Most pregnant women, if not all, will opt for a vaginal birth due to its health benefits for both mother and child. For instance, a vaginal delivery can be done more quickly and poses less danger to the infant. Bearing the child via the vagina also exposes him to helpful flora which aids in planting immune system boosting bacteria in the child’s intestinal tract.

A vaginal delivery also poses less stress on the child. Studies have shown that Cesarean sections can shock the child in just a short amount of time and lead to a higher vulnerability to autoimmune problems such as leukemia, allergies, and asthma, among others. Intravenous antibiotics also contribute to affecting the normal seeding of the mother’s flora into the child’s gut.

For women who underwent a C-section on their first childbirth, it has been the norm to consider the same procedure again for future pregnancies, as there is a possibility that the C-section scar may tear with a vaginal birth (vaginal birth after cesarean, or VBAC). Studies show that uterine rupture, a life-threatening event for both mother and child, may occur with VBAC. When this happens, the contents of the uterus may spill into the peritoneal cavity, the area between the two membranes separating organs from the abdominal cavity and the abdominal wall. There is also is the risk of the infant dying due to complications of a VBAC labor.

In extreme cases, should the scar give way, some women may have to have their uterus removed (hysterectomy); however, the chances for this are slim, as research shows that only 3.4 in every 10,000 VBAC labors had to undergo hysterectomy.

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