Kentucky mothers say they’ve been shamed over their desire to give birth vaginally after a prior cesarean delivery or never been informed this was an option for them, according to a new survey from University of Louisville researchers.  Melissa Eggen, project researcher and an assistant professo r at the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences, published the findings this month. Her research brief is based on 182 responses to a survey that was open May–October of 2024.  One woman reported being “shamed” for inquiring about a vaginal birth after cesarean (better known by its acronym, VBAC).  “I was told it would be selfish and I would risk dying and leaving my children behind,” she said, as reported in the survey.  Another woman reported that her OB-GYN was “very against” VBACs and “had me sign a waiver before birth but then came into my hospital room and recorded me with her phone waiving responsibility and made me feel terrible about my choice, while I was having contractions.” Most survey respondents were married white women with at least a college degree,  commercial insurance and access to prenatal care. Despite this limited responder diversity, Eggen said the findings are still valid because they are in line with the results of other studies.  Of the women surveyed, more than 70% wished for a vaginal birth after having had a cesarean delivery. The most-cited obstacle for these women was that their medical provider “did not allow” VBACs.  Related research from October showed some providers who want to offer vaginal births after cesarean report that liability insurance is “punitive” and thus larger hospitals that can absorb costs associated with VBACs are more likely to offer them, the Lantern has reported. Midwives were more likely to explain the scope of maternal care options to patients than doctors, according to the survey, and several women shared positive experiences delivering vaginally — after having had a C-section — with midwives.  “It’s clear that many women want a VBAC,” Eggen said. “It’s not that women don’t want a VBAC, it’s that they cannot find a provider or hospital system that will provide VBAC.”  Women ‘forced,’ ‘fear-mongered’ in birthing decisions  In 2023, the most recent year data is posted, about 34% of all live births in Kentucky were via C-section, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, higher than the national rate of 32%.  That was only a slight improvement from 2014, when the rate was 35% in Kentucky.  C-section deliveries are when a baby is delivered through incisions in the stomach and uterus, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. This major surgery is appropriate when there are medical complications preventing a vaginal delivery.  The benefits of vaginal delivery include lower risks of infection and serious blood loss, shorter hospital stay after birth, faster recovery and lower risk of the baby having breathing problems, according to the Mayo Clinic. Though rare, a risk of VBAC is uterine rupture, according to the Mayo Clinic.  About 70% of people who have had one prior C-section are successful in having a vaginal delivery, according to the Mayo Clinic.  But not all who want this option are able to experience or attempt it.  Several women quoted anonymously in the survey expressed frustration with the options available to them in their births.  “I felt I was not taken seriously and was forced to have a repeat (c-section) against my wishes,” one woman said.  Another said she was “told throughout my entire prenatal care that I was a great VBAC candidate” but that changed when the doctor changed.  “Then when I went into labor, the on-call doctor was not comfortable with a VBAC at all so we ended up having another c-section,” she said. “I felt like the on-call doctor fear-mongered me into a c-section.” These experiences showed the relationship between a medical provider and patient is key to success in birth, Eggen said: “There’s such a power dynamic between a patient and provider.”  Kentucky needs more transparent and publicly available information around VBAC policies and rates, Eggen said, and better standardized approaches to sharing all birthing options with parents.  “So many people don’t have access (to VBAC),” Eggen said. “And they don’t even know they don’t have access until they’re pregnant, because there’s no transparency around the hospital availability.”  Read the paper Research_Brief_BAC_FINAL GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBE The post KY women who want post-C-section vaginal births face shaming, barriers appeared first on The Lexington Times. ...read more read less