13 myths about vaginal birth after cesarean
Over the course of the past 15 years, I have come across a lot of misinformation about VBAC. All of the myths below have come straight from readers who have asked me, “Is this true?” And every single time, the answer as been, “No.” I thought it was time to pluck out the most pervasive VBAC myths and assemble them into one article… and downloadable handout. These myths cover basic things like uterine rupture rates to difficult topics like death and logistical things like hospital policy. In the end, all of these myths confuse birthing women and people about their options making it impossible for them to make a truly informed decision between vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) and elective repeat cesarean section.
My birth story was traumatic: What do I tell my kids?
My birth story was traumatic: What do I tell my kids? Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Like We recently shared the birth story of someone who planned a VBAC, labored, but had a repeat cesarean over on Instagram and received this comment from a reader: “Feeling all of...
Vaginal birth after two cesareans (VBA2C): An overview of the evidence
Vaginal birth after two cesareans (VBA2C): An overview of the evidence Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Like As is the case with vaginal birth after one cesarean, (VBA1C), vaginal birth after two cesareans (VBA2C) is a reasonable option that is often difficult for people to...
Where Rinat Dray’s forced cesarean lawsuit stands and what every birth professional should know
In 2011 a woman with two prior cesareans named Rinat Dray was forced to have a cesarean at Staten Island University Hospital in New York. She sued the hospital and two physicians for ‘improperly substituting their judgement for that of the mother’ and ‘pressuring and threatening her.’ During the course of her lawsuit, it was revealed that this hospital had a secret forced cesarean policy. When I learned about this policy, I was shocked. Yes, forced cesareans happen. They are woven into the culture of some hospitals as are other forms of obstetric violence. But to have a formal, written policy saying that it was OK?
“Three times the risk?:” What the large Canadian VBAC study really says
A VBAC study out of Canada reported, “Absolute rates of severe maternal morbidity and mortality were low but significantly higher after attempted vaginal birth after cesarean delivery compared with elective repeat cesarean delivery.” After reading the abstract, and full text, I could quickly see how this study will be misinterpreted by many, so let me walk you through it.
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