#29: Why You May Want to Consider a VBAC with Christy Cortez

A C-section is a birthing intervention that has saved countless lives, both mothers and babies.  However, C-section rates have gotten so high in the U.S. that many groups are calling for a reduction.  The World Health Organization estimates that that the C-section rate should not be higher than 10-15% for optimal health outcomes, though the U.S. has a national C-section rate of over 30%, with some birthing hospitals at 40-50%. 

The death rate is more than three times higher in mothers who undergo C-sections than in those who deliver vaginally, according to the new report, issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. The risks to women increase sharply with each additional C-section, says study co-author Aaron Caughey, a professor at Oregon Health and Science University.  (Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/19/reducing-cesarean-sections/5608139/).

Often, once a woman has received one C-section, she continues to birth this way for subsequent births, though many times a vaginal birth after C-section, or VBAC, is an option.  Tune in to hear Christy Cortez share why you may want to consider a VBAC for the health of your baby as well as your own.