VBAC News, Stories, Advice, Videos and Scare Tactics
Monday, October 12, 2009 at 11:34PM ICAN blogged the biggest VBAC news of late:
VBA2C As Safe As Repeat Cesarean, Research Finds
Most women who have had more than one cesarean are told that a repeat cesarean is the safest choice for their births. Many are not even offered the option by their doctors or hospitals.
Not so, according to recent research published in the British Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (BJOG). A systematic review and meta analysis of the medical research on vaginal birth after two cesareans (VBA2C) found that there is no statistically significant difference in key maternal and infant outcomes between VBA2C and repeat cesarean (RCS).
More ICAN resources:
Online Support Meeting - VBAC: The Courage to Try Again
Join the women of ICAN in the first-ever live online support meeting. The topic for this meeting is “VBAC: The courage to try again.” Share your story, your fears, your dreams…and support other women in their journeys.
Monday, Oct 19, 2009
9:00 PM - 11:00 PM EDT
Vaginal Birth After Multiple Cesareans
“My struggle with 3 c-sections in 2 1/2 years and my victorious unmedicated VBA3C.”
Birthing Beautiful Ideas has a new series of VBAC Scare Tactics, including:
VBAC = uterine rupture = dead baby
When bad outcomes in the past affect patient options in the future
An early eviction date
No pre-labor dilatation = no VBAC
VBACs aren’t as safe as we thought they were
CPD or FTP = no VBAC
Playing the epidural card
The MD Trump Card
Gloria Lemay delivers an Insider’s Tip on How to Have a Great VBAC
“Birth after surgery = just a birth.” Janet of Joyous Birth rejects the many labels given to and taken on by women, particularly those with a previous cesarean.
Don’t forget about VBAC.com!
VBAC Now Uncommon in Australia (from 6minutes.com.au)
Unwarranted fears about possible adverse outcomes such as uterine rupture may explain why the proportion of women with a caesarean who attempted a subsequent vaginal birth fell from almost half in 1996 to around one in three in 2006, say Sydney researchers.
The number of VBAC has also fell from 31% to 19%, according to figures from over 50,000 NSW women who had a primary caesarean.
The Well Rounded Mama wrote Nearly 5x the risk for infection after cesareans. [EDIT: Links right to a post with a picture of a gaping wound. FYI.]
Anyone have any VBACs coming up? Read any interesting VBAC news or information?
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Reader Comments (10)
Egads on that photo from Well-Rounded Mama! That one needs a little bit of warning on it for those of us who are a bit squeamish. Love the VBAC round up otherwise! I'll be heading towards my second VBAC at the end of Nov/beginning of December. Both will end up being with the same fantastically supportive midwife. At my prenatal appointment today, just before we were about to get everyone all bundled up to leave she looked at me and said - "Just looking at your pregnancies, your first cesarean even makes me angry."
It's such a contrast to my SIL (who had a c/s for her first for "suspected fetal macrosomia" in spite of the oodles of information I tried to get to her) who is now pregnant with her second and under increased monitoring for her "high-risk" pregnancy. My husband runs interference for me so I don't hear about the majority of what goes on. I'm thankful this is the last time we'll both be pregnant at the same time.
PM, I'm so happy you have a great midwife. And I am so sorry about the direct link to a gaping, infected wound. Editing the post right now... Sorry!
As much as I agree with Janet Fraser that birth after surgery is just birth, totally normal and not some kind of weird acronym-deserving high risk medical procedure, I still like saying VBAC. When I talk to other moms about birth, I want them to know upfront and outright that giving birth after a c-section is possible, and that I've done it three times!
Also, I can't click on the Well Rounded Mama's link since my kids are all up, but I often wonder... When studies like the first link determine that a VBA2C is as safe as a repeat c-section, does that include the 5x greater risk of infection after a c-section?
Great information. Those C-section pictures are SO sad!!!!!!!! My home VBAC in water is all set to go. :) I hit 40 weeks on the 26th, so anytime this baby would like to arrive is fine by me! I can't wait to share my story!
Thanks for the additional links! Hoping for my first VBAC late next month! Come onnnn turkey baby!
Margaret, that made me smile. I was all ready for baby by Halloween just in case she was a little early, then sitting around at Thanksgiving 40 weeks pregnant (fantastic, btw-- it's like a full-service T-day with everyone doting on you), then by mid-December we realized our little one wasn't a Halloween pumpkin or a T-day turkey... she was going to be a Christmas ham. She even blew right past Hanukkah.
Hope you can savor these last few weeks of your pregnancy. :) Let me know if you want me to post a request for a VBAC cheer section on the fan page for you.
Jill
Haha I am actually due a week before Thanksgiving, trying to count on making it to Thanksgiving so I don't get my hopes up. I don't know what the VBAC cheer section is, but sure!
Hey Jill! Thanks for the link! Love everything you do here...
Sarah (the ICAN Blogger)
Hi Sarah,
I've been wondering who blogs for ICAN! Sometimes I feel like I'm running an ICAN ad campaign... it's a compliment to all that you tireless ICAN folks do.
Jill
Margaret,
Well, I stalk you and send people to your house to yell affirmations in your window. You're ok with that, right?
Actually...
There are a bunch of VBAC moms on the FB list. I've posted before that someone wanted some encouragement and women on the list wrote a bunch of the nicest comments I've ever seen.
Now go elevate your feet or drink some red raspberry leaf tea or something. :)