Well DUH!

Normal birth safe after Caesareans, says U.S. panel

http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/babiespregnancy/pregnancy/article/778417--normal-birth-safe-after-caesareans-says-u-s-panel

WASHINGTON—Having a normal vaginal birth after previous babies were delivered surgically is perfectly safe and women should have the option, independent experts told the National Institutes of Health Wednesday.

They said there is no good reason to force a woman who has had one caesarean section to repeat such operations if she wants to try having later babies more naturally.

The experts cited “rigorous research” showing that at least trying natural labour is successful in nearly 75 per cent of cases, and women are less likely to die if they are allowed to labour naturally for a while, even if they end up delivering surgically.

“Declining vaginal birth after caesarean rates and increasing caesarean delivery rates over the last 15 years would seem to indicate that planned repeat caesarean delivery is preferable to a trial of labour,” Dr. F. Gary Cunningham, chairman of the NIH expert panel, said in a statement.
“But the currently available evidence suggests a very different picture: a trial of labour is worth considering and may be preferable for many women,” added Cunningham, the chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

The panel cited two recent surveys of hospital administrators that showed 30 per cent of hospitals had stopped offering women the option of trying labour if they had undergone one caesarean. Some doctors fear that the incisions from the first operation could burst open during the pressure of contractions, endangering mother and baby.

But studies have shown the rate of rupture is less than 1 per cent.

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology does not recommend vaginal delivery for women who have had three or more C-sections.

Rates of caesarean sections have risen steadily in the United States, from 20.7 per cent of births in 1996 to 31.1 per cent in 2006. And nearly 40 per cent of the caesareans performed in the United States each year involve women who have had previous C-sections.

The issue has become controversial, with some lobby groups pressing hard for women to be given the option of having vaginal birth after caesarean, or VBAC.

“There’s still a lot we don’t know about which women will be successful in having a VBAC, but we believe it’s essential that women’s desires and preferences be respected throughout the decision-making process,” Cunningham said.

 

15 more days

I have to apologize for the lack of material here. I have 15 days left of my LAST pregnancy, and pregnesia has completely taken over my brain. The fact that I (usually) remember to feed my currently outside of the womb kids, throw in the occasional load of laundry and run the dishwasher before we end up eating off paper plates is a miracle, as far as I'm concerned.

I went through a "nesting" energy spurt late last week, but I'm not betting on it happening again. At least my hospital bag is now (mostly) packed, and the car seat and bassinette are ready. After having done this three times previously, I'm pretty sure those are the main ones. Anything else we'll figure out as we go along. I have bottles, though they haven't been sterilized in hopes of not needing them for a while (ha!), and a teeny sample can of formula. I have one package of newborn diapers, since I'm always afraid of ending up with a giant baby who won't fit them anyway. I'll make hubby run to the store for more before we go home, depending on what size we need. If it turns out we need formula, I'll make sure he picks that up as well.

Other than that, what does a baby really need? Although us moms like to have matching everything, picture-perfect nurseries, stroller sets worthy of being built by Ferrari and gorgeous little layette sets (that they'll never wear in the end because they might get ruined by spit up), the baby doesn't really NEED all of that stuff. Damn it's fun looking, though :)

So, anyway, I don't know if I'll post again before I get home from the hospital, unless I have a sudden flash of inspiration. I'm also hoping afterwards to start getting other writers onboard, but that takes energy, which is something I'm sorely lacking right now.

Wish me luck, and I'll be back!