VBAMC – Vaginal Birth After Multiple C-Sections
For women who have had multiple c-sections, that is more than 2, they want to know if it’s possible to try for a VBAC or to be more specific, a VBAMC, ‘vaginal birth after multiple c-sections’.
I once had a woman ask me, who already had 5 c-sections, if it was possible for her to have another child naturally. This is not an unusual question, in fact there are many women who have had several c-sections and want to experience having a natural childbirth at least once.
I can so relate to them not wanting to experience yet another surgery, but I’m not an expert. I can only go by the facts and experiences I see before me, as is true for any lay or even professional person.
Here are a few things that may help if you are confronting this same decision…
VBAMC’s are possible and there are women who have had successful VBAMC’s, in fact you can read some of their VBAMC stories here.
When reading these stories you’ll notice that most of these are all successful VBAC’s after 2 c-sections, however there are a few VBAC’s after 4 c-sections and even one after 7 c-sections. These are quite remarkable stories and they are great examples that VBAMC’s are possible.
Notice that these VBAMC births were done by midwifes and outside a hospital setting. The reason for this is that most doctors and hospitals are opposed to having a VBAC, even after one c-section, due to the risk of uterine rupture.
According to a study done on PubMD, Patients who experience failed vaginal birth after cesarean have higher risks of uterine disruption and infectious morbidity compared with patients who have a successful VBAC or elective repeat cesarean delivery. Because actual numbers of morbid events are small, caution should be exercised in interpreting results and counseling patients.
Statistics show that VBAC’s are not high risk in fact there’s only about a 1% risk of uterine rupture but they do happen as you can see here:
http://www.sitearts.com/rupture/
http://www.homebirth.org.uk/rupturestories.htm
Even though the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) does not currently recommend vaginal delivery for women who have had three or more C-sections, a new study found that women with at least three prior C-sections showed no increased risk of uterine rupture during vaginal delivery.
I personally love hearing the success VBAC and VBAMC stories, but it’s the unsuccessful stories that concern me as my agenda leans more towards ensuring women have healthy babies and sustain healthy bodies.
So for women asking about having a VBAMC, for me it’s a tough call. I’d love for women to never need a c-section but I also understand what can happen without them. Are all c-sections necessary? No. Do professionals error more on the side of caution ? Yes.
So how do you decide?
Learn the facts, understand the risks, evaluate and examine the experiences of others and learn from the professionals. After doing that, it’s about putting your trust and faith in God. Don’t be afraid to ask God for guidance, your answers will come through the confidence, strength and emotions you feel in your heart.
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