To Have or Not to Have a Caesarean Section

In the times in which we live, many women are making the choice to have a caesarean section to birth their baby. Is this a good trend or a bad trend? The rate of c-sections in the United States is 25% which is too high according to members of the medical field. The rate should be much closer to 15%.

First we need to establish what a caesarean section is. It is a major surgery in which the baby is removed from the uterus through an incision in the woman's abdomen. The incision is made through the abdomen and the muscles are moved aside and an incision is then made into the uterus and the baby is removed, followed by the placenta. The incisions are both sewn up. Sometimes the uterus is removed due to excess bleeding or other uterine complications during the surgery, but those are only on rare occasions. The mother is shown the baby, then the baby is sent off to be cleaned while the mother is whisked into the recovery room to begin the long recovery process.

There are several valid reasons why a woman would have a c-section.

Larger than average baby -- the baby may be too large fit through the vaginal opening. This may be determined by ultrasound and a pelvic scan on x-rays or CT scans.
Multiples -- Many twin or more births do end up being c-sections.
No Progression -- Sometimes during birth, the labor stops or the baby gets caught in the birth canal and can no longer continue and a c-section is needed.
Baby's health -- Sometimes the baby's heart rate drops for no apparent reason or the umbilical cord is somehow not allowing for enough air and blood flow.
Placenta Problems -- Sometimes a woman has been diagnosed with something called placenta previa where the placenta has moved over the cervix and the baby cannot get past it. Or it may be Placenta Abruption where the placenta has separated from the wall of the uterus and an emergency c-section is needed.
Mother's medical history -- Sometimes a c-section is safer for a woman who has diabetes or high blood pressure.
STD's -- Many times the spread of certain STD's can be prevented by doing a c-section so the baby does not come into contact with the mother's body fluids.
Mother had Cesarean birth before -- Many doctors will require mothers who have had a previous c-section to give birth that way again.
Preeclampsia
Overdue Baby-- Sometimes when the baby has been in the uterus too long, the conditions within may begin to threaten the life of the baby and the birth has to be immediately.

There are also some reasons for a c-section that may not be considered as valid.
Convenience -- Yes, you will know precisely when your baby will be born.
Unpredictability of birth -- the mother feels more in control of the c-section and does not want nature to take the course of natural birth.
Fear -- fear of pain or fear of pushing or that something will be wrong with the baby if it goes through labor.

Being that a c-section is major surgery, there are many negatives. You could hemorrhage and need a transfusion. The recovery time takes much longer as you cannot get back into exercise routine until the earliest 8 weeks. The recovery is more painful as you feel pain with every step you take the first couple of days. Because your body needs to recover you will need help with day to day activities for at least 4 weeks and cannot drive for 2 weeks. A home birth is out of the question and your hospital stay may last up to 5 days. Breastfeeding is more painful due to the incision scar and takes longer to catch on. There will be a significant scar.

The positive side of a c-section is that you can plan around the delivery, especially if family is coming from a very long distance. There is less effort on the part of the mother, especially if it is planned ahead of time. The baby will often have a perfectly round head.

In the end, the choice is up to you, the mother. You have to decided what is best for you, your family, and your baby.