Vaginal birth after having had a caesarean section

In most cases, you will be able to give birth vaginally after previously delivering via caesarean section. However, if you have had more than one caesarean section, we recommend having a caesarean section in connection with any subsequent pregnancies.

If you want to delivery vaginally, there are certain things that you should be aware of in connection with your upcoming delivery.

Risks

Uterine rupture

After a caesarean section, the scar in the uterus will be weaker than the rest of the uterus. This means there is a slightly higher risk of uterine rupture in connection with a new delivery.
A uterine rupture can be life-threatening to your baby and put you at risk of severe blood loss. The risk of uterine rupture is approximately 0.5%. However, it is a bit higher if you are delivering within 18 months of a caesarean section.

Acute caesarean section

Compared to women who deliver vaginally the first time they give birth, you have an increased risk of acute caesarean section. If you have only given birth via caesarean section once, and there is nothing otherwise preventing you from vaginal delivery in this pregnancy, then it is very likely that you will be able to deliver vaginally. If you have already given birth vaginally after a previous caesarean section, then there is a 90% likelihood that you will be able to delivery vaginally again.

Delivery

Contact us in connection with contractions, bleeding or if your water breaks

Contact us immediately if your contractions begin or you feel other pains, if you start bleeding, if your water breaks or if you begin to feel less movement. Contact us if you are in doubt about anything. We will usually ask you to come to the hospital so we can monitor you and your baby from the time labour begins.

Inducing delivery

Certain precautions apply if we need to induce labour. We will discuss this with you.

Monitoring you and your baby

We will use a cardiotocograph (CTG) to monitor you and your baby throughout delivery. Two straps will be placed around your stomach. Each strap will have a monitor on it; one to monitor the foetal heart rate and one to monitor the frequency of contractions. Using a CTG to monitor delivery means a water birth will not be possible. However, you will still be able to move around.
We will keep an eye out for any signs of uterine rupture throughout delivery. Signs include a decline in foetal heart rate, heavy bleeding, sudden severe pain, or your contractions weakening or stopping completely.

We will also keep an eye on how your delivery is progressing. If it does not progress as expected, we can use medication to stimulate your contractions. If this does not help, we will usually recommend a caesarean section to minimise the risk of uterine rupture.

Learn more

You can find additional information and advice about delivery at www.hvidovrehospital.dk/efterkejsersnit (in Danish only).