Health

18 HEALTH • Summer 2016 Mothers, policy makers steer away from cesarean delivery \\ By Emily Micucci C-SECTIONS ON TRIAL Jennifer Kenney, an expec tant mother from Milford, is examined by Dr. Fae Nason at Milford Regional Medical Center at a 40-week prenatal visit. O n July 7, 2015, Laura Croteau gave birth to her second child, Zachary, safely and the old-fashioned way. This, of course is nothing unusual, but because Croteau had delivered her first child via scheduled cesarean section nearly two years earlier, Zachary's birth was a bit of an outlier as far as hospital births in the United States go. Until recently, vaginal birth after cesarean, or VBAC, was rare, but as pressure to reduce cesarean section rates in U.S. hospitals mounts, more mothers are being encouraged to attempt labor the second time around. At age 30, Croteau, a Medway resident, was a prime candidate to attempt VBAC. Her first c-section was scheduled only because her baby was in the breech position -- not because of a medical condition or complication that put her or her son at risk. With a team of doctors who were knowledgeable and supportive of VBAC, Croteau said she felt at ease about the process. It might sound corny, Croteau said, but she wanted to know that she could deliver a baby naturally. "I was very happy I chose it," Croteau said. But it wasn't just the validation that made the VBAC worth it to Croteau. The recovery was far easier, she said, and she was able to drive and to lift her toddler, who was 22 months old at the time. Laura Croteau, a 31-year-old mother from Medway, delivered her first son, Alexander, via cesarean section but opted to go through labor with her second baby, Zachary. P H O T O / E D D C O T E

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