News Moms Need

You don’t have to have a birth plan. But having one is a great idea! It helps things run much more smoothly when delivery day finally arrives. A birth plan is a set of instructions you make about your baby’s birth. It tells your health care provider how you feel about things like who you want with you during labor, what you want to do during labor, if you want an epidural, spinal block or narcotics for labor pain, and if there are special religious or cultural practices you want to have happen once your baby is born.

If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, fill out a birth plan with your partner. Here’s a handy list of questions to consider and answer together. Start discussing a plan with your provider at your first visit. If you disagree on important issues (vaginal birth after a c-section (VBAC) or not, natural methods or drug relief for childbirth pains…) you will have plenty of time to choose another provider, if necessary. And share your birth plan with the nurses at the hospital or birthing center where you plan to have your baby. Share it with your family and other support people, too. It’s best for everyone to know ahead of time how you want labor and birth to be.

Come join us on Wednesday, January 11th at 1 PM EST for a Twitter chat on labor & delivery. Learn about the three stages of labor, common hurtles to overcome, vaginal vs cesarean vs VBAC. Share your experience and helpful tips.

In order to participate fully, be sure to use #pregnancychat in your tweets. We’ll see you then!

It used to be that once you had a c-section, you’d always have a c-section. Now, health experts are rethinking this idea and believe that many women may be able to safely have a vaginal birth after a c-section (called VBAC).

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists today released guidelines to make it easier for more women to have VBACs by encouraging health providers to consider VBACs as an option for healthy pregnant women. In fact, about 6 to 8 out of 10 women who try a VBAC are successful in having a vaginal birth. Even women who are carrying twins and had more than one c-section in the past may be able to have a VBAC safely.

While there may be some risks in doing a VBAC (as with childbirth in general), it can be safe for many healthy women and their babies. The benefits of having a VBAC include a lower chance of infection, blood loss or other health complications associated with c-sections as well as a shorter recovery time after giving birth. You’re more likely to have a successful VBAC if:
• Your c-section cut was made in the lower part of the uterus
• Your health and baby’s health are well during pregnancy.
• Your labor starts on its own and continues naturally at 37 to 40 weeks of pregnancy.

If you had a c-section and are pregnant again, talk to your health provider to see if a VBAC is the right choice for you.

Is it safe to have a vaginal birth once a woman has had a c-section? That’s the question medical experts asked this week at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Vaginal birth after cesarean is called VBAC for short.

Some women want to deliver vaginally after they’ve had a c-section. They may want a “more natural” experience, or they may want to avoid having surgery again.

Yet many women have trouble finding a medical provider or hospital who will consider VBAC. Hospitals and providers worry about safety and about the risk of being sued.

The NIH experts concluded that, while there are risks involved, VBAC can be safe for many women. They encouraged hospitals, providers and women to work together. Everyone needs to consider the risks and benefits for the particular woman and her baby. When it makes sense, the woman should have the option to choose VBAC. The panel also called for more research.

Have you had VBAC? Or have you wanted to? Let us hear from you.

Many, many moms ask this question. So you’re in a big club!

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, many women who have had a c-section can safely have a vaginal birth the next time.

But as Time magazine recently pointed out, finding a health care provider to deliver the baby the old-fashioned way can be challenging.

If you’re interested in delivering vaginally after c-section, talk to your health care provider early. Learn about the risks and benefits of both types of delivery.

If you’ve had a vaginal birth after c-section, or if you wanted to, please tell us about your experience.

For more about c-section for medical reasons, read the March of Dimes article.