• VBAC – Vaginal Birth After Cesarean
• TOLAC – Trial of Labor After Cesarean
• CBAC – Cesarean Birth After Cesarean. Usually used to describe a birth in which a woman wanted or planned a VBAC, but the birth ended in a cesarean.
• VBA2C (or VBAMC) – Vaginal Birth After 2 Cesareans (or Vaginal Birth After Multiple Cesareans)
• UBAC – Unassisted Birth After Cesarean. A vaginal birth in which no birth attendants were present, usually only the mother, and perhaps her partner or family members.
• ECV – External Cephalic Version. This procedure is used to try to turn a breech baby to a vertex position during the 3rd trimester. The care provider will place his/her hands on the outside of the pregnant mother’s abdomen and will press on the abdomen in order to manually force the baby to turn.
• ERCS – Elective Repeat Cesarean Section. A cesarean usually scheduled and performed without labor, when the mother is not planning a VBAC.
• OP – Occiput Posterior. A position in which the unborn baby is facing toward the mother’s front, which may make delivery more difficult.
• LOA – Left Occiput Anterior. Considered the best position for the unborn baby during labor.
• CPD – Cephalopelvic Disproportion. A questionable medical diagnosis in which the baby’s head is supposedly too large to fit through the mother’s pelvis. This is one of the most commonly used reasons for performing a cesarean.
• FTP – Failure to Progress. This is a questionable diagnosis that declares the woman’s labor to be too long, or stalled. This is another commonly used reason for performing a cesarean.
• PROM – Premature Rupture of Membranes. This is when a woman’s “water” breaks before labor begins.
• SROM – Spontaneous Rupture of Membranes. This is when a woman’s “water” breaks on its own during labor, in contrast to having a care provider break the membranes manually.
• NST – Non-Stress Test. This non-invasive test, performed in a doctor’s office or hospital, is an indicator of how well a baby is doing inside the womb. This primarily involves monitoring a baby’s heart rate over the course of about 30 minutes or more. An NST may be recommended by your care provider if you have any complications or risk factors that may impact your baby’s health. It is common for care providers to also recommend an NST when a pregnancy extends beyond a woman’s due date.
• BPP – Biophysical Profile. BPP is a prenatal ultrasound evaluation of fetal well-being involving a scoring system, with the score being termed Manning’s score.^[2] It is often done when a non-stress test (NST) is non reactive, or for other obstetrical indications.The “modified biophysical profile” consists of the NST and amniotic fluid index only.
• ACOG – The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. This is the professional organization that publishes guidelines for doctors to guide their practice.

Because ICAN is run by volunteers, we always need help fulfilling our mission. If you would like to contribute your time and talents to our mission, please contact our volunteer coordinator at volunteer@ican-online.org or visit our “Volunteer Positions” page. Opportunities are available at all different levels of involvement.

ICAN’s Professional Membership Directory includes doulas, childbirth educators, chiropractors, massage therapists, hypnobirth instructors, midwives, obstetricians, lawyers and anyone else who feels they have a service they can provide to people during their childbearing years. Professional Members have paid a fee to be listed in our directory and agreed to support our mission; however, this is not a guarantee that they will be the right professional for your needs. ICAN’s Professional Membership Directory is intended as an informational resource for consumers. Please understand that ICAN is not a credentialing agency or a regulatory body. As such, we are not responsible for the competency of the professionals listed. Consumers are encouraged to take responsibility for their birth journey by informing themselves regarding the competency of those professionals that they retain. Arranging interviews, asking open-ended questions, and obtaining local reviews (Local ICAN Chapters are a great resource!) can be a great place to start in vetting the service providers you hire.

Are you a Professional interested in being listed? Learn More.

Visit our Advocacy page to read about options when your hospital does not support laboring after cesarean. Some options include meeting with the hospital to discuss any concerns you have with current policy.