When it comes to comparing C-sections vs VBACs, those who’ve gone through both can lend us some insight. Here’s one mom’s experience with each.

I am the incredibly lucky mom of two beautiful children who are as different in their personalities as they are in the way they came into the world. I have a tendency to be a little too real with my four year old daughter. She once made a comment to a friend about how she “came out of my belly,” to which the friend replied, “just like your little brother!” Her response, without skipping a beat: “No, he came out of Mom’s vagina.”
Experience number one: my c-section
My daughter was born via emergency c-section at 2:12 in the morning, a few hours after arriving at the hospital. Her heart rate had spiked, her blood pressure dropped, and the on-call doctor informed me that she might not make it through a vaginal delivery.
They began to prep me for surgery, and somewhere between the labor and delivery room and the operating room, the mood changed from mild urgency to full on emergency. The doctor began the surgery before my husband had even finished scrubbing in. (I was pretty certain he had passed out.)
As I lay on the operating table, waiting for the surgery to start, I realized that this was just the first of so many experiences as a parent over which I would have little or no control.
Was it the way I imagined bringing my first child into the world? No. But that moment when the nurse held my beautiful baby girl up to my cheek for the first time is one of my two favorites of all time.
I was fortunate to have a relatively easy recovery, which was made even easier by the fact that this was my first child, and my husband was able to take two weeks off of work. I basically parked it on the couch with my newborn and focused on getting the hang of breastfeeding and healing.
VBACs and TOLACs and risks – oh my!
Fast forward about two and half years, and I’m pregnant with baby number two. My OB had assured me that I was a great candidate for a vaginal birth after Cesarean, or a VBAC, (which is called a TOLAC, for trial of labor after a Cesarean – if it’s successful, it’s called a VBAC.)
During my first prenatal visit, she walked me through the risks of both options. Spoiler alert: This is not a fun chat, there are some pretty real risks associated with both options. With my doctor’s support, I decided I really wanted the experience of a vaginal birth, and that as long as she felt it was a safe option for my baby, I would go for it.
As my due date approached, my confidence grew. I read, and I exercised, and I felt optimistic that I would get the birth experience I was hoping for this time around.
Then, during a routine growth ultrasound at 34 weeks, we got thrown a little curveball. The technician cheerfully announced that my baby was measuring eleven pounds. She laughed and corrected herself, but the real number, seven pounds eleven ounces, still left me with the unpleasant image of pushing out a ten pounder.
This baby was measuring big, and while my OB still felt that a vaginal birth was possible, she didn’t feel comfortable letting me go past my due date. So we put a C-section on the calendar and planned to try to labor if I went before then.
Experience number two: my VBAC
The night before my due date, I had made peace with the fact that I would probably not get my VBAC. There is, after all, an upside to a scheduled C-section, especially when you have to plan childcare for an older sibling.
And then I went into labor.
I tucked my daughter into bed for the last time as an only child (sob,) and we headed to the hospital. After an excruciating night of contractions, my water broke at seven in the morning. By nine AM I was given a glorious epidural, and at just before noon my doctor came in to prepare me to push.
I was expecting a classic first birth experience, with hours of pushing, so we were shocked when my OB told us she could feel the baby’s head and that it wouldn’t be long until our baby was born.
After not quite ten minutes of pushing, she announced “it’s a boy!” and placed our newborn son on my chest. This was the greatest benefit of having a vaginal birth. While I spent the first hour of my daughter’s life being stitched up in the OR while she and my husband bonded back in the delivery room, I was able to immediately enjoy skin to skin bonding time with my son.
C-section vs VBAC – a tough comparison
It’s hard for me to compare the recovery process of my c-section vs my VBAC. With nearly three years between them, and the fact that the hormone Oxytocin tends to help us forget the most traumatic parts of childbirth, I don’t entirely trust my memory.
I remember that it took slightly longer after my C-section to feel one hundred percent back to myself when compared with my son’s birth. I was grateful to be able to scoop up my first born without the restrictions on lifting, and I didn’t need anything stronger than Motrin to combat the pain.
What I can tell you with one hundred percent clarity is that neither option is “the easy way out.” When I look back on both experiences I’m in awe of the amazing things the female body can do, and the strength I summoned out of thin air to bring these little humans into the world.
I’ll leave you with a few pieces of advice for anyone considering a VBAC (or really anyone preparing for childbirth.)
First, love your doctor, or find a new one. My OB walked me through every decision, and eased my anxiety every step of the way. I never felt judged, belittled or brushed off. Every expectant mother deserves this respect from their doctor.
Second, trust your own instincts. If you haven’t noticed yet, something about becoming a parent means you will get unsolicited advice about EVERYTHING. This decision is one best made by you, your partner, and your doctor.
Finally, be flexible in your birth plan. I was so lucky to have a successful VBAC, but regardless of how your child comes into the world, I promise you it will be magical (and also slightly traumatic.)
Have some thoughts on C-sections vs VBACs and their differences?
Let us know how they compared for you in the comments below.
I suffered a severe 4th degree tear, and a traumatic birth, with my first son. With my second, I truly was hoping to have another vaginal delivery, but when his head was measuring 79th percentile at 36 weeks (first was born greater than 99%), I decided to schedule a csection for 4 days after my due date- to give myself a chance. Following suit with his never wanting to leave brother, I wound up with a csection. Compared to the tear, recovery has been a breeze pain wise, although not being able to lift my toddler is torture! Forever grateful for 2 beautiful boys, but still wish I had had a “normal” birth experience.
When I had my first son he was face first. After laboring for 17 hours hoping he would reposition, I ended up with an urgent c-section. The experience left me rattled. I was very sick the entire procedure and wasn’t handling the medications well. I was not able to see my son until a few hours later. After I became pregnant with my second son I knew I did not want to experience something like that again. I hired a doula, was induced at 39 weeks, labored for 35 hours (pushing for 4) and birthed a 9#6 oz baby.
We just had our first son six months ago via emergency C-section, and my doctor to has assured me that I would be a good candidate for a VBAC should there be more children in our future. She also assured me that it’s a great thing to have the option of choosing a C-section or choosing a virginal delivery. With my husband being deployed we’re obviously not thinking about planning our next child at the moment but it is some thing that I think about… I’d love to be blessed with another bundle of joy, and like you said in the article, one must always be flexible when it comes to the birth plan. Never would I have pictured myself havi a c-section.