Vbac - Shorter women under 5 ft 3

[Unchive2025]

Hi, as title suggests really, I'm looking for vbac opinions or stories from shorter women. Reason for this is that I have read that maternal height can be a factor in the success rate (taller women more likely to succeed) and I am only 5 ft 1 so would love some information from any short ladies like me who have attempted or succeeded at vbac. Thanks in advance!

I’m 5’4. So not quite the height you needed to hear from!
I attempted a VBAC for dc2 and unfortunately had to have another emc.
i still feel glad I have it a shot though!!

I’m 5’ 2” and had a successful VBAC - I credit it partly to hypnobirthing and luck that my baby wasn’t back to back like my first.

5' 2" successful VBAC in the pool - I'd never heard of height being a factor!

5 foot 1 and had two babies vaginal deliveries with no intervention. One was 7 pound 10 and the second was 8 pound 8

5ft 1

first baby was 6 pounds and ended in an EMCS

second baby was 10 pounds 4 and was a successful vbac! (Husband is 6ft 5 so thing she threw his way 😂)

5'3, successful VBAC. Relatively quick labour but 2nd degree tear.

Was never told that maternal height affects success rate when discussing birth options.

not VBAC but at just shy of 5'3" i am the tallest woman in my family and with the exception of my mother with me (due to placenta previa and a resulting haemorrage) all have had straight forward, very fast labours, including with several sets of twins! Including me who had two completely natural deliveries - one of which arrived in my trousers before i got the labour ward!

Never heard of height being a factor in vaginal births. Can't speak for VBACS though

4ft10 and unsuccessful VBAC.
My DM had three vaginal births though!

5ft and unsuccessful vbac. DS was 8lbs 15 and I didn't get past 4cm despite being in labour for days

Hi all, thanks for responses. It was something I read in the RCOG green top VBAC guidelines that greater maternal height is associated with successful vbac births along with other stats such as women under 40, bmi less than 30, gestation under 40 weeks and baby size under 3kg. Again though, these are specific to vbac guidelines not regular vaginal births. So this is what peaked my curiosity!

Baby size under 4kg**

I'm 5'1' and no issues with VBAC

I recently had my baby via vbac 7 months ago!! I am also 5ft 1, we had no intervention and she was born at 6lb🥰 I also only had a 2nd degree tear, which did require stitches however I felt no pain from them during healing! It can defo be done!!

However I will say I had 2 injections of diamorphine..so was very relaxed to say the least😂😂

I’m 5 2 and all mine were born vaginally and easily. I do have ‘child bearing hips’ though!!

5ft2, unsuccessful vbac. Very glad I tried, like pp.

Presumably the height thing is linked to the size of hips? My hips are narrow, and baby no. 2 was almost 10lb and had a head on the 98th percentile. Thank goodness for modern medicine.

successful vbac and im
much shorter than you op. My mum had 4vaginal deliveries and she’s shorter again.

I am five foot nothing, unsuccessful vbac here, both babies were well over 9lb.
I was glad I gave it a try, although I was exhausted after 18 hrs labour and recovering was harder than it would have been with an elective section.

I'm 5'2" and I had a VBAC. It was so, so much easier than the emergency caesarean! Little one was a bit early though so quite small.

Not sure what the reason is, I have attached the info here. I assume either hips or perhaps contractions in smaller area = higher rupture chance? But I am no medical professional at all so not a clue!!

How many weeks were you?

@Unchive2025
I was about 37 weeks. Baby was 6.5 llbs

5’2” and have had 3 successful VBACs. BMI is just over 30 and the last was born a couple of months before I turned 40.

Also, babies were all born at 40 weeks and a healthy size.

I am 4ft 10ins. Have two children both by emergency section.In those long ago days VBAC was called trial of labour. I failed miserably and was told afterwards that I should never have been allowed to go into labour with either of them.
Too late was the cry, I had the tubal tie done with the second one.Nobody was going to try me again.