Mode of birth after caesarean section: individual prediction scores using Scottish population data.

Background: Rising caesarean section (CS) rates are a global health concern. Contemporary data indicates that almost 50% of CS are electively performed, with a high proportion of these being a repeat procedure. Vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) is recognised as a safe way to give birth in developed countries.

Aide-memoire diaries in longitudinal research.

Background: Diaries can be used as contemporaneous tools for gathering data, frequently in combination with interviews. However, diaries can also be used by study participants as personal records to improve their recall during interviews, without having to be collected for analysis.

Aim: To discuss the use of diaries as aide-memoires by participants in a study exploring women's views and experiences of the quality of maternity care they received in community maternity units in Scotland.