Mary
Moderator
Member # 461
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posted 08 December 2004 01:37 PM
These days you can have anything you want, but at a price.
Giving birth by c/s is relatively safe these days as compared to 20 years ago, but routine use of this procedure has its problems. The risks of c/s include:
Anaesthetic risks
o Related to the drugs used (type of drug and quantity)
o Possible side-effects experienced by the Mother and/or child
Increased blood loss – which may lead to a need for a blood transfusion, or a hysterectomy
Damage to the bladder or intestines
Wound and uterine infection
Blood clots forming in the deep veins of the legs, or pelvis. Rarely these clots can travel to the lungs, causing life-threatening pulmonary embolus
In elective caesarean
o Unplanned prematurity of the baby if the dates are wrong, which may increase the risk of the baby having breathing problems).
o Respiratory distress syndrome – where the baby retains fluid in his/her lungs (vaginal birth assists the baby to clear this fluid, which normally fills the lungs when your baby is still inside your uterus, whereas some of it can remain after a caesarean). This can be serious, or even fatal
Each caesarean increases risks involved in future pregnancies – the risk of the placenta implanting low in the uterus (placenta praevia) or into the uterine scar (placenta accreta) and the risk of uterine scar separation
Future difficulties becoming pregnant, and increased chance of ectopic pregnancy – due to scarring
Small risk of the baby being cut by the scalpel
Increased risk of maternal death (4 per 10,000 births for all caesareans, 2 per 10,000 for elective caesareans and 1 per 10,000 for all vaginal births)
Enkin M et al. A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2000. Oxford University Press, p 362.
Aside from the financial and physical cost of caesarean section, there can be an emotional cost.
Many women feel a sense of loss when they have had an elective caesarean. Obviously this is intensely personal and depends on how much control the woman felt she had over the events leading up to the operation and her attitudes to birth itself, but it is worth serious consideration.
Fear of giving birth naturally is a very normal response for women. I would suggest exploring your fears of childbirth with a midwife/childbirth educator/doula who specialises in this particular area. There are many ways of preparing for the birth of the baby and overcoming fear which are unfortunately not practised in all maternity settings. These include talking to women who have had natural births and finding out what they did to prepare for birth, read lots of different birth stories, consider hypnotherapy (there is an excellent natalhypnotherapy CD available at www.natalhypnotherapy.com.uk) meditation, visualisation, art therapy (the book ‘Birthing from Within’), counselling, natural therapies etc. Perhaps hire a private midwife or doula to be your support during the pregnancy and birth. Klaus, Kennell & Klaus, Mothering the Mother (1993) state that having a doula can reduce
Caesarean birth by 50%
Length of labour by 25%
Forceps delivery by 40%
Requests for epidurals by 60%
Oxytocin use by 40%.
Giving birth is hard work, but the preparation, the journey, the experience can be all worth it. Consider your choices carefully.
Best wishes
Midwife Mary
Posts: 22 | Registered: Dec 2004
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