Health Library

The Health Library is a collection of health and wellness resources created for learning and accessibility. Select a topic below for related health information or search for a topic in the search bar for more information on other medical conditions.

Vaginal Birth After Cesarean

  • Learn how your medical team makes vaginal birth after a cesarean section as safe as possible.

  • Explore the different options for giving birth after a cesarean section to find what's right for you.

  • Learn what questions to ask when choosing a hospital to have a vaginal birth after a cesarean section.

  • Hear Rachel's story about why she chose to have a cesarean birth instead of a VBAC.

  • Hear Alex's story and why she chose to have a vaginal birth after a past cesarean section.

  • Guides through decision to have a vaginal birth (VBAC) after a past cesarean section (C-section). Includes things to think about when making your decision. Covers benefits and risks. Includes an interactive tool to help you make your decision.

  • When labor does not start on its own and delivery needs to happen soon, contractions can be started (induced) with medicine. Some doctors avoid inducing labor when a woman is trying vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). But others are okay with the...

  • You and your birth partner can take part more fully in a vaginal birth than you can in a cesarean delivery. During a cesarean, the mother gets either a regional anesthetic or a general anesthetic. She can't fully take part in her baby's birth. Some...

  • What is a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC)? If you have had a cesarean delivery (also called a C-section) before, you may be able to deliver your next baby vaginally. This is called vaginal birth after cesarean, or VBAC. Most women, whether they deliver vaginally or by C-section, don't have serious problems from...

  • The most rare yet most serious risk of vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is that the scar on the uterus may break open (rupture) during labor. Women who have a low transverse cesarean scar have a lower risk of rupturing than women who have a vertical incision scar. About 5 out of 1,000 women (0.5%) with a low...

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