All About Pregnancy

There is Hope for women who do not want another C-Section! More & More doctors are approving of Vaginal Births After Cesareans. While many still believe it is too “Risky” and refuse to do them, women have been fighting back for their right to Push!

Here are some facts, to help you decide what’s best for you & your baby:

Benefits:

• Avoiding another scar on your uterus. (This is important if you are planning on a future pregnancy. The more scars you have on your uterus, the greater the chance of problems with a later pregnancy.)
• Less pain after delivery.
• Fewer days in the hospital
• shorter recovery at home.
• A lower risk of infection.
• A more active role for you, and your birthing partner, in the birth of your child.

RISKS:

• The most serious risk of a VBAC is that a C-section scar might rupture open during labor. 

This is very rare. But when it does happen, it can be very serious for both the mother and the baby. The risk that a scar will tear open is very low (1%) during VBAC when you have just one low cesarean scar and your labor is not started with medicine. This risk is why VBAC is often only offered by hospitals that can do a rapid emergency C-section.

• If you have a trial of labor and need to have a C-section, your risk of infection is slightly higher

What Lessens your chances of having a VBAC?

• History of More than one C-Section
• If you’re experiencing the same health issues that caused you to need a C-Section in the past.
• Having a Doctor who does not Support VBACs
• Obesity (However there are many success stories of overweight women having VBACs! So do not let weight discourage you. Just talk to your doctor)
• If your “Trial of Labor” is showing signs of being unsuccessful

What to Expect when having a VBAC:
It will be just like the regular labor process. Except that they will want to monitor you more closely in the Active labor stage! During early labor, a woman can be mobile as she wants. The only thing is, if you have never had a vaginal delivery before, then you’ll experience labor as though it was your body’s first pregnancy. Meaning the labor process will take longer. Where as if you have had a vaginal delivery in the past, your body will be adapted and take less time! If your trial of labor should fail, they will take you straight back for another C-Section.

Here are some links to do more VBAC research:
http://www.vbac.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaginal_birth_after_caesarean

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/vbac.html