VBAC Safe Before and After 40 Weeks
Safety and Efficacy of Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Attempts at or Beyond 40 Weeks of Gestation (Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2005;106:700-706)
Summary: Women attempting VBAC before or at 40 weeks gestation had higher success rates (77.8%) than women past 40 weeks gestation (68.7%). Uterine rupture rates between the two groups were similar. So, VBAC after EDD (estimated due date) is just as safe as before or at EDD, though odds of success are lower.
I can't access the full text, just the abstract, so I'm wondering why the success rates differ between "at term" women and "post-dates" women. My guess is that it has nothing to do with the length of gestation but rather with how a woman's labor and delivery is managed differently once she reaches 40 weeks. Just a guess.
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Birth Professionals Updated: Oct 28, 2009
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