VBAC –

a Safe

Alternative

To a Repeat Cesarean

Did You Know?

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

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.

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.