Risks of Elective C-Section - What You Should Know
I don't mean for this article to judge. I mean for it to inform. Please take that into account if you disagree with my views. I have interviewed several women who've had c-sections to get this information, as well as reading studies and accounts from other women.
No matter what you decide to do at the end of your pregnancy, I hope the best for you and your baby.
Risks of Elective C-Section
Longer Recovery:
While it takes about 6 weeks to recover from a vaginal childbirth, it can take 6 months or longer to recover from a c-section. Pain, weakness, and bloating can persist for a year or more, though not typically at the levels you experience right after your c-section.
This causes many other potential complications. Some of those complications are:
Inability to bond with your baby:
Because the 'natural' process is interrupted and you are busy being attended to after your child's birth, some mothers have stated they found it difficult to bond with their baby. Others have expressed frustration with the experience or with their bodies for taking the natural process away from them. This can lead to or contribute to worsening of post-partum depression, a potentially serious mental health issue affecting 10% or more of women who have recently had a baby.
Difficulty breastfeeding:
Having a c-section can make breastfeeding more difficult, because of the location of the incision and the fact that nursing causes uterine contractions after birth to get the uterus back to near pre-pregnancy size. There are other nursing positions that are easier on a mother after she's had a c-section, but sometimes it is difficult to get the baby to nurse in these positions, either due to baby's aversion to the position, awkwardness of the position, or inexperience of the mother with nursing.
Atop that, the drugs that you may have gotten during labor and delivery can affect the nursing relationship, causing the baby to be groggy or leading to latch issues.
Difficulty caring for your baby:
Let's face it, recovering from abdominal surgery is hard. So is having a new baby. Combine the two and you'll be downright exhausted. Many new mothers complain that they feel like a zombie for months after the birth of their baby due to lack of sleep and the constant ups and downs to get the things they need to care for their baby. Babies also want to be held, sometimes for large parts of the day. This can be difficult if you're trying to avoid pressure on your incision. Getting up and down to get the things your baby needs, lifting your baby, bathing your baby, and other activities can be made more difficult if you are also recovering from surgery.
There are also other risks when you're considering a c-section that need to be taken into account.
Some of those risks are:
Bleeding:
Trauma to the uterus can keep it from contracting normally, leading to hemorrhage or abnormal bleeding.
Infection:
There is always a risk of infection when surgery is performed. Post-partum women are also at risk of developing infections due to the large, open wound in their uterus. Infections in incisions can lead to unsightly scars or worse.
Cuts on baby:
There is always a minor risk that your baby can be cut during a c-section.
Loss of infant/mother:
The risk to mother and baby is higher if the baby has to be removed by c-section. Since it is not a natural procedure, but invasive surgery, it carries a mortality risk.
Another point of contention regarding c-sections is that many hospitals are now refusing to allow women who've had a c-section to try for a vaginal birth with any subsequent children due to risk of liability and potential costs. If you elect to have a c-section, you may never get the opportunity to try a vaginal birth with your next child/ren due to hospital policy. You may think that's not a big deal, but if you decide later that the c-section wasn't what you would have wanted for yourself, you can't go back and try again with your next child unless you are able to find a hospital, birth center, or homebirth midwife who will attend you during a vaginal delivery after having a c-section.
It is important to note that while some hospitals still allow women to attempt VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean), the national trend is moving away from allowing women this option, even in large, well staffed hospitals. What may be an option now may be taken away from you 2 or 3 years down the road.
As always, it is important to know the risks of any procedure that you or your doctor are considering. A 'healthy baby' isn't all that matters. You, your body, and your rights matter as well. You are not just a pod for your baby, and if your rights are stripped from you, it can lead to complications in the future to your physical or emotional health.
I wish everyone a happy birth.
Published by Liz Copeland
I'm a freelance writer, DMC mentor, and artisan-level embroiderer. I knit, crochet, sew, quilt, and spin my own yarn as well. I'm an instructor for embroidery and other fiber and textile related crafts. View profile
- Inducing Labor: Pregnancy and Induction FactsIn today's induction friendly society, the question becomes, why not schedule birth? Look here to find out.
- When is it Necessary to Deliver a Baby by Cesarean Section?When is it necessary to deliver a baby by cesarean section? There are actually a number of answers to this question.
Can Birth Affirmations Help Prevent Cesarean Section?Birth affirmations are quotes or sayings that you can repeat to yourself before and during birth in order to lift your spirits and give yourself encouragement. Using birth affir...- Cesarean Section Recovery TipsA list of things you can do to speed healing and make yourself more comfortable after a cesarean section birth.
- Answers for Laymen about the Cesarean SectionWhat to expect in a cesarean section.
