Birthing Again: A VBAC Experience

"My first baby was born by cesarean section. My husband and I worked with the same midwives for both births and had desired a natural childbirth with the first. In the first case, I believe that the intervention of surgery was wise. The baby clearly had distress in labor and was born, full term, at only five pounds.

"When my second baby was conceived, we again longed for a natural childbirth. Despite discouragement from doctors and medical advertisements, I was able to birth vaginally this second child. Three conditions especially undergirded this birth: supportive assistants, a pregnancy of heart and body, and an active birth."

Birthing Again: A VBAC Experience is a wonderful article written by Melissa Aberle-Grasse for Mothering Magazine about her VBAC Birth Experience. Please click on the link to read the article in its entirety and learn how Melissa prepared for and followed through with her plans for a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean.

Vaginal Birth a Safe Option After Multiple C-Sections

“'This was the first large study of VBAC in which certain outcomes, such as uterine rupture, were studied prospectively,' notes Landon, who serves as vice chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at the Ohio State University Medical Center.

"'The study has confirmed that the majority of women with multiple prior cesarean deliveries undergoing trial of labor can expect to achieve a successful vaginal birth,' says Landon, whose findings were published recently in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.

"The benefits of VBAC include a faster recovery time and avoidance of the operative risks of cesarean section, which is a major operation.

"'Beyond these obvious benefits, there seems to be a component that is not completely tangible,' notes Landon. 'It goes along with the experience of vaginal childbirth, which certain women value, and there is probably not a price that you could put on that for a certain subgroup of women.'

"Landon advises that women should carefully research the topic of VBAC, looking for a physician who is willing to share data in an unbiased manner, who supports the concept of VBAC provided that a woman is an appropriate candidate, and who is willing to evaluate each case individually."

Click here for the full article