Resources for unsupportive family members

Why cesareans are a big deal to you, your wife, and your daughter

I hear a lot, “What’s the big deal about cesareans? What difference does it really make if you have a cesarean?” Of course, if a cesarean is medically necessary, then the benefits outweigh the risks. But in the absence of a medical reason, the risks of cesareans must be carefully considered. [...]

The best compilation of VBAC/ERCS research to date

“There is a major misperception that TOLAC [trial of labor after cesarean] is extremely risky” – Mona Lydon-Rochelle MD, March 2010. “In terms of VBAC, “your risk is really, really quite low” – George Macones MD, March 2010. Both Drs. Macones and Lyndon-Rochelle are obstetricians and researchers who made these statements at the 2010 NIH [National Institutes of Health] VBAC Conference. Now you may think, “Wait a sec. Everything I’ve heard from my family, friends, and medical provider is how risky VBAC is and how cesareans are the conservative, prudent, and safest choice.” Why the discrepancy between the statements of these two doctor researchers and the conventional wisdom prevalent in America? [...]

Placenta problems in VBAMC/ after multiple repeat cesareans

I thought that I would take the data from the Silver (2006) that I’ve previously discussed and share it in a different way that would be helpful to women with multiple prior cesareans. (You might find it worthwhile to read this article specifically, where you can view the data below in graphs, as well as [...]

Just kicking the can of risk down the road

If primary and secondary cesarean rates continue to rise as they have in recent years, by 2020 the cesarean delivery rate will be 56.2%, and there will be an additional 6236 placenta previas, 4504 placenta accretas, and 130 maternal deaths annually. The rise in these complications will lag behind the rise in cesareans by approximately 6 years. [...]

A father says, Why invite the risk of VBAC?

Man Holding Forehead --- Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

I recently had an exchange with a father that I wanted to share because I think he has the same concerns as many other fathers and mothers.

He first left a comment in response to the article I’m pregnant and want a VBAC, what do I do?

Make sure they have a surgical team ready [...]

Study: Two-Thirds of OB-GYN Clinical Guidelines Have No Basis in Science

PushNews from The Big Push for Midwives Campaign CONTACT: Katherine Prown, (414) 550-8025, katie@pushformidwives.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 15, 2011 Study: Two-Thirds of OB-GYN Clinical Guidelines Have No Basis in Science Majority of ACOG Recommendations for Patient Care Found to Be Based on Opinion and Inconsistent Evidence WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 15, 2011)—A study published [...]

Nervous about planning a VBAC

I too wondered if I was crazy to plan a VBAC and that is when I started researching. I found that learning more about the risks and benefits of VBAC vs. repeat cesarean gave me a lot of peace. [...]

Cesarean Section Consent Form

From Another VBAC Consult Misinforms:

[My OB] did not mention risks to repeat c-sections. When I brought it up he said there aren’t any except the obvious risks that come with any surgery.

It’s because some OBs continue to mislead their patients about the risks of cesareans that I share this excellent cesarean section consent [...]

The Risks of Cesarean Section

We all know the primary risk of VBAC – uterine rupture. And when your typical VBACing mom meets with an OB, she must sign a “VBAC consent form” acknowledging that she understands this risk. However, I find it ironic that women signing up for a repeat cesarean are not required by their OB to sign [...]

ACOG issues less restrictive VBAC guidelines

Removing the “immediately available” standard while supporting VBAC with twins, after two prior cesareans, and with unknown scars is a huge step in the right direction. It seems that the option of VBAC is now available to hundreds of thousands of women, many of whom, up to this point, were left with no choice at all. [...]

American Women Speak About VBAC

In an effort to bring the consumer perspective to the 2010 NIH VBAC Conference, Jennifer Kamel, Founder of VBAC Facts, asked women across America, “Why is the option of VBAC important to you?” This is what they said. [...]

Interview with Dr. Fischbein: An Inside Look at Hospitals and VBAC Bans

Q: Don’t hospitals ban VBAC because it is dangerous? A: They ban VBACs under the guise of patient safety. But patient safety is a euphemism for “we don’t have a good evidence-based reason to do it, other than we don’t want to get sued, it’s more expedient, and we make more money from c-sections—the hospital does, not necessarily the physician, but the hospital does—so we’re going to ban it because it’s easier for us, and we’re going to say it’s for patient safety because of the risk of rupturing the uterus.” [...]

Risk of serious complications increase with each cesarean surgery

Shows the rates of placenta accreta in up to six cesareans (Silver 2006).

Per Silver (2006), “The risks of placenta accreta, cystotomy [surgical incision of the urinary bladder], bowel injury, ureteral [ureters are muscular ducts that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder] injury, and ileus [disruption of the normal propulsive gastrointestinal motor activity], the need for postoperative ventilation, intensive care unit admission, hysterectomy, and blood transfusion requiring 4 or more units, and the duration of operative time and hospital stay significantly increased with increasing number of cesarean deliveries.” [...]

Placenta accreta – a risk of cesarean section

There is this idea that if you don’t VBAC and you schedule a repeat cesarean, that you will be safe from complications. This is because during a “VBAC counsel,” women are often told of the risks of VBAC, namely uterine rupture, but they are rarely told the risks of repeat cesareans in their current and [...]