection complete with an incisional gap that I had to pack, there is no way I would try that again. I would much rather go into a planned c-section as healthy as possible than risk another infection like that. It really comes down to personal opinion and what is right for you; however, I was getting the feeling that most of these posts encourage VBAC and didn't see any that explained why someone would choose a repeat c-section instead. 60-80% odds to me means 20-40% risk of a repeat c-section under suboptimal circumstances. I have been a registered nurse for 11 years and routinely see the difference in recovery of patients who are healthy prior to surgery as opposed to those who are sick or compromised, and I choose to be one of the healthy ones!

  - Angie

• November 1, 2010 3:10 p.m.

  N- your birth story is almost identical to mine. I was also told to watch the b.o.b. born. let me tell you that movie is not something you are going to want to watch by yourself. it scared me to no end. I was told i needed to be induced and was strapped to a bed for 14 plus hours, he broke my water with the internal baby monitor it all went down hill form there and yes i also had a epidural that didnt work well and was called fat while the dr was trying to find the right place for my epidural. i was labeled a f.t.p. and then had my baby via c section, my epidural wore off during the surgery. i wasnt able to see my baby until the next day it was horrible. ok less than 2 years later i was pregnant again and was told that the tendon of my leg was tied into my scar.(i think this was a lie i have changed drs and she looked at me like i was crazy) so repeat c section here i came and we had our son via c section. 3 almost 4 years later i am pregnant again and awaiting the birth of our 3rd child. we changed drs, he was a jerk and after checking around he has a bad reputation for what happened to me. My new dr told me that she always suggests mothers who have only had 1 c section to try for a vbac (if nothing is seriously wrong) it is better for baby and better for mother. but with 2 c sections the risks go up allot (like with me) but she is willing to let me try for a vbac if my body goes into labour by itself before my due date. so i say you find another dr some one u trust :)

  - emily

• September 13, 2010 5:58 p.m.

  N- Watch the Business of Being Born. You can find it on netflix. This might help you with your dilema. Good luck Jen

  - Jen

• September 1, 2010 5:13 p.m.

  I'm 30 years old and delivered my first 4 1/2 years ago. My doctor induced me and it went down hill from there. The epidural wouldn't work which then caused fetal distress. I also wouldn't dilate past 4 cm from the stress so ended w/ a c-section. I'm now 3 months preg and my new very young ruled out vbac right off the bat and said if I were to even consider it I would have to find a doctor willing to spend his/her whole day by my side. She also used what I felt were scare tactics that my uterus could rupture and baby can lose oxygen. I'm so confused. I'm a very healthy 30 year old and I would like to have more kids but I believe these back to back c-sections can complicate things. I would also like to try and deliver my baby vaginal but she ruled it out and I'm terrified of something going terribly wrong w/ a vbac. Does anyone have any suggestions?

  - N

• August 26, 2010 11:47 a.m.

  I delivered my first child 13 years ago via c-section due to developing ovarian cysts that needed to be removed without the pressure of a vaginal delivery. Its something I never want to experience again. I was in recovery for over two hours before i was able to hold and bond with my daughter. My recovery process took months and I wasnt able to pick up the baby. It was very frustrating. 8 years ago, I delivered my second child VBAC and experienced labor and delivery as normal as could be expected. We left the hospital two days later with my son and my recovery time was within weeks. I was back to normal and had plenty of strength and energy to care for my children. Now, I am currenty expecting my third child and am facing the dilemma of another c-section vs. VBAC...both of my OBGYN's feel differently about my decision to deliver VBAC. I have also been diagnosed with placenta previa, so I am frustrated yet again. It really comes down to personal choice and a healthy baby and mother as the end result.

  - April

• August 19, 2010 8:04 p.m.

  My daughter had a c-section with her first baby due to fetal distress. The baby was severely tangled in her cord. (Baby was delivered in good condition.) She subsequently had three VBACS without any problem. I think doctors and hospitals are afraid to risk VBACS, even though the chances of rupture are small. With careful monitoring and an OR at the ready, i say go for it if that's what you want.

