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Avoiding a Cesarean Cesarean rates in the US are higher than they have been in years, and they are higher than most other developed countries in the world. There are many theories as to why this is happening, from doctors and hospitals refusing to perform VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) to an increase in the rates of labor induction leading to failed inductions and C-Sections. Whatever the reasons, it is a patient’s responsibility to make sure she does what is in her child’s best interest. In many cases, avoiding surgical delivery is one of those things. So, how do you avoid a C-Section? First of all, be informed. Make sure that you know what you want, and your caregiver understands that you are informed and have your own opinions. Secondly, be healthy. A healthy mother leads to a strong body which really helps in labor. Keep in mind that sometimes a C-Section IS MEDICALLY NECESSARY, and allow for that situation. But here are some tips you can follow, even from early pregnancy, to help avoid a C-Section. ~ Choose your caregiver wisely. Find out what his/her cesarean rates are, and the general attitudes toward induction and interventions. Even if this is your first baby, ask about their VBAC rates. That way you can get a better feel for their attitudes toward C-sections as well. Be sure to discuss your hopes/plans for YOUR labor and delivery with the doctors early on, so that you can see if their ideas match yours. If the doctor’s policies will not give you the labor and delivery of your choice, look around to find one who will work with you. ~ Avoid labor induction and augmentation. Yeah, the last couple of weeks of pregnancy are rough. You’re tired, sore, and anxious to see your little one. But labor induction does not always work. And if your water is broken during the induction, you can’t go back home until that baby is born. And the use of drugs to augment labor can cause your uterus to hyper-contract, leads to many other interventions all of which contribute to surgical delivery in many cases. ~ Be cautious with pain medications during labor. Drugs may be great at relieving pain, but it also can relax the uterus and stall labor. And a stalled labor leads to drugs to augment labor… back to the previous problem. The epidural also can lead to ineffective pushing ending in C-Section. ~ Educate yourself. Your best defense against many of the complications throughout your pregnancy, as well as in labor and delivery, is knowledge. Make every part of your pregnancy your business, don’t just follow blindly and expect everything to be ok. You have to take an active part in everything. Check out our links page for more information on avoiding a cesarean. If a C-Section is medically necessary to save you or your child, it is OK. Many women feel a sense of failure when they have been unable to deliver a child “normally.” Know that you have done everything in your power to make sure your baby is healthy, and sometimes surgery is a necessary evil in that case. But remember, most women do not have to resign themselves to the old “once a cesarean, always a cesarean.” Most complications leading to a section do not repeat, so you could be an excellent candidate for VBAC next time. |