The impact of the vaginal birth after cesarean as a new delivery mode on quality of life, sexual function, sleep quality and urinary incontinence during the postpartum period and comparison with the results of vaginal birth and cesarean delivery

OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) on quality of life, sexual function, sleep quality, and urinary incontinence and compare the results with those of vaginal birth (VB) and cesarean delivery (CD) via validated questionnaires. METHODS: A single-center retrospective cross-sectional observational study was conducted at the Bezmialem Vakıf University between 2017 and 2022. The participants were classified into three groups: VB (n = 49), CD (n = 54), and VBAC (n = 55). Postpartum maternal health outcomes were assessed via validated questionnaires: the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Postpartum Quality of Life (PP-QoL), and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 29.0. RESULTS: There were no significant differences among the groups in terms of total PSQI scores or ICIQ-SF scores. However, the total FSFI and PP-QoL scores were significantly higher in the VBAC group (P < 0.001). Among the FSFI subdomains, only desire and pain scores remained significantly different after Bonferroni correction. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that while sleep quality and urinary incontinence symptoms did not significantly differ among the delivery groups, PP-QoL and FSFI scores were higher in the VBAC group than in the VB and CD groups.