VBAC NEWS!
The US dept of Health and Human Services Independent Consensus Panel to Release Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) Findings Wednesday, March 10, 2010

view the entire webcast at:

http://videocast.nih.gov/ launch.asp?15696

This report is likely to shape the policies of hospitals throughout the US. www.nih.gov

VBAC News (google)

One Third of First-Time Pregnancies Delivered by Cesarean - Medscape
Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:32:11 GMT+00:00

Obstetrics Group Relaxes Guideline for Trial of Labor After Cesarean Delivery - Journal of American Medical Association (subscription)
Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:23:23 GMT+00:00

Options for Delivering a Baby After a C-section - 24-7PressRelease.com (press release)
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 07:06:05 GMT+00:00

A.M. Vitals: Genzyme Points to MS Drug As Sign Sanofi Bid is Too Low - Wall Street Journal (blog)
Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:28:05 GMT+00:00

Rate of Caesarian Sections Steadily Increasing - The Takeaway
Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:11:13 GMT+00:00

Can You Have a Vaginal Birth after a C-Section and Just How Many C-sections ... - EmpowHer (blog)
Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:15:25 GMT+00:00

C-Section Rate Climbs by 50% in the US - Daily Rosetta
Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:48:40 GMT+00:00

Know the Disadvantages of Elective Cesarean Section Deliveries - Natural News.com
Tue, 17 Aug 2010 03:35:24 GMT+00:00

C-section Rates Up - WHIZ
Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:46:54 GMT+00:00

Test Can Predict C-Section: Will It End Difficult Deliveries? - CBS News
Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:45:59 GMT+00:00

VBAC after 3 prior cesareans

New research to be published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology has found that women with three or more prior caesareans who attempt vaginal birth have similar rates of success and risk for maternal morbidity as those with one prior caesarean, and similar overall morbidity (adding vaginal births and emergency caesareans together) as those delivered by elective repeat caesarean.

The findings indicate that women with three or more prior caesarean deliveries did not experience a difference in morbidity based on whether they attempted VBAC or elected for a repeat caesarean. The 89 women with three or more prior caesareans who attempted VBAC were as likely to be successful as women with one or two prior caesareans, 79.8% compared to 75.5% and 74.6% respectively. In addition, none of them experienced significant maternal morbidity such as uterine rupture, uterine artery laceration, and bladder or bowel injury. Read the article here...

New Research From the Midwifery Today Newsletter

According to a study published in the June issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, babies born via vaginal birth after a prior cesarean section (VBAC) have lower rates of respiratory morbidity and intensive care admissions compared with babies born by repeat cesarean section.

The retrospective cohort study was comprised of 672 women with one prior c-section in a singleton pregnancy at 37 weeks or more gestation, and compared both neonatal outcomes and monetary costs of the procedures.

Researchers found that babies born via repeat c-section had higher rates of intensive care admission and higher rates of oxygen supplementation for delivery room resuscitation than those babies born by VBAC. Read the rest of the synopisis at Midwifery Today.

Jerusalem doctor describes c-section risks
Dr. Glazerman, a doctor located in Jerusalem, describes the risks involved in elective c-sections and repeat elective c-sections:

Damaging other organs during the operations, greater risk of hemorrhaging and infection, maternal death rate is 2.5 to 3.5 time higher than natural birth, dangers associated with anesthesia, chance that internal organs eventually adhere to one another due to membrane damage, 20% increase in extra-uterine pregnancies after a c-section, increase chance of miscarriage after a c-section, increase problems with placenta in future pregnancies after a c-section, risk of uterine rupture in future pregnancies, babies born by c-section are more likely to have respiratory problems, and problems bonding with baby after a c-section.

read the original article

Hospital Bans Don't Add Up
VBAC Community would like to extend the very best wishes for Joy Szabo, mother of 3 with a fourth on the way. All of Joy’s children, so far were delivered at Page Hospital in Arizona, but hospital policy has recently changed to prohibited VBACs.

Joy had her first child naturally, her second was an emergency c-section because of a placental eruption and her third was a VBAC. Now Page Hospital is forcing her to have an elective C-section. The hospital claims it does not have the staff to handle an emergency C-section, but any labor has the possibility of necessitating an emergency cesarean.
Read more

From the North American Registry of Midwives:

Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional midwives: large prospective study in North America

Conclusions: Planned home birth for low risk women in North America using certified professional midwives was associated with lower rates of medical intervention but similar intrapartum and neonatal mortality to that of low risk hospital births in the United States.

UPDATE!
Babycenter Has rewritten their article!!

Shocked! A response to ABC.com article weighing ‘pros’ & ‘cons’ of elective c-sections.

NOTE! The original article critiqued on babycenter has been rewritten. The pros and cons of a VBAC vs. a repeat C-section are much more equally debated. Although I'm still not sure why fear of childbirth is a given 'con' and fear of major surgery is not.

The first portion of the article, which is recapping a recent study, is very reasonable. The second part of the article contains a list of ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ for both a vaginal birth and an elective c-section birth. This list is taken word for word from http://www.babycenter.com/. The article posted on Babycenter.com is said to be “a physician panel-reviewed list of ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ of both vaginal birth and c-sections.” I am reluctant to believe any respectable physician reviewed... read more at wordpress...

Vaginal Birth After Cesarean: The basics.

Lear the definitions of VBAC, HBAC, Trial of Labor, Doula and more. Find out what certifications a midwife can have and what it means for you. read more...

Posterior vs anterior birthing positions

I’ve enjoyed the experience of fully dilating and pushing both posterior and anterior positioned babies. My first child, Kai, was in the posterior position, meaning his spine was lined up with my spine. In this position, the back of his head pushes against my spine during labor. It was my first labor and it ended in a c-section (although i had fully dilated and had been pushing for hours.) My second child, Madison, was in the anterior position, so her spine was lined up with my belly and her face pushed against my spine during contractions. (She was delivered vaginally) Having labored both posterior and anterior, I’m in a good position to describe and compare them. read more...

More VBAC Resources:

ONLINE:

VBAC information & articles by the California College of Midwives - including ACOG guidlines, informed decision making & more

A forum of midwifes and doulas discussing various aspects of VBACs. They offer links for more information.

North American Registry of Midwives

INTRODUCTORY ARTICLES:

Nice overall/general article about vbac's: Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)

VBAC article from VBAC.com

VBAC article from American Prengnancy.org

5 ways to find support for a VBAC:

This pamphlet, from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, contains basic information about vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC).

Tips & Tools: VBAC or Repeat C-Section

VBAC or repeat c-section?

EPIDURAL USE:

C-sections linked to epidural use


From VBACFacts.com
Questions to ask your care provider when inquiring about a VBAC