THE FOLLOWING IS NOT MEANT TO OFFEND ANYONE
"There was a study that came out many years ago that showed that c-sections, if you look at them over a 24 hour period, it peaks at around 4pm and 10pm. So its obvious that the 4pm is 'Its late in the day, I don't know what's goin' on here, I wanna get out of here' and the 10pm is 'I don't wanna be here all night.' Somebody is clearly going to have to step in here and stop the trend or we're going to get to 100% [c-sections]."
Dr. Michael Brodman - Chairman, Dept. of OB/GYN, Mount Sinai Hospital
Maternal mortality rates have decreased, significantly, over the past 20 years in nearly all countries...except for ours. Isn't our nation supposed to be one of the best? Why is it that our maternal mortality rates have nearly doubled while everyone else's are declining? Experts are blaming technological intervention (induction, c-sections, etc), the health care system (meaning, better access to health care - usually in the countries that have a national health care system), and the age and weight of the mothers. Also note that continuous monitoring of the baby while in labor doesn't help anything, it just ups the likelihood of a c-section. Reason being, if the doctors or nurses see even the littlest abnormality on the monitors, they rush the mother off to a c-section. Every mother who has been rushed off for and "emergency" C has felt that feeling...that "its absolutely necessary...the doctor SAID!" But as you read the rest of this post, you'll find that HALF of all c-sections are unnecessary. In a large majority of those emergencies, the baby was fine. Think about it...why wouldn't the baby's heart rhythm change during labor?? Doesn't the mothers? Isn't that normal? We're not just doing nothing here ladies and neither is your baby...its hard work giving birth and with hard work comes some ups and downs. Combine the doctors worry about a lawsuit with an elevated heart rate and ta-da...you've got yourself (in a majority of cases) an UNnecesarean.
Women who receive a c-section are 3 times more likely to die than a woman giving birth vaginally.
Childbirth Connection
1965 - C-section rate was only 4.5%
1975 - C-section rate was 7%
2007 - C-section rate was 31.8% - That is about 1 out of 3 mothers
THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION WARNS NOT TO EXCEED 15%
If WHO warns not to exceed 15% and our nation is at approximately 30%, then this means that HALF of ALL c-sections were done unnecessarily.
That is the facts, ladies.
Those facts are alarmin
Why does the chance of a C-section in this country keep going up?
Here are the reasons why:
- A startling amount of doctors aren't concerned with encouraging a woman to birth on her own.
"Care that supports physiologic labor, such as providing continuous support during labor through a doula or other companion and using hands-to-belly movements to turn a breech (buttocks- or feet-first) baby to a head-first position, reduces the likelihood of a cesarean section. The decision to switch to cesarean is often made when caregivers could use watchful waiting, positioning and movement, comfort measures, oral nourishment and other approaches to facilitating labor progress. The cesarean section rate could be greatly lowered through such care."
- The side effects of common labor interventions increase the rate of c-section.
"Current research suggests that some labor interventions make a c-section more likely. For example, labor induction among first-time mothers when the cervix is not soft and ready to open appears to increase the likelihood of cesarean birth."
"Continuous electronic fetal monitoring has been associated with greater likelihood of cesarean."
"Having an epidural early in labor or without a high-dose boost of synthetic oxytocin ("Pitocin") seems to increase the likelihood of a c-section."
- Doctors don't want to offer informed VBAC's
"Many health professionals and/or hospitals are unwilling to offer the informed choice of vaginal birth to women in certain circumstances. The Listening to Mothers survey found that many women with a previous cesarean would have liked the option of a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) but did not have it because health professionals and/or hospitals were unwilling. Nine out of ten women with a previous cesarean section are having repeat cesareans in the current environment. Similarly, few women with a fetus in a breech position have the option to plan a vaginal birth."
- Casual attitudes about surgery and cesarean sections in particular. Cesarean sections are MAJOR ABDOMINAL SURGERY - I can't stress that enough.
"Our society is more tolerant than ever of surgical procedures, even when not medically needed. This is reflected in the comfort level that many health professionals, insurance plans, hospital administrators and women themselves have with cesarean trends."
- Limited awareness of the harms that can come from a cesarean section.
Once again..."Cesarean section is a major surgical procedure that increases the likelihood of many types of harm for mothers and babies in comparison with vaginal birth."
Short-term harms for mothers include increased risk of:
- infection
- surgical injury
- blood clots
- emergency hysterectomy
- intense and longer-lasting pain
- going back into the hospital
- poor overall functioning
Babies born by cesarean section are more likely to have:
- surgical cuts
- breathing problems
- difficulty getting breastfeeding going
- asthma in childhood and beyond
Perhaps due to the common surgical side effect of "adhesion" formation, cesarean mothers are more likely to have:
- ongoing pelvic pain
- to experience bowel blockage
- to be injured during future surgery
- to have future infertility
Of special concern after cesarean are various serious conditions for mothers and babies that are more likely in future pregnancies, including:
- ectopic pregnancy
- placenta previa
- placenta accreta
- placental abruption
- uterine rupture
(Childbirth Connection 2006)."
- Providers' fears of malpractice claims and lawsuits.
"Given the way that our legal, liability insurance, and health insurance systems work, caregivers may feel that performing a cesarean reduces their risk of being sued or losing a lawsuit, even when vaginal birth is optimal care."
- Incentives to practice in a manner that is efficient for providers.
"Many health professionals are feeling squeezed by tightened payments for services and increasing practice expenses. The flat "global fee" method of paying for childbirth does not provide any extra pay for providers who patiently support a longer vaginal birth. Some payment schedules pay more for cesarean than vaginal birth. A planned cesarean section is an especially efficient way for professionals to organize hospital work, office work and personal life. Average hospital charges are much greater for cesarean than vaginal birth, and may offer hospitals greater scope for profit."
All of these factors contribute to a current national cesarean section rate of over 30%, despite evidence that a rate of 5% to 10% would be optimal.
Above, I listed the short term risks of a c-section; now I will list the longer list of risks:
Risks of a C-Section:
- Complications from surgery
- Injuries from surgery
- Surgical mistakes
- Accidental surgical cuts to the baby
- Complications from anesthesia
- Infection
- Blood clot
- Hemorrhage
- Rupture of uterus
- Pain at the site of the cut, even long-term pain
- Emergency hysterectomy
- Internal pain
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Chronic bowel obstruction
- Decreased libido
- Poor overall functioning
- Poor birth experience
- Psychological trauma
- Less early contact with the baby
- Unfavorable reaction to the baby
- Failure to breastfeed
- Lack of bonding
- Post-partum depression increase
- Longer hospital stay
- Need to go back to the hospital
- Longer recovery time
- Greater risk of complication with future births
- Likelihood of future c-sections
- Infertility
- Complications to the baby
- Lower birth weight
- Malformation
- Pre-term birth
- Placental abruption
- Fetal drowsiness
- Reduced mobility
- Respiratory problems and/or poor fetal breathing
- Both childbirth and/or adult asthma
- Maternal death
And additional note: I know that there are some serious medical reasons for having a c-section, but I also know that some women are manipulated into thinking that this is the only way. Please, don't be manipulated!
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