- A Woman's Right to Choose: Cesarean Section
- Native American Women Reducing Incidence of Cesarean Section
- Preparing for a Cesarean Section
- The Pros and Cons of Elective Cesareans
- Steps to Cesarean Section Survival
- Cesarean Section: A Run Through of a Basic C-section
- An Impatient Society: A Look at Inducing Labor Early
- C-sections carry risks as well as potential benefits.
- Elective c-sections are more common than you might think.
- Your right to choose is being eroded in hospitals.
13 Comments
Post a CommentI have read your article on elective c sections. I am chosing to have one with my next baby because i had a very traumatic birth and it took me over a year to recover, not just 6 weeks, i had a 3rd degree tear and was unable to breastfeed and was taken away from my baby for 2 hours to be stitched up!! I was refused a c section because it was my 1st baby and no deemed medically necessary. Since having my baby i was left depressed, in agony, and angry that I have not been able to have sex for over a year. I would deffinately have a c section over a vaginal delivery any day.
Kamela, Anecdotal evidence is useful, but can't be counted on for accuracy. I'm glad that you had no complications with your c-sections. Some people don't have complications. Some people do. Electing to have a c-section when the complications of elective surgery are potentially more severe than complications of natural childbirth should be an informed decision, and that means understanding the risks, doing the research, and understanding the difference between anecdotes and scientific studies.
I do not agree with this article at all it is one sided I had two c/s not because I wanted to but because of my labour in both cases I did not have these problems stated on this article, i have heard worse cases of vaginal births than c/s
I'm the author...and I have plenty of experience with childbirth (hospital and homebirth), as well as quite a few friends (and midwives) in the birthing community, many of which have had c-sections and feel relieved all the way to traumatized. However, my information is based on not just their viewpoints, but statistics. Feel how you want about your c-section...but it's anecdotal just like their stories. The article has to be general, because it's about a general topic. It's not a personal account, it's based on statistics (which are, naturally, generalizations).
I had a crash c-section as both myself and my baby were in danger of dying within 3 minutes if intervention had not occurred. Whilst my physical recovery took a while I had absolutely no problems bonding with my gorgeous boy and was able to breastfeed him in the recovery room and for the next 18 months with no problem at all. I am having an elective c-section to avoid the trauma of last time and am looking forward to erasing the memories of the horrendous labour I suffered last time. I think that this article generalises about a subject that the writer clearly has no personal experiences of which would give me little or no faith in her.
I focused on one side of the article, because more and more OBs are willing to focus on 'scare tactics' on the other side.
Complications from natural childbirth are much rarer than c-section complications. I'm sorry that it happened to you, but anecdotal evidence isn't as important as facts.
Sounds to me like you had a traumatic 4th degree episiotomy. Your childbirth might have been better if you weren't cut. Maybe you needed one? Maybe you didn't. Many episiotomies are an unnecessary intervention.
C-section rates are skyrocketing in this country (and others), and they are way above the World Health Organization guidelines for necessary c-sections. They do come with increased risks because they are surgical, and not natural. Doctors are pushing c-sections to avoid potential lawsuits (for not handling childbirth properly)...they're looking out for the their wallets, not their patients. If you want a non-judgmental article about that, you'll have to look to another writer.
I
While yes, this is great information, it does seem more like a scare tactic than an actual informative article. After having a traumatic vaginal birth, I am opting for a elective c-section. Not for convenience but for my mental health. I had a 4th degree episiotomy and 3 years later still suffer from pain from the scar. Where was that mentioned in the article. No, I did not heal in 6 weeks. It took over 6 months to heal and I am NOT fully healed yet. My scar tissue splits every time my husband and I? had sex. I know many, many women who have had c-sections and had none of these problems that were mentioned in this article. I think it is completely unfair to state the risk of one side and not the other, that is judgmental. If women think its selfish to have an elective c-section over a vaginal, let them, but not everyone gets the fairy-tale ending to labor and delivery. I sure didn't.
having had an elective c-section and knowing people who have also had c/s i can definitely tell you nothing mentioned in this article happened to me or anyone I know. I had a c/s and 5 days later was back to my old self totally and had no problems breastfeeding or bonding. I had no infection and never had any problems with my incision. If you really wanna get scared read some stories on how many stitches women who give birth naturally have to have in their perennium and in their vagina and rectum. Oh or how some chicks cant have sex comfortably for years after a vaginal birth and sometimes require repeat surgery to repair the epesiotomy site that was stitched up to tight.
What are the risks of a vaginal birth?
Great article. I had a VBAC over a year ago and was so frustrated with the flack I took from uninformed people. I've even been told that my feelings on avoiding c/s were "irrelevant." I hope this helps inform the public.