ParentProfiles.com
315 profiles of hopeful adoptive couples
For Birthparents
Article Topics
Profile Search
Profile Id Search
Success Story
Ron & Kristine
We are not quite sure why, but after all the warnings we were given about
being cautious and protecting ourselves from dishonest and unscrupulous
birthmothers, our experience with the birthmothers who contacted us through the
ParentProfiles.com website was just the opposite. Perhaps it is because a different
sort of birthmother contacted us than may be available in other types of
adoption situations. Many of the young women that we talked with were college
students who had a lot in their more ...
Caesarian Section
Caesarean section, or c-section, is a surgical method of delivering a baby. About one-fourth of all deliveries in the U.S. are by c-section. Prior to the development of this method, women and babies could die during childbirth from a variety of complications. C-sections save lives. However, the decision to have a c-section should not be taken lightly, as it is major abdominal surgery with the accompanying recovery time and potential complications of any major surgery.
Some circumstances that might result in a c-section include:
Baby's head is too large for the mother's pelvis. This would be determined using ultrasound.Baby is in a breech position. Some doctors/midwives will deliver breech babies vaginally, but many today prefer caesarean delivery for breech babies. A breech baby is one whose feet are coming first, as opposed to the usual head-first position.
Placenta previa, a condition in which the placenta lies on top of the cervix, preventing a vaginal delivery.
Fetal distress during labor. Many factors can show up as fetal distress on a monitor attached to the mother's belly during labor. The monitor detects abnormally high or low heart rates in the baby during delivery. This means something is not going right, and many doctors decide to perform a c-section to avoid risking the health of the baby.
Twins. Some doctors/midwives will deliver twins vaginally, but as with breech babies, many prefer to deliver twins by caesarean, feeling it is safer for the babies. Since multiple births can be high risk, if you are carrying twins you should discuss this with your doctor.
Other high risk situations, such as a severely damaged baby, a very low birthweight baby, when the mother has diabetes or other chronic conditions that might make vaginal delivery dangerous for her.
Some women and health care providers are critical of what they think is the overuse of caesarean sections. They think the procedure is done too often when it is not necessary. For example, sometimes women who have had a previous c-section will be encouraged to have subsequent babies by c-section as well, even if they have no complications or any factors that would normally result in c-section. Many women who have had a previous c-section can still deliver other babies vaginally. In addition, sometimes women who are over 40 are encouraged to have a c-section, even though age is not necessarily a factor in whether the mother can deliver vaginally.
Others support the use of caesarean whenever it might avoid complications, saying they believe the benefits of precaution outweigh the risks of the surgery. Still others believe the rise in medical malpractice suits has resulted in the increase in c-sections. In other words, doctors perform c-sections so they can't be sued if something happens during a vaginal birth that might have been prevented with a c-section.
As with any issue relating to birth, you should thoroughly discuss with your doctor/midwife her philosophy about caesarean sections, when she would perform one, if you can decide whether or not you want one, and so on. You will want to educate yourself about the risks and benefits of a surgical delivery.
More Articles: