C-Section vs. Vaginal Delivery

I grew up surrounded by nurses, always knowing that people have to be advocates for their own health. 

The number of cesarean sections in the United States has skyrocketed.  As a patient, I think "why has the number of c-sections increased so much?"  I also wonder what the benefits are for the doctor. Are more women wanting c-sections?  Why do some people have to have c-sections?  These are questions I would ask as a patient. As a nurse, I know the answers.

If having a vaginal delivery is important to you, the first thing you should do is immediately tell your doctor this, as early into your pregnancy as possible.  On the same note, know that you want what's best for your baby, and if that means having a cesarean section, you should be open to that idea.  I always tell the girls in my prenatal classes...trust your nurse. Be honest with them, and tell them that you're nervous and scared and excited and tell them that you hope to have a vaginal delivery.

So what is appealing about elective cesarean sections to doctors?

• Convenience. They schedule your delivery at a time that's convenient for you and for them.
• The almighty dollar. Yes, physicians get reimbursed more money for cesarean sections than for vaginal deliveries.
• The possibility of less fetal complications (more on this later!)

So what are some concerns about elective cesarean sections to patients?

• Significantly increased risks to the mother.
• Increased blood loss
• Damage to the bowl or bladder
• Increased risk for infection.
• Significantly longer recover time.
• The possibility of different fetal complications (more on this later!)
• Likelihood that all future deliveries will be by cesarean section.
• Probable delayed bonding time with infant.

After having my big, fat baby I was ready to go home! I felt fantastic.

Working as a labor nurse, I have seen many complications from deliveries...and the majority of the serious complications I have seen have been from cesarean sections.

The most frequent complications of having a baby is hemorrhaging (bleeding too much) and from infection.  You are at a greater risk of both after having a cesarean section.  When you have a cesarean section, you lose around 500mls of blood (and it's probably a lot more than that).  When you have a vaginal delivery, you lose about half of that. Bleeding becomes an issue during delivery because many women are anemic.  Being anemic means a lot of things, but for now we'll just say that it means you're more likely to lose more blood.

When you have a c-section, it's a major surgery.  The physician can accidentally cut your bladder or intestines with the knife, something I have not seen often, but I have seen.   Most pregnant women are generally healthy, but when pregnant women have some sort of underlying disease, the complications of cesarean section can be so much more serious.  The women that I have heard of that have died after childbirth, died from complications of surgery...usually from infection or bleeding.

I will add more to this later!