should i have a vbac?
A VBAC is a vaginal birth after caesarean. If you have had more than one caesarean, then it’s usually known as VBA2C or VBA3C etc.
Other related accronyms are:
HBAC - Home birth after caesarean.
TOLAC - Trial of labour after caesarean. If the labour ends with a vaginal birth, it will then be referred to as a VBAC.
CBAC - Caesarean birth after caesarean.
Let’s start with some statistics.
If you have had one caesarean, you have a 75% chance of having a subsequent vaginal birth. This raises to 90% if you had a vaginal birth before or after than C section. So if a VBAC is your goal, then you have a pretty high chance of achieving one!
Some studies have shown that the chance of a successful VBAC increases to 87% if you choose to give birth to your baby at home.
A VBAC can come with some risks. One of these is uterine rupture which is when the pressure of the baby moving down the birth canal causes the uterus to tear. It will usually tear along the line of the C-section scar, and the contents of the uterus may spill into the birth giver’s abdomen. The response to a uterine rupture is an emergence caesarean.
The chances of a uterine rupture in a VBAC is about 0.5% which is roughly the same as the risk of uterine rupture in a first time birth giver.
The risk of a uterine rupture increases if you have had a T incision with your previous C-section, but these are very rare. The risk decreases the more vaginal births you have had after your C-section.
While research has been done on VBACs and their success, as with almost ALL aspects of birth, not everything that can be attributed to the success of a VBAC can be measured and reported on. VBAC research does not take into account the trust (or lack of trust) you have in your care provider, whether you processed your previous caesarean, or how much you have worked on your mindset during pregnancy.
And so, it is once again so important to do your own research, to take into account your own circumstances, and to choose the option that you think is right for you and your baby.
Sources:
Sara Wickham - Home Birth After Caesarean