Mothers Choosing Less Children

The latest issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology has published a study that indicates mothers decide to have fewer children after they have had a cesarean

The December 2007 issue of the Green Journal has a very interesting Norwegian study regarding mothers who may be opting to have fewer children after they have had a cesarean.

The study looked at nearly 600,000 mothers who gave birth between 1967 and 1996. Researchers compared the number of subsequent births following both mothers who had given birth vaginally versus those who have birth by cesarean.

Results showed that when the child survived the first year of life, a "cesarean delivery was associated with a significantly reducedprobability of a second birth."

One can only wonder why having a cesarean would make more mothers opt to not have more children. Is there disappointment in giving birth by cesarean? Is the adjustment to motherhood more difficult? Is the physical recovery too demanding for mothers to want to give birth again? Some research has suggested that postpartum depression is more likely after a cesarean. Could that be a factor in causing more mothers to stop having children after they have had a cesarean?

What do you think? Share your thoughts with everyone on the forum?

Brenda