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Choosing Cesarean Childbirth

For the past twenty years women have been choosing to deliver their children via cesarean sections, or c-sections, more frequently, for a variety of reasons. While the World Health Organization reports that only about fifteen percent of pregnant women need to have c-sections, as many as 25 percent of all births in the United States are cesareans. Although many of these c-sections are performed due to complications, some women opt to have scheduled c-sections.

Urgent vs. Emergency C-Sections
Often, doctors schedule cesareans for their patients as a matter of convenience, or because the patient has had a c-section in the past. However, cesareans are also performed on an emergency or urgent basis, when waiting for labor to occur naturally could lead to the death of the mother or child.

Doctors most often perform emergency cesareans when there are only a few minutes remaining before the mother or baby could die. Placenta abruption or a prolapsed cord might be reasons for a doctor to schedule an emergency c-section.

Urgent cesareans are typically preceded by birth complications, such as hemorrhage on the part of the mother or if the baby is not receiving sufficient oxygen.

Cesarean Birth Complications
Pregnancy can be a risky time, and birth complications often require c-sections in order to save the life of the mother or infant. Birth complications that can necessitate a c-section include:

• Breech birth: A breech birth happens when a baby isn't positioned headfirst. Instead, its bottom or feet are pointed at the birth canal, which can create a number of birthing problems.
  
  
• Failure to go into labor: A woman can fail to go into labor when her cervix doesn't dilate properly or when the baby isn't able to make it through the birth canal.
  
  
• Fetal distress: A baby is said to be in fetal distress when it is displaying signs that it is not well, excessively stressed and/or extremely fatigued.

Risks Associated with Cesareans
Whether an expectant mother chooses a cesarean of her own accord or at her doctor's insistence, she is undergoing serious abdominal surgery. Risks associated with cesarean sections include:

• anesthesia-related problems
• death
• hemorrhaging
• infections.

There are also risks for the baby, including trouble breathing, fetal injury and premature birth.

Care After Cesarean Delivery
Whether c-sections are planned or not, women can experience a variety of problems from cesarean sections. Women who have c-sections suffer longer recovery times, since a c-section is a major operation. They may also miss out on some bonding time with the baby, since breastfeeding and other maternal duties are limited during recuperation.

Mothers who deliver via c-section will need to stay in the hospital longer than they would if they delivered vaginally. They can also expect recovery at home to take longer, up to six weeks.

Mothers also need to be prepared to deal with the emotions that they might experience following a c-section. Many mothers opt for a cesarean birth only to discover after the fact that they feel somewhat cheated by not experiencing vaginal birth.

Remember, however, that in many cases cesarean births are the only way to ensure the health of both mother and baby. Therefore, the benefits of a c-section far outweigh the potential problems.