Vaginal birth after a cesarean section can seem complicated and, entails risks, but no more risks than those already entailed by a cesarean section which we had to face in the past.
The moment of childbirth is something that many women It can make us afraid, sometimes due to lack of knowledge, sometimes due to an excess of information. The main thing is to know that our case is our case and it is unique. Therefore, we must also consult our problems in professional hands.
What does a vaginal birth after a cesarean section entail?
Having a vaginal birth after a cesarean section is not bad but you have to be very cautious. A previous cesarean section It implies that there is a scar on the uterus that could lead to its rupture during vaginal delivery. In these cases, what is recommended is minimal intervention during childbirth as well as promoting what has been proven to reduce the risk of complications in vaginal deliveries, such as promoting freedom of movement during dilation.
What is the risk of uterine rupture?
It is not possible to establish a percentage of cases where uterine rupture occurs after a cesarean section because there are many factors involved in the process of childbirth. Factors such as place of birth, care received, etc.
What we can do is obtain percentages of specific cases. For example, Women who have their birth in hospital and have a low transverse incision have between 0,2 and 1% of having a uterine rupture. If it is a case like the previous one but labor has been induced, the risk rises to 6%. But as we mentioned, this has many variables and therefore a guaranteed percentage cannot be given.
What does a ruptured uterus mean in a vaginal birth after a cesarean section?
Rupture of the uterus It is a serious complication of childbirth. The mother is at risk of hemorrhage and hysterectomy (the uterus must be removed). Although it does not imply cases of mortality beyond those that can occur in a conventional delivery. On the other hand, For the baby, things can be much worse, even leading to fetal death in 5,5%. of cases with uterine rupture. Hence the importance of acting to detect the rupture of the uterus.
Is a second cesarean better than a vaginal birth after a previous cesarean?
It is a widespread idea that after having a cesarean section the next birth should also be like this. However, this is not necessarily the case. It's more, A cesarean birth has higher risks in terms of maternal and baby mortality, as well as problems with women's reproductive health in the future.
Vaginal birth has benefits for the woman and the baby., benefits that offset the risk of a ruptured uterus (the possibility of which is slim). It is a birth that must be controlled and in which all risks must be reduced to the maximum, but it should not be a birth with complications beyond the usual. The success rate in vaginal births after a cesarean section is between 60 and 80% in the hospital and in birth centers or home births it reaches up to 90%.
A take into account there is also the emotional part of the mother, which is activated by vaginal delivery and not by cesarean section. Even if the new birth ends in another cesarean section, having attempted a vaginal birth means satisfaction for the mothers. This is why vaginal birth is usually recommended in the first place.
How many cesarean sections could one have had?
Before a vaginal birth we will not be limited by the number of previous cesarean sections. The case of uterine rupture after one or two cesarean sections is practically the same. If we must take into account that having a previous cesarean section implies that there are significant risks that our birth will end again in another cesarean section.
Even with everything we have said, Each case and each woman is unique, and therefore all must be placed in the hands of professionals. that they know our history and that they will know how to advise us on what is best for us. We may want to have a home birth or any type of birth we want, but we should always have someone expert in case a problem arises.