Benefits of Vaginal Birth After Cesarean And Associated Risks

What Is Vaginal Birth After C-Section

Most of the women who give birth through C-section are said,or they think that they won’t be able to give vaginal birth for their next pregnancy.

But, the truth is that vaginal delivery after C-section is possible and that too without any complications.

Read this article to acknowledge more about vaginal birth after C-section and associated risks.

What Is Vaginal Birth After C-section (VBAC)

VBAC is trial of labor after C-section, and it depends on the health of baby and mother. If conception progresses without any health issues, your doctor may advise to go-ahead for standard delivery. While doing this fetal heart beat is closely monitored.

What Are The Chances Of Vaginal Birth After Cesarean

Labour is unpredictable but if you do not have any complication,there is a high chance of having a vaginal birth after C-section, and the chances of a positive outcome is 60 to 80%.

Factors That Increases The Chances Of Vaginal Birth After C-section

Factors that make you a good candidate for VBAC are younger maternal age, body index less than 30kg and a previous VBAC. Women who manage to lose weight after C-section are also good candidates. Other factors that make you a good candidate for VBAC are prior C-section that was not related to the arrest of labor,the onset of labor at less than 41 weeks of gestation, birth weight of the baby is less than 4kg and low transverse incision during previous C-section.

Factors That Decrease Your Chances Of Vaginal Birth C-section

The factors that decrease your chances of vaginal birth after C-section are a previous uterine rupture, previous myomectomy, previous classical incision during C-section, placenta previa or placenta accreta, multiple cesareans, low birth baby, genital herpes, preeclampsia, and increased neonatal birth weight. Other factors that decrease chances of VBAC are maternal obesity, wrong positioned baby, increased maternal age, pregnancy goes beyond 40 weeks of conception, a little interval between two pregnancies (18 months or less) or previous C-section due to difficult or slow delivery.

The Benefits Of Vaginal Birth After C-section

The benefits of VBAC include a shorter stay at the hospital and quick recovery from labor and delivery. Also, it reduces the chances of deep vein thrombosis and lowers the maternal morbidity. Infants who are delivered are born with gut microbiota that offers greater protection from allergic diseases. There are fewer chances of complications in the next pregnancy. Abdominal pain after delivery is lessened, the risk of respiratory diseases in babies born vaginally is less and baby quickly breastfeeds.

Risks Associated With Vaginal Birth After C-section

The Major risk associated with vaginal birth after C-section is rupture of the scar in the womb. However, this chance is very low,but the risk increases with subsequent C-sections. There are rare cases where there may be uterine rupture that causes severe bleeding and may require blood transfusion or removal of the uterus. Also, there is a risk of episiotomy that may be caused due to the intervention of assisted vaginal delivery. If in case the labor gets prolonged the baby may undergo distress,and there may be need of an emergency C-section for the safety of mother and baby. Emergency C-section has certain associated risks such as the risk of infection, injury to bladder or bowel and hemorrhage. In very rare cases VBAC may cause fetal mortality or brain damage.

But again planned VBAC with a doctor reduces all these risks to an extent.

Planning Vaginal Birth After C-section

If there are no complications with your pregnancy, you may go for VBAC after talking to and planning with your doctor. A few tips on this is discussed below:

Show all your reports of previous C-section to your doctor to evaluate the risks involved. Discuss your wish of having VBAC with your doctor during early pregnancy so that necessary precautions can be taken from the very beginning. Look for hospitals that carry out vaginal birth after delivery. Learn more about VBAC. Stay active, eat healthily and stay hydrated. Do exercises under the proper guidance of your doctor or professional. Hire an experienced midwife who will prepare you for VBAC. Wait for the labour pains to start naturally rather than labour induction.

*We wish you a healthy and safe VBAF but be prepared for C-section in the case on an emergency.