Abstract
Objectives
Women who have had a cesarean section (C-section) and become pregnant again may choose to have a planned repeat cesarean delivery (RCD) or vaginal birth after a cesarean (VBAC). This study aimed to characterize the pregnancy and birth experiences of African American (AA) women who had a successful VBAC, failed VBAC, or RCD.
Methods
Eligible participants (N = 25) self-identified as AA, had a C-section and a subsequent birth(s) in the past 12 years, and were educated past high school. Each participant was individually interviewed via phone call. The Sort and Sift, Think and Shift method was used to evaluate interview transcripts to minimize researcher bias and emphasize the voices of the participants.
Results
The resulting themes included the impact of providers on pregnancy and childbirth satisfaction, the value of autonomy in maternal health decision-making, and the role that racism plays in AA women’s birth experiences. Although some participants recalled a positive experience, the presence of limited autonomy, lack of support, and negative experiences with providers indicate that birth after a prior C-section for AA women can be improved.
Conclusions
Providers should address their own racial biases and utilize the shared decision-making approach when their patients decide between a VBAC and RCD to improve patient satisfaction.
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Data Availability
Transcripts are available upon request.
Code Availability
Not applicable.
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Acknowledgements
The Elon University Honors program and the Elon University Undergraduate Research program funded this project in full. Thank you to the women who participated and allowed us to share your stories, perspective, and personal experiences with pregnancy and birth.
Funding
The Elon University Honors program and the Elon University Undergraduate Research program funded this project in full.
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Ms. Miller collected, organized, and analyzed the data in addition to drafting the manuscript. Dr. Baker assisted in data analysis and provided manuscript revisions.
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The Elon University IRB approved this project (approval #19-245).
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Miller, M.W., Baker, S. African American Women’s Experiences with Birth After a Prior Cesarean Section. Matern Child Health J 26, 806–813 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-021-03277-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-021-03277-2