I’ve attended lots of VBACs (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) and a handful or more of VBA2Cs (Vaginal Birth After 2 Cesareans), mostly at home where the chances of the physiological process of birth unfolding smoothly are highest.
It’s often assumed that repeat cesareans are safer after a person has had one cesarean, but it’s important to keep in mind that doing repetitive surgery on a human has it’s own set of risks that are not to be discounted, either.
A 2015 article from the Huffington Post UK references some statistics and recommendations that highlight VBACs as a safe option for people with a history of previous cesareans:
A natural birth after a caesarean section is a safe choice for women, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).
New guidance from the RCOG states a vaginal birth after a previous caesarean section has a success rate of around 75%, which is the same as for first-time mothers.
Even if the woman has had two or more previous caesareans the success rate of a vaginal birth only reduces slightly to 71%.
Lead author Professor Janesh Gupta, of Birmingham University, said according to the Daily Mail: “Women can be assured that in most cases it is possible and safe to have a vaginal birth after a previous caesarean section.”
Amy Packham, Huffington Post UK: See Original Post
The only think I don’t like from this article is the quoted 75% chance of vaginal birth which the article states is the same for both a first time birth and a VBAC – this stat really should be HIGHER – we can do better than this for people!
Here in BC, our primary cesarean rate is between 30-40%, which is absolutely unacceptable. In the births I attend, mostly at home with attendants who support physiologic birth and clients who are well educated and make choices that set themselves up for their best chance of a spontaneous vaginal birth, the yearly cesarean rate is MUCH lower than all of these numbers!
Nonetheless, the point is, VBACs are a healthy and important option for people to have and be supported in. I hear of too many providers who get freaked out by VBACs and it really limits options for people who don’t want to just keep having major surgery done on their bodies for their provider’s misguided comfort.
If you live in the Greater Vancouver area and are preparing for a VBAC, feel free to contact me to start setting yourself up with support.