Dr Vijaya Krishnan explains what’s a VBAC and its success rate and how it is very much achievable even after 1st c-section
We’re going to talk a little bit about VBAC. VBAC actually stands for a vaginal birth after cesarean section. Generally, the world over it is considered that as soon as you have a first cesarean section, automatically the woman has to have a repeat cesarean section. God forbid, if you have two cesarean sections, you have absolutely no option.
Now, the thing is that years of research has gone into it, and what we do know from the research is that if you’ve had one previous transverse horizontal, that means the cut has been given at the lower segment of your uterus, and it is in a horizontal cut that has been given. Then with all things being equal and if you’re otherwise healthy, there is an equal chance of you having a normal delivery the second time as if you would have been a first-time mother.
Now we don’t tell this often to women. The first thing that the woman hears when she gets pregnant the second time we’ll plan a cesarean section, it’s okay, as we already had a cesarean section, you have a higher risk and that woman is automatically classified as a high-risk patient.
And the reason I say this is in this facility for the last 12 years, we have done Vbac’s after Vbac’s, after VBACs, we have facilitated women to have a natural birth after the previous C-section. And what we have seen over the years is exactly what it is that most women have an excellent chance of having a normal delivery.
Not only that we have had the chance of, but they have also actually had a better chance of having, a good natural birth because most of these women are super focused now. They want to avoid what happened the first time, and they’re super focused on their outcomes. So mentally they’re in a better place.
They do have fears and concerns because of what society has told them, but once they cross the threshold and know exactly what are the risks and what are the benefits, which we tend to go over them in great detail at the very first appointment, then they are mentally free to do the work that they need to do to birth their baby.
