Repeat c-section v. trial of vaginal delivery?
There once was a time when women who had had a previous c-section were automatically booked for a repeat c-section for her next pregnancy. In 2006 The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology reported a study examining whether it was as safe to offer women who had a previous c-section a trial of vaginal delivery before resorting to c-section. (VBAC, vaginal birth after caesarean).
The study showed that VBAC women had less "morbity" i.e., fewer medical problems or complications such as rupture of the uterus, bladder and bowel damage.
The objective of this study was to determine whether vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) or elective repeat cesarean delivery is safer overall for a woman with a prior vaginal delivery. Fewer women needed transfusions and fewer had fever needing antibiotics.
They also studied women who had a vaginal birth previously and who were contemplating an elective c-section for the next child. The results were the same: the women who were offered VBAC before resorting to c-section did better.
VBAC is a safe option for women contemplating a repeat section and may be the better option.
