Childbirth history and VBAC success

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Childbirth history and VBAC success

Your likelihood of success with a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is influenced by various factors. Among large numbers of women, researchers have observed that:

If the problem that led to a previous cesarean (such as breech position) doesn't recur in the present pregnancy, a woman is about as likely to have a successful vaginal delivery as women who have not had a previous cesarean.¹
A woman who has had both a vaginal and a cesarean delivery has a greater chance of having a successful VBAC than a woman who has not delivered vaginally.² Even women who have previously had a trial of labor followed by a cesarean have some advantage in future vaginal births.

References

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Citations
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2004). Vaginal birth after previous cesarean delivery. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 54. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 104(1): 203–212.
Cunningham FG, et al. (2005). Cesarean delivery and peripartum hysterectomy. In Williams Obstetrics, 22nd ed., pp. 587–606. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Credits

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Author	Kathe Gallagher, MSW
Editor	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS
Associate Editor	Pat Truman, MATC
Primary Medical Reviewer	Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Last Updated	April 20, 2007

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Last updated:	April 20, 2007
Author:	Kathe Gallagher, MSW
Reviewed By:	Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine, Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC

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