--- title: "Vaginal Birth After a C-Section? | Sutter Health" description: "If I have a C-section with my first pregnancy, does that mean I will have to have one for any future pregnancies?" url: "/ask-an-expert/answers/vaginal-birth-after-a-c-section-1051061538" --- 1. Home / 2. Vaginal Birth After a C-Section? # Vaginal Birth After a C-Section? * * * Medically reviewed by - Robert Altman, M.D. ## Question If I have a C-section with my first pregnancy, does that mean I will have to have one for any future pregnancies? ## Answer A trial of labor after cesarean section (TOLAC) is reasonable for many women who have undergone a prior C-section. Research indicates that 60-80 percent of women have a successful vaginal birth after having a single C-section birth. You may hear this referred to as a VBAC - vaginal birth after cesarean section. Factors that improve your chances of having a successful vaginal birth include having a normal-sized baby in the vertex presentation (head down, not breech); a normal maternal weight for height; no significant medical issues for the mother (like diabetes); and no medical issues with the baby. However, there is always a risk for failed trial of labor, requiring a repeat cesarean section. Additionally, there is a one percent risk for uterine rupture if you had a prior low transverse cesarean section. A uterine rupture can lead to catastrophic outcomes for the mother (including hysterectomy and profound blood loss requiring transfusion), and the baby (including permanent brain injury and death). Therefore, during the active period of labor, continuous fetal heart monitoring is done to watch for early signs of fetal distress or uterine rupture. As with most vaginal births, most women who choose VBAC can safely use pain medicine during labor. ## Explore related topics PregnancyLabor and deliveryC-Section ## Related questions View all questions - Health Q&A ### Vaginal Birth vs C-Section I am afraid of having a vaginal birth. Can I request a C-section delivery? - Health Q&A ### Avoiding a C-Section Birth Are there ways that I can help avoid a C-section delivery? - Health Q&A ### Recovery from a C-Section Does recovery time after a C-section differ from a vaginal birth? - Health Q&A ### Risks of C-Section Births Do C-section births have increased risks for me and my baby? - Health Q&A ### Are Birth Plans Necessary? Are birth plans necessary? View all questions ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/vaginal-birth-after-a-c-section-1051061538#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Vaginal Birth After a C-Section?"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalWebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/vaginal-birth-after-a-c-section-1051061538#medicalwebpage","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/vaginal-birth-after-a-c-section-1051061538","name":"Vaginal Birth After a C-Section?","description":"A trial of labor after cesarean section (TOLAC) is reasonable for many women who have undergone a prior C-section.","inLanguage":"en-US","medicalAudience":{"@type":"MedicalAudience","audienceType":"Patient"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/vaginal-birth-after-a-c-section-1051061538#breadcrumblist"},"mainEntity":{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/vaginal-birth-after-a-c-section-1051061538#question","name":"Vaginal Birth After a C-Section?","text":"If I have a C-section with my first pregnancy, does that mean I will have to have one for any future pregnancies?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/vaginal-birth-after-a-c-section-1051061538#answer","text":"A trial of labor after cesarean section (TOLAC) is reasonable for many women who have undergone a prior C-section. Research indicates that 60-80 percent of women have a successful vaginal birth after having a single C-section birth. You may hear this referred to as a VBAC - vaginal birth after cesarean section. Factors that improve your chances of having a successful vaginal birth include having a normal-sized baby in the vertex presentation (head down, not breech); a normal maternal weight for height; no significant medical issues for the mother (like diabetes); and no medical issues with the baby. However, there is always a risk for failed trial of labor, requiring a repeat cesarean section. Additionally, there is a one percent risk for uterine rupture if you had a prior low transverse cesarean section. A uterine rupture can lead to catastrophic outcomes for the mother (including hysterectomy and profound blood loss requiring transfusion), and the baby (including permanent brain injury and death). Therefore, during the active period of labor, continuous fetal heart monitoring is done to watch for early signs of fetal distress or uterine rupture. As with most vaginal births, most women who choose VBAC can safely use pain medicine during labor.","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/vaginal-birth-after-a-c-section-1051061538","author":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/vaginal-birth-after-a-c-section-1051061538#expert"}}},"publisher":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization"},"reviewedBy":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/vaginal-birth-after-a-c-section-1051061538#expert"}} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/vaginal-birth-after-a-c-section-1051061538#expert","name":"Robert Altman","honorificSuffix":"M.D."} ```