What should you know about VBAC 15 months after a C-section?

The time since surgery is one part of planning a vaginal birth after caesarean. Your team also needs the operative record, including the type and location of the uterine incision, why the earlier caesarean happened, and whether there were complications. The position of the placenta, baby’s presentation, other pregnancy conditions and your preferences also affect the discussion. A previous caesarean does not by itself decide the mode of birth.

Book antenatal care early and bring any available caesarean notes. Ask where labour would be monitored and how quickly an emergency caesarean could be performed if needed. Discuss what happens if labour does not start, whether induction is suitable, and how the plan changes with a breech baby or placental concern. If recovery from the earlier birth still affects movement or pain, postnatal physiotherapy may be useful.

During pregnancy, contact your maternity team urgently for heavy bleeding, severe abdominal pain, fainting, severe headache or visual changes. In labour, urgent assessment is needed for constant scar-area pain, unusual bleeding, sudden breathlessness, collapse or concerns about the baby’s movements or heart rate. Follow the hospital’s instructions about when to attend.

Ask what your uterine incision was, whether your history supports VBAC, how labour would be monitored, and what induction or planned caesarean alternatives mean for you.