Can I Have A Vaginal Birth After A Caesarean?

There has been a lot of hype about women not being encouraged to have a vaginal birth after having a Caesarean by medical professionals. The once a caesarean, always a caesarean rule doesn't apply any more. It is possible to have a vaginal birth after a caesarean, as I'm living proof.

I had to have an emergency caesarean with my first child as I had gone through 36 hours of labour (16 of those without any pain relief) and my daughter during the end of the 36 hours decided to turn around in the pelvis. This resulted in the final outcome of a caesarean.

When I got pregnant with my second child, I said straight away to the midwives at the hospital I would be aiming to have a vaginal birth. I figured I wanted to get my choice across first before they started to say it wasn't advisable.

To my surprise they said that was perfectly fine. From the time my daughter was born to the time my son was due the time period was 22 months. This was plenty of time for my body to get back into shape and be strong enough to go through a vaginal birth.

I do believe if it's less than a year between births then that's when they don't encourage a vaginal birth after a Caesarean as there is a good chance of the caesarean scar rupturing.

Generally, a vaginal birth after a Caesarean is a safe choice for most women but it can have some risks for both the mother and the baby.

It can be life-threatening if the caesarean scar on the uterus tears open, or ruptures during a vaginal birth. This is because it causes severe blood loss in the mother and lack of oxygen for the baby.

When do medical professionals say 'No' to a vaginal birth after a Caesarean?

You will not be advised to go ahead with the vaginal birth if you have any of the following risk factors that will result in a rupture of the caesarean scar:

• A uterine scar that is not low and horizontal

• Two caesarean scars and no past vaginal delivery

• Three or more caesarean scars

• Pregnant with triplets or more

• Pregnant with twins, in some cases

• A medical condition or problem with the placenta that could complicate a vaginal delivery, for example, when the placenta has grown abnormally low in the uterus (placenta previa).

At the end of the day, a woman who chooses vaginal birth after caesarean is closely monitored. As with any labour, if the mother or baby shows signs of distress, an emergency caesarean will be performed.

I feel really lucky to have managed to experience a vaginal birth with my son. However, he did come 5 weeks early and was a very decent size for a premature baby. I'm sure if he went full term it may have been a different story!! But for me, a 4.5 hour labour with no pain relief was a real satisfying achievement for me.

If you ask me which did I prefer: the Caesarean or vaginal birth? I cannot honestly say, both came with pros and cons.

So Can I Have A Vaginal Birth After A Caesarean? The answer is YES