Emily’s birth – C-section vs VBAC, part 2
Heading into the operating room to meet Emily
Having had Nathan by C-section, we had two options for Emily’s delivery – a repeat C-section, which I talked about last time, and a vaginal birth after Caesarean birth or VBAC.
A VBAC is exactly what it sounds like. After having had a C-section, you can opt to try for a regular, vaginal birth. It is important that a VBAC only be tried at a hospital and not at home. It is also recommended that labor proceed without helps such as induction or the use of medication to speed up the progress of labor.
Some benefits include fewer blood transfusions, lower risk of infection, shorter hospital stay, and a faster return to normal activities. Some risks of a VBAC include failure to deliver vaginally and tearing of the scar from the previous C-section, called a uterine rupture. If this complication occurs, a C-section must take place immediately to keep everyone safe. Additionally, you may need a hysterectomy if the rupture is too severe.
Some women are more likely to have a successful VBAC. The type of incision used for the C-section can influence the success of a VBAC. If the first C-section occurred because of something that probably won’t happen again, such as infection, high blood pressure, placental problem, or fetal distress, or if you have given birth vaginally before, you are more likely to experience success.
Other women are less likely to have a successful VBAC. These include women who had a C-section due to the large size of the baby or the small size of your pelvis, and women who have a chronic medical condition that led to the previous C-section. Additionally, having had two previous C-sections, unknown uterine scarring, carrying multiples, going more than two weeks past you due date, and having a large baby again can put you at higher risk during a VBAC.
Chad and I carefully weighed our two options for several months before we finally made our decision. For us, we decided that the risks of a VBAC, specifically uterine rupture, were more than we were willing to take. I recovered really well and quickly from my first C-section, and it was not the bad experience that many women make a C-section out to be. Additionally, I was in the category of women least likely to have a successful VBAC, and I didn’t want to have to go through 32 hours of labor again only to have it end in C-section again. So, we chose to have Emily via a C-section. The C-section went really well (they even figured out the anesthesia this time around so I didn’t get sick), and the second recovery went just as well as the first one had. We were quite happy with our decision.
Source: Harms, MD, Roger W., ed. Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. New York: Harper Resource, 2004.
Did you have a VBAC? What was your experience with the VBAC?
