Care for People Who Have Had a Caesarean Birth and Are Planning Their Next Birth
Summary
The Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health and Ontario Health collaborated on the development of this quality standard.
The scope of this quality standard extends from postpartum counselling after a Caesarean birth through antenatal and intrapartum care during the next pregnancy and birth. The guidance provided in this quality standard on pregnancy care focuses on people with a previous Caesarean birth who are pregnant with 1 baby that is head-down and at full term (> 37 weeks), who are receiving pregnancy care from any type of clinician. People with more than 1 previous Caesarean birth are included in the scope; however, research evidence is limited for this population. Careful individualized assessment and clinical judgment as part of shared decision-making are essential in this situation.
This quality standard was completed in April 2018 and updated in October 2024.