Questions to bring to your next pregnancy
The short list worth writing down.
Take these to your first prenatal visit next time:
- "What type of uterine incision do I have? Can I get a copy of my operative report?"
- "Does this hospital offer a trial of labor after cesarean, and do you personally attend them?"
- "What is my predicted chance of a successful vaginal birth?"
- "Can I have an early ultrasound to confirm where the placenta and the pregnancy have implanted, given my scar?"
- "Where is my placenta located in relation to my scar, and has accreta been ruled out?"
- "How many more cesareans is it reasonable for me to have, given how many children I want?"
- "What is this hospital's low-risk cesarean rate?"
The point of the whole toolNone of these questions requires a medical degree to ask. All of them are difficult to ask for the first time in labor. That is why they belong here, written down, months in advance.
Where this comes from:
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.
285. Marshall NE, Fu R, Guise JM. Impact of multiple cesarean deliveries on maternal morbidity: a systematic review. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2011;205(3):262.e1-262.e8.
287. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Vaginal birth after cesarean delivery. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 205. Obstet Gynecol. 2019;133(2):e110-e127.
288. Grobman WA, Lai Y, Landon MB, Spong CY, Leveno KJ, Rouse DJ, et al. Development of a nomogram for prediction of vaginal birth after cesarean delivery. Obstet Gynecol. 2007;109(4):806-812.
289. Barger MK, Dunn JT, Bearman S, DeLain M, Gates E. A survey of access to trial of labor in California hospitals in 2012. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2013;13:83.
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This page is educational. It supports the conversation with your own clinicians. It is not consent to any treatment, and it cannot assess you. If you are worried about a symptom now, see urgent warning signs.