If you have been told that you are a poor “candidate” for a VBAC or that it’s “too dangerous,” it may have nothing to do with your medical situation. It may have something to do with a variety of reasons which have nothing to do with the medical evidence. In the United States, because there is no accountability as yet for performing routine repeat cesareans physicians and/or hospitals can deny you access to care for liability reasons, financial reasons, or because caregivers can’t afford to wait for you to give birth while you labor for a VBAC.

A recent U.S. survey of California childbearing women’s experience of birth found that among women with a prior cesarean birth, 46% were interested in planning a VBAC, but nearly half were not given the option. Two-thirds of the mothers said their provider “did not allow” VBAC. Nearly one in four mothers said their hospital “did not allow VBAC.”

It’s important to have as much reliable information as possible about the benefits and risks of planning a VBAC. It is also important to prepare for your birth and have a support team that you can count on during pregnancy and birth. Here are some important resources that may be helpful for you.

• Childbirth Connection, VBAC Basics
• California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, https://www.cmqcc.org/my-birth-matters 
• VBAC Facts, VBAC Bans, Exercising your rights, and when to contact an attorney
• Lamaze International, Is Elective Repeat Cesarean Truly Safer Than Planned VBAC? by Henci Goer
• VBAC.com, VBAC-Friendly Hospital Consent Form & Patient Educationhttp://VBAC-Friendly Hospital Consent Form & Patient Education

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