How likely is an emergency c section after a previous natural delivery?

[Minkus]

Just wondering. I am 28 weeks along with dc2 and starting to think about getting this thing out!

DS was born 3.5 years ago after a relatively straightforward natural labour and delivery, and I would hope for the same this time round. However, being pregnant and therefore panicky (in my case anyway) I've done a trawl of the internet to see if I can find any data on how likely it is for someone to have an emergency c section if they've laboured ok in the past. Loads of info on VBAC but can't find any stats/info on the other way round. Can anyone shed any light on this?

Not likely I would have thought! In fact, the other way round is more normal. I compile birth stories for my NCT and have never come across this. Why do you think it would happen?

I'd imagine the same as it is for a first time mum with non-recurrent complications, i.e fetal distress/breech baby or similar.

There are things you can do to make it less likely you have a CS, for starters the less intervention, the better, starting with pain relief and immobility all the way to ventouse/forceps.

Things like fetal positioning and red leaf tea to tone the uterus will aid a natural labour.

Have you considered a Doula?

Also what are your hospitals stats like for CS's? Some hospitals are more likely to suggest a CS at an earlier than needed stage than others, this will be reflected in their statistics.

But actual number wise I'd expect your chance of natural delivery to be at least the 75% that first time mothers are quoted.

Obviously nobody can know for sure, but I should think your chances of a second straight forward birth are pretty high.

I'll be trying for my second vbac in a few weeks and apparently having one successful vbac behind me suggests that I have a nearly 90% chance of a second successful one (latest research published in Feb 2008). If those are the odds for me, I would have thought yours will be at least similar or higher.

Totally understand your concern though . Good luck.

Thanks for your responses, they are nice and reassuring. The reason I'm asking is because I'm starting to get int the "zone" and mentally prepare for labour and as an emergency cs is of course one of the potential outcomes, (hopefully an unlikely one though from your posts!) I wanted to find out whether it was common or not. And basically whether I should actually spend that much energy this time round considering the ins-and outs of c-sections so as to be as prepared as possible for all outcomes!

DS was born after a labour lasting just over 4 hours from first contraction, and I think one of the reasons I was able to go with the flow so well then was because I was confident that I'd done my research and understood any of the potential processes/ procedures/options presented- TENS and 10 mins gas & air was all that was required. No interventions, arrived at hospital 9cms dilated, 1 hr pushing (all of which was an absolute walk in the park compared to pregnancy ime!) So whilst I'm hoping for a similarly "easy" labour I needed to check for the wannabe control freak I secretly harbour

Thanks ladies.

I don't know what the official stats are like but would think your chances of having a cs are no less or more than a first time birth.
FWIW, I had an emergency cs 7 weeks ago with my second following a vb with dd 4 years ago but this pregnancy (and baby) were entirely different to my first.

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your best chance of a straightforward normal birth if your pregnancy is low risk, is to book a home birth...

If your last birth was a normal vaginal birth then you are something like 95% likely to have another normal birth.

really maxbear? even with fetal distress/breech births etc factored into it?

Tee hee trolleydolly I know I was rather lucky wasn't I! But sort of feel that I was "owed" a good birth after the pregnancy- hyperemesis, lots of hospitalisation, 2 1/2 stone weight loss which rather worried dr's etc etc so maybe it was stork karma (This pg is just the same so hoping for another quick labour)

It would also depend on where you give birth - In a consultant unit your odds are much higher. In midwife units your odds are lower, at home, if you don't transfer to hospital, you have a 100% chance of avoiding having a cs.

But chances are you have done it once, you'll do it again just fine. Every pregnancy is different of course and you never know. But even breech babies can come out vaginally.

But let the medics worry about that sort of stuff, you worry about having a lovely baby instead. The rest is just detail

95% of births being normal after a previous normal birth.

Actually I read that years ago and I think it was if you had had one or two normal births, no cs and no medical probs. Can't remember exactly. Sorry have been giving out useless information.