VBAC –

a Safe

Alternative

To a Repeat Cesarean

Did You Know?

quotation marks

                Women who deliver vaginally after a previous cesarean are less likely to experience birth-related morbidity such as blood transfusion, ruptured uterus, unplanned hysterectomy, and admission to the Intensive Care Unit than women who have repeat cesareans.”

CDC

NHCS Data Brief N0.359 March 2020

quotation marks

                Failure to provide informed consent during pregnancy and childbirth is a violation of a woman’s fundamental human rights.

United Nations General Assembly

(2019, July 11), A human rights-based approach to mistreatment and violence against women in reproductive health services with a focus on childbirth and obstetric violence.

quotation marks

                Do you know what one of the biggest risk factors is for having a C-section that you don’t need? It’s the hospital and healthcare providers you use. No matter which hospital you’ll deliver at, talk to your doctor, nurse, or midwife at your pre-natal appointments. Let them know that you only want a C-section if it’s absolutely needed.

California Maternity Quality Care Collaborative

The VBAC Education Project a Review

Holly Smith, CNM, MPH, FACNM

The VBAC Education Project is a well-researched, timely, in-depth resource for women, birthing people, and families. The VBAC Education Project was intentionally created with a focus on patient-centeredness and a human rights approach to decision-making about birth. Cesarean birth continues to be one of the most common surgeries in the United States, and with that comes the predictable consequences such as hemorrhage, blood clots, infection, and—with every subsequent cesarean—a higher risk of placenta accreta spectrum disorder and the associated risks of morbidity and mortality.
 
Although the United States HealthyPeople 2030 goals to improve maternal health include reducing the number of first cesareans among low-risk women and reducing maternal deaths, increasing access to VBAC is no longer a national priority.

Combining this with recent reports showing the United States with the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed country in the world and the simultaneous far-reaching restrictions on reproductive rights, now more than ever there is a need for clear, concise, unbiased information that gives women and birthing people the tools they need to make informed choices for themselves.

Holly Smith, CNM, MPH, FACNM
Lead editor and author of the Toolkit to Support Vaginal Birth and Reduce Primary Cesareans (CMQCC) Content Advisor to the VBAC Education Project, 2022

Newborn baby swaddled in a blanket and wearing a hat.

VBAC: A Safe Alternative to a Repeat Cesarean

This Slide Set was designed to provide transparency, clarity, support, and guidance regarding birth options available to women and pregnant families who had a prior cesarean to empower them to make decisions that are right for them. Whether you ultimately choose a hospital, birth center, home-based VBAC, or a repeat cesarean, it will provide you with evidence-based information, helpful strategies, and resources that will enable you to make your own decisions about how to give birth this time.

Download the Modules for Free

Introduction

Introduction: VBAC: A Safe Alternative To A Repeat Cesarean by Nicette Jukelevics, MA, ICCE
PDF

VBAC: A Safe Alternative
to a Repeat Cesarean

Module 1

Module 1: Maternity Care is Changing – You Will Have Decisions to Make
PDF

Maternity Care is Changing –
You Will Have Decisions to Make 

Module 2

Module 2: VBAC: The Benefits and Risks for Mothers and Babies
PDF

VBAC: The Benefits and Risks
for Mothers and Babies

Module 3

Module 3: What Are the Odds of a Uterine Rupture While Laboring for a VBAC?
PDF

What Are the Odds of a Uterine Rupture
While Laboring for a VBAC?

Module 4

Module 4: A Closer Look at Repeat Cesareans: Benefits and Risks
PDF

A Closer Look at Repeat Cesareans:
Benefits and Risks 

Module 5

Module 5: What Are My Chances of Having a VBAC?
PDF

What Are My Chances
of Having a VBAC?

Module 6

Module 6: The Four Main Reasons for a First Cesarean. What You Can Do Differently This Time.
PDF

The Four Main Reasons for a First Cesarean.
What You Can Do Differently This Time.

Module 7

Module 7: Helpful Positions for Labor and Birth
PDF

Helpful Positions for Labor and Birth

Module 8

Module 8: Coping With The Pain of Labor
PDF

Coping With the Pain of Labor

Module 9

Module 9: A Cesarean Can Be Traumatic For Both Parents: A VBAC Can Be a Healing Experience
PDF

A Cesarean Can be Traumatic for Both
Parents: A VBAC Can be a Healing Experience

Module 10

Module 10: Planning a Hospital VBAC
PDF

Planning a Hospital VBAC

Module 11

Module 11: Planning a VBAC in a Free-Standing Birth Center
PDF

Planning a VBAC in a
Free-Standing Birth Center

Module 12

Module 12: Planning a Home Birth After a Cesarean (HBAC)
PDF

Planning a Home Birth After a Cesarean
(HBAC)

Module 13

Module 13: Your Rights In Pregnancy and Childbirth
PDF

Your Rights in Pregnancy and Childbirth

Download All

Download All: Download the Introduction and all 13 PDF Modules Here. The VBAC Education Project Complete Set of PDF Modules.
PDF

Download the Introduction and all 13 PDF Modules

Blog