Getting Ready for a C-Section
The odds of having a c-section instead of a vaginal birth are said to be 4-1. It is said that at the present, a C-section is the most frequently performed surgery on women living in the United States.
Why You Would Need a C-Section
There are some instances when the doctor already knows you will need to deliver by c-section. One of the conditions that may precede the need for a c-section is a baby that is overly large, a previous c-section that included a vertical incision, or abruptio placentae. This means the placenta has separated before the labor even begins. It may be that you have herpes or if the baby has remained in a breech position. There are other instances the medical heath care team may need to do a c-section and they usually relate to fetal distress.
If I Have a C-Section, Will I Always Have to Give Birth this Way?
It was once thought that if you had to have a c-section for your first labor and delivery that you would always give birth that way. That is definitely not true in many cases. The incision that the doctor left was in an awkward position in the past, and it was feared that the uterus may rupture where the lines of the incision ran. Now doctors make an incision that is lower and transverse rather than vertical. If you are able to give birth vaginally, your medical team will often encourage you to try.
It doesn’t matter how your baby gets into the world, the important thing is for both mother and baby to be happy and healthy with no complications. If that means giving birth by c-section, then so be it. You and your doctor will discuss all the options that are available to you and in the end, it may ultimately be the doctor’s decision if they feel you and your baby would benefit by having a c-section.
Filed under: Labor & Birth
