The death of VBAC

“For some women, birth has become the latest battleground for reproductive rights.

At a growing number of hospitals, women are being forced to schedule a repeat cesarean section just because they already had one. Doctors and hospitals say they fear lawsuits if they allow a patient to attempt a vaginal birth after a C-section – called a VBAC – and something goes awry.

‘We think the risk is more of a legal risk than a medical risk,’ acknowledges Bob Wentz, CEO of California’s Oroville Hospital, which banned VBACs two years ago.

As the overall C-section rate in the USA continues to climb, so will the proportion of pregnant women who have already had one. C-sections hit an all-time high of 27.6% in 2003, the most recent year for which information is available.” (via Overlawyered)