This is somewhat a continuation of other thread but i want to emphasize what is better or worst from the babys and the mothers general being. I think that it looks as if with caesarea the baby may have less risks of being harm (not talking of cord problems which really requiere caesarea).
But on the other hand It seems to me that it is MORE NATURAL for children to find their way out.
About the mother, it is nice to have everything plan but after birth i guess you have more problems. Not in vain is it consider an INTERVENTION.
Thanks for your commments.
Here is an article about the latest research.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=elective-cesarean-sections-are-too-2010-01-11
Caesarians, contrary to popular opinion, are much more dangerous to both mother and baby unless it is an extreme situation. Obstetricians are more likely to recommend caesarians because of the threat of litigation. If an obstetrician allows a mother to birth naturally and something happens they are more likely to be sued than if they perform a caesarian and something happens because it is deemed that they “did everything in their power” to avoid injury or death by operating. So even though caesarians are more dangerous and have more long term ramifications to both mother and baby they are performed routinely when not medically indicated. If a mother or baby is injured or dies as a direct result of a caesarian that has been performed correctly it is considered a tragedy but the reason for the caesarian is not questioned.
There are also ramifications on bonding and breastfeeding with caesarians. Surgical delivery sidesteps the natural process and both mother and baby miss out on important surges of hormones that aid in bonding and breastfeeding. The rate of PND in mothers who have had caesarians and their disconnect from their babies can have devastating long term effects on both of them, not to mention the flow on effects to fathers and other siblings.
Vaginal birth with the use of instruments such as forceps or vacuum extraction is much more risky for both mother and baby. The use of instruments is often required because a mother has an epidural and her ability to birth her baby naturally is impeded. Often even in cases where a baby appears to be stuck a mother can change positions and thus change the position of the baby. Unfortunately positioning is not something most obstetricians know although many midwives may (this is not a given though since often they have been unable to gain these skills since it is rare that birthing mothers are allowed the freedom to try this before obstetricians intervene). In a hospital environment the midwives must do as the obstetricians say and if a surgeon is in charge of your care then it is fairly certain that you will end up in surgery because that is their field of expertise.
Despite WHO recommendations that trained midwives should be our primary carers in pregnancy and birth the reality for most of the industrialized world is that the medical profession is in charge and we are in most cases forced to conform to the medical model of care.
There are huge problems with how we birth our babies and this is a hard topic because there are so many variables that no two mothers and babies will have the same experience. My only advice is to question and research everything about your particular set of circumstances, if it is at all possible have a trained midwife as your primary care provider and trust your instincts in birth because they are there for a reason.
I’m a big fan of natural birth. Anything else is, well, unnatural. I think God knew what he was doing when he designed womens bodies.
A woman is five to seven times more likely to die from a cesarean delivery than from a vaginal delivery.
A woman having a repeat C-section is twice as likely to die during delivery.
Twice as many women require rehospitalization after a C-section than after a vaginal birth.
Having a C-section means higher rates of infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and potentially severe placental problems in future pregnancies.
Babies born after an elective cesarean delivery (i.e., when labor has not yet begun) are four times more likely to develop persistent pulmonary hypertension, a potentially life-threatening condition.
Between one and two babies of every hundred delivered by C-section will be accidentally cut during the surgery.3
The US is tied for second-to-last place with Hungary, Malta, Poland, and Slovakia for neonatal mortality in the industrialized world.4
Babies born via C-section are at high risk for not receiving the benefits of breastfeeding.5
The risk of death to a newborn delivered by C-section to a low-risk woman is 1.77 deaths to 1,000 live births. The risk of death to a newborn delivered vaginally to a low-risk woman is only 0.62 per 1,000 live births.6
Thanks for your detailed information to all of you. I really was not aware of the dangers of caesarean and though that it was only for inimportant reasons of the doctor. One certainly has to look very well what doctor you choose for assisting your child’s birth. If he has many caesareas maybe he is not the adequate one.
Thanks skylark for such an informative facts. I myself went through c-section and it’s really out of my choice as my baby was in a breech position. I even persuaded the doctor to turn the baby manually so that I can have natural birth but the doctor mentioned that it was too risky and the umbilical cord might strangle the neck. So, I have no choice but to go for c-section. The whole process was not very comfortable especially when they wanted me to bend in a certain way so that they can inject the anesthesia into my back and I also experiencing chilling after the surgery - in which it is a side effect of the drug. After the c-section, I have also difficulty in feeding my baby as you could hardly sit up and breast feed but have to lie on sideway to breastfeed your baby. I even encountered my wound opening and went back to stitch back the wound. It’s quite a bad experience for me. :unsure: OPT FOR NATURAL - IT’S ALWAYS THE BEST! :rolleyes:
Agnes
Thanks so much for all this fantastic information. I believe that the more you know the better and I know so much more now than I did before.