Birthing and Assessment (B & A) | Counties Manukau | Te Whatu Ora
Vaginal Birth after Caesarean
Vaginal birth after caesarean or VBAC is when one of your previous babies was born by caesarean but with this baby you plan a normal vaginal birth. Many women go on to have a normal birth.
In your pregnancy one of our specialists will look at why you had the caesarean and advise you if it is a good idea to have a vaginal birth. For some women it is safer to have another caesarean.
The risk with a VBAC is that the old scar on the lower segment of your uterus may start to open. If this happens you will have a lot of pain and your baby will become distressed. This only happens in around 1 out of every 200 women having a VBAC.
To make sure we spot anything going wrong we will:
- record baby's heart rate all through your labour
- keep a check on your pulse rate, blood pressure and pain
- ask the doctor on duty to come and see you if we have any concerns
- try to make sure your labour is not too long
- give your labour care in B & A where help is right there if you need it.
The rates of successfully having a vaginal birth are:
- up to 7 out of 10 who have not had a vaginal birth in the past
- up to 9 out of 10 who have had a vaginal birth in the past.
https://www.healthpoint.co.nz/public/obstetrics-and-gynaecology/birthing-and-assessment-b-a-counties-manukau/