New Jersey has the highest rate of Cesarean section births in the country, at more than 39%.
Why is the C-section rate so high in our state?
A growing number of women are electing C-sections for non-medical reasons, including scheduling convenience and anxiety and fear about vaginal delivery. Also, 
pharmaceutical interventions designed to speed up the delivery process cause stress on the mother and baby and can lead to an unwanted/unplanned C-section.
Are there risks involved in having multiple 
C-sections?
There are serious risks with any surgical procedure. 
Having several C-sections is now linked to uterine complications in future pregnancies—which can cause severe hemorrhage/loss of blood, emergency hysterectomy, and maternal death.
What if I have already had a C-section?
Many women believe that once they have a C-section, they must have a C-section for all future births. This is not true. If the pregnancy is progressing normally and is 
considered ‘low-risk’, a woman may choose to have a 
Vaginal Birth After Cesarean, also known as a VBAC.
Is a C-section ever the right choice?
Not all babies should be born vaginally, for complications related to size, positioning, or distress. A C-section is the right choice if the mother’s or baby’s health or life is in danger.
Benefits of VBAC
- You can avoid major abdominal surgery, resulting in quicker recovery time, a shorter hospital stay, fewer complications with healing, and less financial expense.
- Repeat VBACs tend to become progressively easier, while repeat C-sections tend to 
become progressively more complicated.
- VBACS offer a chance for quicker bonding time between mother and child and result in better breastfeeding outcomes.
- There is a decreased risk of respiratory distress for your baby within the first hours after birth; the pressure of passing through the birthing canal helps the baby expel fluids from the lungs to initiate the first breath.