VBAC, Vaginal Birth After Cesarean - An Important Decision for Couples

You have found out you are pregnant again! Congratulations! If you had a Cesarean Section (C-section) in a previous pregnancy, you have a very important decision to make with your partner and your physician. Should you have another c-section or should you choose to proceed with a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)? There are a number of considerations to take into account before making this critical decision.

The first thing that needs to be done is to discuss this with your partner, and together, speak to your physician and ask him or her the important questions to help you and your partner and that physician to make an educated decision. Talking with your partner may not even be something that your partner has realized, in this happy moment, that needs to be addressed. Choose a time when you and your partner have some quiet time alone, since this is a topic that needs both of your undivided attentions. Choose a time when you are both relaxed and calm and not under a huge amount of stress. Since you have at least a few months to make this decision, there is not a rush on the time table to make this decision.

When you sit down, you might want to grab some snacks and something to drink before you sit down to talk, so there will not be interruptions to your discussion. You also may want to have some paper and a pen or pencil, so you can write down questions that both you and your partner have for the doctor. This is so if you do not feel confident that you can remember these questions once you are at the doctor's office, you can read the questions that both you and your partner have for the doctor. This way, if your partner is not able to be there, you will remember the questions that your partner had, as well as your own. Sometimes, patients are nervous when they are at the physician's office and may tend to forget to ask some important questions needed to make an important decision. This is common with many people. Another reason to do this is because this is an exciting time in your life and with possibly seeing the ultrasound or hearing that heartbeat for the first time, the questions you had could be forgotten, if you do not write them down.

There are many reasons why a couple or a woman's physician may opt to do a repeat c-section, rather than to proceed with a VBAC birth. There are also many medical reasons why it could be dangerous to proceed with a VBAC birth, but in this day of medical advancement, in many cases it may be preferable to go ahead with a VBAC birth and a woman and their partner are not required to have a consecutive c-section.

Some of the issues you may want to discuss with your partner are things like, "How important is it to you to have a VBAC birth?", "What are your concerns about a VBAC birth?", "How many Vaginal Births have you had?", "How long has it been since your last c-section?", "When you had your c-sections, which direction did the doctor make the incision on your uterus?", "How old are you?", "How many children have you had?". Your physician most likely will ask you a number of these questions in order to help you to make an educated decision, that is best for you and your health, and the health of your baby.

Some of the things that can possibly prevent you from proceeding with a VBAC birth are things like: your age, your over all health, which direction the incision was made on your uterus, (sometimes the incision on your tummy doesn't go the same direction as the incision on your uterus), if you have high blood pressure, or if you have or have had seizures in the past. Other issues your doctor will take into consideration are things such as: what the reason was that your previous pregnancy was delivered c-section, how many c-sections you have had, how long it has been since your last c-section delivery.

If your doctor doesn't make you feel comfortable asking questions about your delivery possibilities, you should find one who IS comfortable with discussing these things with you. A physician should NEVER be afraid of, or offended by, answering your questions and making you comfortable with the decision that you make with your partner and your physician. Do not just take an answer that you are not satisfied with. If your doctor does not answer all of your questions and makes you feel uncomfortable about asking them, find another physician who will answer your questions and make you feel comfortable and confident that you and they have made the correct decision for your health and the health of your baby.