My wife is pregnant with our second child. She had a cesarean with our first. She has assisted at over 1,000 births and is currently teaching in the nurse-midwifery program at the University of Minnesota. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that unless contraindicated, all women should be given the chance to give birth vaginally after a cesarean.
Labor is good for the baby and for the mother.
It stresses the baby a bit which is good, forcing fluid from the lungs. It minimizes blood loss for the mother if a cesarean must be performed later. Scheduled cesareans may be convenient, but are not necessarily better. In cases where a mother is unable to deliver vaginally, we really only have a hint about her ability to give birth to subsequent babies. She may have a different size baby, a baby who is in a more favorable position, better, more efficient uterine contractions, a more relaxed vaginal musculature and a more relaxed and knowledgeable mother and father.