# Context-sensitive holistic care of women with one previous Caesarean section

## TL;DR

The paper discusses holistic care for women in South Africa who are considering vaginal birth after a previous C-section.

## Contribution

It introduces a context-sensitive approach to care that prioritizes women's safety and psychological well-being.

## Key findings

- The focus is on providing high-quality care for VBAC in the South African healthcare setting.
- The paper aims to minimize adverse psychological effects from past and future birth experiences.

## Abstract

This article’s emphasis is on the holistic care of women who are assessed as suitable for and amenable to vaginal birth after Caesarean section (VBAC) in the South African state health sector context. It is beyond its scope to deal with the minutiae of VBAC conduct, operative conduct of repeat Caesarean section (CS), or management of uterine rupture. It is also beyond the scope of the article to reflect on practices, which are accepted in other healthcare contexts. The intention is not to promote VBAC over elective repeat CS, but rather to assist healthcare workers with providing high-quality holistic care. The goal is that women with previous CS are given access to the mode of delivery, which is safest for them and their fetus, while minimising adverse psychological effects of previous and future negative birth experiences.