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By Mayo Clinic staffIf you choose VBAC, boost your odds of a positive experience:
- Learn about VBAC. Take a childbirth class on VBAC. Include your partner or another loved one, if possible. Also discuss your concerns and expectations with your health care provider. Make sure he or she has your complete medical history, including records of your previous C-section and any other uterine procedures.
- Plan to deliver the baby at a well-equipped hospital. Close monitoring can decrease the risk of complications. Look for a facility that has continuous fetal monitoring, a surgical team that can be assembled quickly, and the ability to provide anesthetics and blood transfusions 24 hours a day.
- Allow labor to begin naturally, if you can. Drugs to induce labor can make contractions stronger and more frequent, which might contribute to the risk of uterine rupture — especially if the cervix is tightly closed and not ready for labor.
- Be prepared for a C-section. Some complications of pregnancy or delivery might require a C-section, even if you had your heart set on a vaginal delivery. For example, you might need a C-section if you develop preeclampsia or other pregnancy complications, there's a problem with the placenta or umbilical cord, your baby is in an unfavorable position, your labor fails to progress, or your baby doesn't tolerate labor.
References
- Wells CE, et al. Choosing the route of delivery after cesarean birth. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed March 1, 2012.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Committee on Practice Bulletins - Obstetrics. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 115: Vaginal birth after previous Cesarean delivery. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2010;116:450.
- Berghella V. Cesarean delivery: Preoperative issues. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed March 1, 2012.
- Vaginal birth after Cesarean delivery: Deciding on a trial of labor after Cesarean delivery. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/Search?Keyword=vbac. Accessed March 1, 2012.
- Pregnancy: Labor and birth. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health. http://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/childbirth-beyond/labor-birth.cfm. Accessed March 1, 2012.
- Smith JF, et al. Rupture of the unscarred uterus. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed March 1, 2012.
- Stothers L, et al. Risk factors for the development of stress urinary incontinence in women. Current Urology Reports. 2011;12:363.
- Handa VL. Pelvic floor disorders associated with pregnancy and childbirth. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed March 2, 2012.
- Harms RW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 21, 2012.
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