1.   And every month, her obstetrician, Dr. Taaly Silberstein, had to reassure her that she was still a strong candidate for vaginal birth.

2.   But Flamm says such talk is premature and unnecessarily scares women away from vaginal birth.

3.   Caesarean sections are more expensive and riskier than vaginal births, and the US medical profession has been working to reduce the high rate here.

4.   Even though her first child was born via Caesarean section, Gibbs opted for vaginal birth.

5.   Every month, the Los Angeles resident would read an article or book about the dangers of VBAC -- vaginal birth after Caesarean.

6.   Hospitals also reported more vaginal births than had been expected among women who had prior C-sections.

7.   Hospitals recently have been pressed by employers and insurers to lower C-section rates largely because they are more costly than vaginal births.

8.   In most hospitals that offer courses in natural childbirth, there are also courses in vaginal birth after Caesarean, which goes by the acronym VBAC.

9.   Introductory sessions outline the benefits and risks of vaginal birth for these women and can help them decide whether they want to attempt it.

10.   It found that women later attempting vaginal birth had twice the rate of complications as women who had another Caesarean.