This website provides childbearing women and maternity care professionals access to research-based information, resources,
continuing education and support for VBAC* (vaginal birth after cesarean).
In the United States more than one million women, 1 in
3, give birth by cesarean every year, the most common major operation
performed in the country. Current evidence shows that the majority of women can
have safe vaginal births after a prior cesarean (a VBAC), but according to the
US Centers for Disease Control the VBAC rate fell 67% in the last ten years.
Our
aim is to provide access to information from a variety
of sources; scientific studies, professional guidelines, government
reports, successful and safe established VBAC programs, and
the midwifery model
of care. Our goal is to help women make informed decisions about how they will give birth and to encourage an honest
and respectful dialogue with their caregivers. Providing accurate information and
resources about VBAC can help childbearing women and their families avoid the risks
associated with cesarean section.
This site can also be a valuable educational
resource for childbirth educators, nurses, midwives, doulas
(professional labor assistants), and physicians. The combined
contribution and experience of each of those professions can
help to provide optimal care for the childbearing women they
serve.
Birth is a major life event that significantly
impacts a mother's physical and emotional well-being. A cesarean
can be a life-saving procedure for a mother and/or her baby,
but overall, birth
by cesarean puts healthy pregnant women at risk
for medical complications. Recent evidence suggests that cesarean
birth, particularly if it was unexpected, may also put women
at increased psychological risk.
Performing a cesarean section on one out of three women and a repeat cesarean
on more than 90% of women with a prior cesarean runs contrary to the US
Healthy People 2010 goals. US National objectives to improve maternal, infant, and child
health outcomes is to lower the cesarean rate for first time mothers to 15%, and
increase the VBAC rate to 63% by the year 2010.
High cesarean rates also run contrary to national health goals to increase
the proportion of mothers who breastfeed their babies.The Centers for Disease Control
has identified cesarean section as a risk factor for the initiation of breastfeeding. According
to the CDC
Guide to Breastfeeding Interventions
[pdf]
, medications and procedures administered to the mother
during labor affect the infant's behavior at the time of birth, which in turn affects
the infant's ability to suckle in an organized and effective manner at the breast.Breastfeeding
has been linked to several life-long health
advantages for both mothers and babies
[pdf]
. Mothers who give birth by cesarean can initiate,
establish and continue breastfeeding particularly if they are encouraged, educated
and supported by breastfeeding specialists.
Every childbearing woman is a giver of life,
and as such deserves our support, respect, and admiration.
Every child is precious no matter how she or he is born. Based
on the available information, every woman can decide with
her caregiver what best meets her needs.
*The term VBAC was first coined and used by Nancy Wainer
Cohen author of Silent Knife:Cesarean Prevention & Vaginal
Birth After Cesarean. It was chosen as the best book in the
field of Health and Medicine by the American Library Association
in 1983.
Biographical Information
This site was developed and is hosted by
Nicette Jukelevics, MA, ICCE, a childbirth educator, speaker
and author on cesarean and VBAC issues. Nicette has been teaching
prenatal, birth and parent education classes for over twenty-five years.
She is the co-founder, administrator, and Perinatal Educator
of Center For Family, a multi-disciplinary counseling practice.
Nicette has presented at international conferences, including ICEA (International
Childbirth Education Association, Lamaze
International, DONA (Doulas
of North America) and ICAN (International
Cesarean Awareness Network).
Nicette is co-author with Ruth Ancheta of the VBAC
Source Book and Teaching Kit (ICEA 2000). She has
also published in Mothering, International Doula, International Journal of Childbirth Education, and The American College of Nurse Midwives' Every
Baby. Her articles have also been posted on several web sites including midwife.org, OBGYN.net and Trauma and Birth Stress (TABS). Nicette is the mother of two energetic young adults.
Contact Information
Nicette Jukelevics, MA, ICCE
Center For Family
24050 Madison St. Suite 200
Torrance, CA 90505
(310) 375-3141
The information and the links
provided on the VBAC.com website are for educational purposes
only. Mothers-to-be are encouraged to obtain relevant
information, to discuss their options with their maternity
care providers and to make safe and informed choices.
We welcome all inquires, but will not suggest any medical
course of action. This site is privately funded. No advertisments are accepted. Confidentiality of data relating
to individual patients and visitors to a medical/health
Web site, including their identity, is respected by this
Web site. The Web site owners undertake to honor or exceed
the legal requirements of medical/health information privacy
that apply in the country and state where the Web site
and mirror sites are located.
Birth is a major life event that significantly
impacts a mother's physical and emotional well-being. A cesarean
can be a life-saving procedure for a mother and/or her baby,
but overall, 
