What is a VBAC?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
VBAC means vaginal birth after caesarean, and it succeeds about 3 times out of 4. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says that for fit, healthy women, VBAC and a planned repeat caesarean are both safe choices with very small risks. About 3 out of 4 women with one previous caesarean, a straightforward pregnancy, and labour that starts naturally give birth vaginally; a previous vaginal birth pushes success to 9 out of 10. The risk everyone weighs is uterine scar rupture, about 1 in 200 labours, which is why VBAC happens in hospital with continuous monitoring. Around 25 in 100 VBAC labours end in an emergency caesarean. VBAC is usually off the table after three or more caesareans, a prior rupture, or a classical vertical incision.
What to do
- Ask why your first caesarean happened; the reason shapes whether VBAC is a good bet.
- Know your scar type: a low horizontal scar supports VBAC; a classical vertical one rules it out.
- Plan for hospital birth with monitoring, because of the small rupture risk.
- Discuss induction early: induced labour raises rupture risk two to three times.
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