If this pregnancy ends in a cesarean
One decision that reaches years forward.
About one birth in three in the United States is a cesarean, and a first cesarean is usually followed by more. Only about 15% of American women with a previous cesarean give birth vaginally afterward.
That matters because the risks compound. In a study of 30,132 cesareans, the risk of placenta accreta, a condition where the placenta grows into the uterine wall and often costs a woman her uterus, was 0.24% at a first cesarean, 0.57% at a third and 2.13% at a fourth. Hysterectomy risk followed the same curve.
Part 2 of this toolEverything about cesarean delivery, including what happens in the operating room and what a scar means for later pregnancies, is Part 2. You can switch to it at any time from the top of the page.
Where this comes from:
134. Osterman MJK, Hamilton BE, Martin JA, Driscoll AK, Valenzuela CP. Births: final data for 2024. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2026;75(2):1-43.
268. Silver RM, Landon MB, Rouse DJ, Leveno KJ, Spong CY, Thom EA, et al. Maternal morbidity associated with multiple repeat cesarean deliveries. Obstet Gynecol. 2006;107(6):1226-1232.
269. Landon MB, Hauth JC, Leveno KJ, Spong CY, Leindecker S, Varner MW, et al. Maternal and perinatal outcomes associated with a trial of labor after prior cesarean delivery. N Engl J Med. 2004;351(25):2581-2589.
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