A Woman's Right to Vaginal Birth

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently announced the reevaluation of VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean section) policies. ACOG stated that this change would allow women who have had C-sections in the past to choose vaginal birth for new pregnancies, an option often denied to women.

Although the original policy prohibiting most cases of VBAC was not intended to deny a woman's right to choose her labor plan, in many instances this has been the case. The new, looser guidelines will empower women to make informed, individual pregnancy decisions. Makes sense right?

However, this recent reversal does raise some concerns within ACOG. Although 60-80% of VBACs lead to successful vaginal births, emergency C-sections in the other 20-40% of cases are more dangerous than scheduled C-sections. Some hospitals do not even have emergency surgery capabilities. In order to ensure the safety of the mother and child, ACOG believes that doctors must educate their patients early on in the pregnancy in order to prepare for bumps along the way, for example planning to use a hospital with the resources for emergency C-sections.

All in all, education is always a good thing. The more information women have, the easier it is to make healthy, individual decisions.

If you would like to learn more, click here to view the entire article. We would love to know your thoughts on VBACs and individualized birth plans! Comment and let us know your thoughts!

Technorati tags: pregnancy, C-section, VBAC