Definition of VBAC

Stages of Pregnancy Slideshow Early Pregnancy Symptoms Conception (Egg to Embryo) Slideshow

VBAC: Vaginal Birth After Cesarian section. Although the abbreviation VBAC (pronounced VEE-back) does not appear in standard medical dictionaries, it is in active international use.

VBAC has waxed and may wane in popularity. For many years the mantra was "once a Caesarean, always a Caesarean" for it was thought that the scar in the uterus from the C-section made it too weak to withstand the contractions of labor. VBAC came into fashion in the 1980's. By then the vertical incision in the uterus for a C-section had been replaced by to a low transverse ("bikini") cut believed to heal better. There was also concern that too many women were having C-sections and medical insurers in the US, to trim rising costs, began insisting that women with previous C-sections try a vaginal delivery.

In 2000-2001 it became clear that VBAC (as compared to a repeat C-section) does carry a small but appreciably increased risk of uterine rupture, a potential disaster for mother and baby. Hence, we may see VBAC decline.