On Slate, David Dobbs examines the recent dramatic drop in the number of VBAC's, Vaginal Birth After Cesarean, which has occurred as more and more hospitals ban the procedure--and force women to give birth via cesarean again.
The reasons, Dobbs finds, are not the "safety and health risks" hospitals tell their patients--75% of VBAC's go routinely, 24.5% end up as conventional c-sections, and 0.5%, 1-in-200, require emergency c-sections. It's the insurance and financial risk of lawsuits relating to that 0.5%, and the cost and managerial issues associated with having a surgery staff available if they're needed.
The solutions he finds--better informed patients and medical staffs, including the birthing centers and midwives who step up to perform amny VBAC's that accurately assess patients and their risks-- "highlight the perversity of hospitals banning VBACs" in the first place, Dobbs writes.
Study up, folks.
At my first prenatal, I received a brochure from the hospital at which I will be delivering of a list of all the courses and packages they offer to expecting parents, first time or no. One of them was a course on VBAC which was highly encouraged for those in that position. I wish I had the brochure with me to check, but I do believe there was some fine type stating they could not guarantee post-cesarian patients the option of a birth delivery without the completed course.