What influences a woman to choose vaginal birth after cesarean?

OBJECTIVE

To discover what influences women in the decision to deliver via vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC).

DESIGN

Descriptive and qualitative, influenced by principles of phenomenology and using content analysis to describe the lived experiences of women who choose VBAC.

SETTING

Women were recruited from a postpartum unit in a hospital in the rural southeastern United States.

PARTICIPANTS

Five women who had delivered via VBAC within 2 to 4 months before the study.

RESULTS

The major influences that affect a woman's decision to choose VBAC are described. The dominant themes found were the woman's sense of control in the decision-making process; physician encouragement for VBAC; and delivery type outcome advantages, incorporating physical and emotional factors.

CONCLUSION

Women are influenced by internal and external factors in their decision to choose VBAC. Their choices come from their personal experiences and should be encouraged by health care providers during all aspects of the childbearing process.