This is an excellent article!
With my first pregnancy I was scared to death of labor and I did nothing to educate or prepare myself. I opted for every needless intervention and had a c-section happy doctor, that combo of course resulted in my daughter being born by cesarean. Afterwards I really regretted missing out on what I could’ve had and decided to confront my fears and educate myself on all things labor. Before we even conceived our second I had researched VBACs and read everything I could find pertaining to the subject, the pros as well as the cons.
I went back to my doc for a consultation regarding vbac and he said I could attempt TOL but only with induction ( so that he could “schedule” himself to be present). He was very negative and told me my pelvis arch was too narrow, I could try but I would probably fail. By this point I knew that if I were to attempt TOL my best chance to be successful would not be under his care. In my mind I was disgusted, he never once gave me the risks of a cesarean or the risks of induction and seemed more concerned about his schedule then the well being of my body and my baby.
After this I consulted with a doula who referred me to several VBAC friendly doctors in the area. I consulted with the first name she had given me and immediately knew I had found the right doctor. This doctor was so compassionate and really took her time with me (with each patient actually, so much so that my appointment time was always a long wait because she was always running behind). She even gave me her personal cell phone number, I was shocked that she would do that!!! She avoided interventions unless absolutely necessary and trusted my body to do what it was designed to do.
On April 27th, after 45 minutes of pushing I successfully delivered my handsome son into this world!
I was so excited and pleased, it was a redeeming experience.
So thank you for being an advocate and an encouragement for those women who are seeking out their options.

I would be very interested in your sources regarding Myth 5. While I agree that induction is not 100% safe, I completely disagree that an induction greatly increases the risks for the mother. While prostoglandins are contra-indicated, the use of pitocin is not. This is something that the ACOG has stated in a practice bulletin. Additionally, there are other ways to induce a VBAC including the use of a foley bulb to manually dilate them cervix. While I feel that the rest of the article is fairly accurate, you have not only failed at de-bunking myth 5, but you are contributing to the myth that it is unsafe to induce a VBAC patient.

@Amy, the resources I used for myth #5 besides personal experience through my own care going through a trial of labor after a previous cesarean under the care of a midwife who was not allowed to use augmentation of pitocin, or prostoglandin’s per hospital policy, but it also decreases the likelihood of vaginal delivery per Outcomes of Induction of Labor After One Prior Cesarean February 2007 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
More information also came from the website VBACFacts.com as well as the American Pregnancy Association which cites ACOG, Midwifery Today, Winter No 36, page 47 for this information.
I hope that clears that up for you.

Well first, I’m sure that I don’t need to tell you that your personal experience is jut that, personal. Just because your hospital does not allow the use of pitocin, it does not mean that is the case for all hospitals, nor is it general VBAC policy. My hospital does allow the use of pitocin. I personally had pit during my VBAC. The use of pitocin is not contra-indicated. This is clearly outlined in the ACOG Practice Bulletin that you referenced. I have read all the sources you indicated. Sure, the Midwifery Today article references a study that showed the risk of rupture of 2.3%, they go onto admit that the study was so small that it is statistically insignificant. On top of that, they also repeatedly mention that the use of pitcoin at “high infusion rates put women at a greater risk”. The key here is the high rate of infusion. Minimal to moderate use of pitocin and close monitoring is perfectly acceptable. I wonder why you didn’t examine the Lydon-Rochelle study from 2001. It indicates that the overall uterine rupture risk is .5%. Add in the use of pitocin, the risk increases to .77%. This is hardly the great increase that you so boldly state. It is still below the risk of multiple labor risks such as cord prolapse.I’m quite dismayed that you did not mention the use of a foley bulb to begin an induction. It’s becoming a fairly common practice, particularly for VBAC patients. It is quite effective and in addition to manually dilating the cervix, it often jump starts labor itself. And while I agree that every VBAC patient needs to educate themselves regarding induction, to imply thar a doctor who suggests an induction is overly risky, is not only irresponsible, but only it is only serving to perpetuate the myth that you are claiming to debunk.

Induced VBACs are actually not that rare. Quite a few practitioners will use a Foley catheter or very low dose pitocin augmentation. The uterine rupture risk is elevated with pitocin use, but it is still incredibly low. Only prostaglandins are truly contraindicated. While I agree that a spontaneous labor is preferable, induction is a reasonable choice when there is a medical reason for it and the only other option is a repeat Cesarean.

I thought this was a great article. There is so little out there for Mom’s who wanna go VBAC. Thanks for your point of view :D

Awesome article. And your POV is spot on IMO.

They almost killed me on the table during my cesarean to deliver my son (overdose of anesthesia). Three years later, I had an absolutely perfect vaginal delivery with my daughter. So glad I was able to experience the other end of the spectrum :)

This is a GREAT article with clear information. Thank you for shattering these myths. Women need to know their options and understand that a VBAC is a safe choice for most women.

Pitocin is risky for everyone! Of course it’s not a good idea for vbac… It increases the risk of fetal distress & c/s, both you would want to avoid if you are trying for a vbac. I think (as a midwife) in the hospital setting for a medical need (not just post-dates or “big baby”) it could be used as a last ditch effort to vbac. But in my experience, vbac usually work the best when left uninterferred with. btw, my personal vbac rate is 93%. Also a jump from .5-.77% is a 25% increase and significant…still extremely rare, but worth knowing about.

I had a vba2c at 38 years old successfully. Completely un-medicated birth :)
thanks for the article.

great info… thank you!

Thank you for this, I gave birth to my son in January via vbac and it was the most amazing thing ever. My daughter was breeched and they gave me no choice but to have a csection and I was young so I didnt think to search for someone willing to let me try, since that is also possible. I hope more women see the choice they can make and start choosing vbacs before just jumping into another csection.