WASHINGTON (AP) -- There's a new call for natural childbirth for

women who've had a C-section.

Hoping to reverse hospital trends they call "once a cesarean,

always a cesarean" in childbirth, the American College of

Obstetricians and Gynecologists says it's time to step back.

They're rewriting guidelines for women who've had one, or even

two, C-sections to encourage them to try labor in a later

pregnancy. It follows a similar decision by a panel of the National Institutes of Health.

Fifteen years ago, about 3 in 10 women who had a prior C-section gave birth vaginally the next time. Today, fewer than 1 in 10 do so.

The new guidelines say natural labor is a safe and appropriate

option. However, they also say the decision must be made by a woman and her doctor, not by hospitals.