Pregnant Women with the Best Chances of VBAC

Since I am planning on having a VBAC this summer, I have done quite a bit of research on the issue. Apparently, not all women are created equal when it comes to VBAC success rates. There are some situations or conditions that make certain women more likely to have a successful VBAC than others.

Pelvis is Normal Size
Some women (Very few) have pelvises that are too small for a normal sized baby to pass through. Although this is extremely uncommon, those that have this physical condition will be warned ahead of time. As a matter of fact, if you have already experienced one pregnancy, your doctor has probably already warned you of this problem.

Type of Incision
When you had your c-section, the type of incision you had determines a lot about your VBAC chances. Women with a low transverse incision have the best rates of success. These incisions are low on the abdomen and are horizontal. Vertical incisions are more likely to rupture during labor. Make sure your doctor checks your c-section operative report because your outer scar may not be the same as the scar on your uterus.

Number of C-sections
Many physicians will not perform a VBAC if the woman has had more than 1 c-section. Although the uterine rupture rates only slightly increase in double c-section moms, the rate is too high for many doctors.

Post Cesarean Fever
For some reason, studies show that women who experienced a fever directly following a c-section were less likely to have a successful VBAC in later births.

Spacing of Pregnancy
When doing family planning, perhaps it is a good idea to look at the statistics when it comes to VBAC success rates and the amount of time the body has to rest. The best VBAC rates occur in mothers who have 18-24 months between pregnancies. This allows the body and the incision enough time to heal and regain strength.

Breach Baby
Oddly enough, women who had a c-section due to the baby being in the breach position have the highest VBAC success rate. Perhaps this is because it has nothing to do with her body or the way her body handles labor. None-the-less, if your baby was breach and you had a c-section, now is time to rejoice.