The Truth about Cesareans
Dispelling the Myths about Cesarean Birth versus Natural Childbirth
Have you heard an expectant mother say "I don't see the benefit to go through the pain of labor. Scheduling a cesarean is easier, faster and safer?"
What evidence do we have about cesareans and their risks or safety? What are some the myths with regard to cesarean birth versus vaginal birth?
Cesareans Avoid the Pain of Labor
While having a scheduled cesarean does avoid the hours of contractions and pain associated with labor, it is far from a pain-free procedure. There can be pain when the anesthesia (epidural or spinal) is given. Mothers feel pulling, tugging and pressure during the surgery which is often uncomfortable. Sometimes the added abdominal pressure can make moms feel sick to the stomach during surgery.
The majority of the pain with a cesarean birth is felt after the baby arrives when all of the layers of tissue are healing. Anything that requires the use of your abdominal muscles (moving your torso, reaching, sneezing, coughing, etc..) will be painful. The postpartum period is a difficult time to feel most of the pain when you should be bonding, breastfeeding and enjoying your baby.
Cesareans are Easier than Vaginal Birth
This statement is disputable and depends on your perspective. While in some cases the time spent on the actual cesarean procedure might make them seem easier, cesareans are a surgical procedure. You might be in and out of the operating room more quickly than if you had a vaginal birth, but your recovery time in the hospital and at home will be much longer.
Cesareans are Equally as Rewarding for the Mother as Vaginal Birth
We should always recognize that giving birth by cesarean is still giving birth. However it is something that is "done to you." With a cesarean you are not an active participant in the process. Having a vaginal birth is something mothers accomplish by actively working through the challenges of contractions during labor and finally push their babies out in order to give birth.
The reward and sense of accomplishment that goes along with the effort of natural childbirth is well worth the hours of labor. How much more do we value something when we have worked harder to achieve it, rather than something that comes along more easily?
Cesareans are Safer than Vaginal Birth
It is not unusual to hear a care provider tell his/her patient that cesareans are safer than having a vaginal birth, especially when it comes to VBAC. However all of the latest research disputes this belief.
In the February 2009 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, researchers have found that birth-related complications are increasing. Most, if not all of these severe complications result from cesareans. The study compared the rate of complications from 1998/1999 to complications several years later in 2004/2005. Complications such as blood clots, kidney failure, blood transfusions, shock and breathing difficulties all increased in this 7 year period. The most dramatic change was in the rate of blood transfusions, which increased by 92%. In addition, there was an increase by 52% in the number of women who had a pulmonary embolism (blood clot).
Both of these severe complications are a result of surgery or in this case, having a cesarean.
Dr. Robert Welch, an ob-gyn at Providence Hospital in Michigan says that the risks of cesareans, "sometimes get downplayed. It's often taken as just a step above natural childbirth, but it is a major abdominal operation that needs to be respected, and hospitals need to be prepared to deal with severe complications."
The truth is that cesareans are major surgery. Along with major abdominal surgery comes the risk of multiple surgical complications that, for the most part, are rare or non-existent in vaginal birth.
If you want to find out whether a cesarean birth or vaginal birth is safer for you, talk to several care providers in your area to discuss your options.
Truth about Cesareans
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