  - Lucy

• July 28, 2010 3:27 a.m.

  Hey. I am about to deliver my second angel. My first was delivered in a c section under full anastasia ,13 months ago. I never heard the first cry, and basically never experienced my own labor.. I am afraid of vaginal birth, but i also fear its my last chance to try cause after two CS my risks are bigger.. Isn't 13 months way to early to try VBAC? any suggestions?

  - Maya

• July 22, 2010 9:28 p.m.

  My first child was by c-section, and I tried VBAC with my second child. I ended up with the rare complication of a ruptured uterus and was told later by a nurse that if they had waited 10 more minutes to do an emergency c-section my son and I would not be here. Just be aware that complications can occur even if you think it will never happen to you.

  - BB

• July 17, 2010 10:50 p.m.

  I have had two c-sections. One in Dec of 2004 and one in June 2006. I was 4 days overdue with my first and they made me be induced because they were afraid she would be too large (she ended up 6 pounds 12 ounces). I came in that morning 4 cm dialated and within 45 mins was fully dialated. Because it was a small hospital, and I had perviously had WPW (which mayo successfully ablated in 2002) they were concerned about my heart rate of 105 so they took me right in for a c-section. I think this was completely unnecessary but I was unable to have a VBAC with baby number 2. Now as I think of the option of having baby 3 I see the risks of having repeat c-sections and I also know that my chances of having a natural birth are so slim, I am kind of angry. I think doctors need to start discussing these things with their patients. I may be wrong but it seems like c-sections are being done WAY too often and just for the convenience of the doctors. Is a VBAC ever an option after more than one c-section? Thanks!

  - Melissa

• July 15, 2010 3:57 p.m.

  Asia, Maybe you can look into a midwife as opposed to a doctor? There are midwifes that are also registered nurses and are very experianced and know when there is a complication and when it needs to be addressed in a hospital. There is a very informative video I just recently watched a few days ago it is called The business of being born. I highly recomend this documentary it is very motivating and educational. I too had a c-section and wished I had seen this video before I agreed to the c-section. I found it off of Netflix. Good luck with your VBAC.

  - Jen

• July 7, 2010 1:39 p.m.

  I had a bikini cut c section with my daughter 8/18/09 and I am looking into physicians that perform VBAC's I am in New Orleans and I am not finding any luck finding an ob that supports my decision to do a vbac just caust they think its dangerous any one know of any doctors that i can call in the louisiana area? {Desprately seeking a vbac}

  - Asia

• April 27, 2010 2:13 p.m.

  In response to VBAC or not and the to article "VBAC- Insight From a Specialist" with the quote, "The most concerning risk of VBAC, however, is uterine rupture — when the baby breaks through the wall of the uterus into the mother's abdominal cavity. " I ask, how ofter does that happen? Don't you image this explosion? The truth is it rarely happens and result usually is just a tear in the uterus. I had my first VBAC in 1985, it was still fairly new idea then, and they used the same scare tactics. I am disappointed that point was put out there first and foremost. With any pregnancy safety is important, but let's look at the whole picture and weigh all the risks to mother and baby; anesthia, etc. If your doctor discourages you, find another doctor. Check out Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) groups. They provide information and support. Get as much information as you can before you make your decision, base it on fact not fear.

  - Cari

• April 25, 2010 6:02 p.m.

  I had a successful VBAC few days back and I am so happy I tried it... I felt cheated with my 1st one and felt I wasn't given enough time to try it normally. I changed my doctors and my present doc was supportive of VBAC from the very beginning. And with the support of my doctor and hospital and my loved ones I was able to deliver my second bundle of joy normally. I feel if you are strong candidate of VBAC and you want to try it just go for it. Good Luck ...

  - VBAC@supporter

• April 23, 2010 8:50 a.m.

  Viki, a VBAC is a vaginal birth after C-section. VBAC might be a possibility for a woman who's given birth by C-section but hopes to experience a vaginal delivery with a subsequent pregnancy.

  - Editor@Mayo