Contents:
- Medical Video: Can a Patient Choose an Elective C-Section? - Linda Katz, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Determine the date of caesarean section
- Benefits of caesarean section
- Lack of caesarean section
- The risk of caesarean section for babies
- Cesarean section makes it difficult for you to plan for the next birth
- So what should I do?
Medical Video: Can a Patient Choose an Elective C-Section? - Linda Katz, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Many mothers choose caesarean section to give birth to their children, compared to the normal vaginal delivery process. The reason can be various, such as not wanting to feel pain, fear of a normal birth, or because he wants her baby to be born on a special date. However, before you choose a caesarean section, you should first know the advantages and disadvantages of caesarean section when you are actually allowed by a doctor to give birth in a normal way.
Determine the date of caesarean section
Now it's popular to give birth to babies on 'beautiful dates'. For this reason, pregnant women intentionally plan their birth on a certain date, to the point of having to schedule it from afar.
However, whether on the specified date your baby is ready to be born into the world? Also consider your baby's readiness and health. You need to know that when you determine the date of birth of a caesarean section, your pregnancy must be 39 weeks or more. Babies born before 39 weeks of gestation can increase their risk of experiencing respiratory problems, jaundice, infections, and low blood sugar.
Benefits of caesarean section
Some mothers feel that scheduled caesarean delivery makes it easier to arrange maternity leave and arrange other matters at home after giving birth rather than waiting for a normal birth with uncomfortable contractions. Some other mothers choose caesarean section because they think caesarean section is no more painful than normal.
Indeed, when compared to normal births, caesarean births usually do not need to face the following risks:
- Tearing of the vagina or perineum
- Pain in the vagina or perineum
- Urinary incontinence
- Sexual dysfunction
When compared to normal births or unplanned caesarean section, the planned caesarean section also has a lower risk of hemorrhage (loss of blood) during surgery.
However, actually a caesarean section can be more painful than a normal birth and can have a higher risk of complications.
Lack of caesarean section
If you choose a caesarean section because you don't want to feel pain during a normal delivery, maybe your decision is wrong. Why?
When you have a caesarean delivery you may not feel pain in the process, but after a caesarean section, you will feel pain and you need to take longer to recover. You should be in hospital for a few days until your condition is completely restored and allowed to go home by a doctor. Unlike women who give birth normally, they can go home faster than women who give birth to caesarean section.
This recovery time can make it difficult for you to care for a newborn baby. In addition, incision cuts from a caesarean section can also make you uncomfortable while breastfeeding and you should treat this wound well. This can also limit your activities.
Don't forget, caesarean section is an operation that also has risks like other surgeries, namely:
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Injuries to the bladder or intestine
- Reaction to drugs
- Blood clotting (thrombosis)
The risk of caesarean section for babies
Besides you, babies also have more risks when born by caesarean section. Babies can experience it respiratory problems. Babies born with planned caesarean section will usually be treated intensively after birth due to respiratory problems. When giving birth normally, the baby is naturally given a signal to stop working the lungs in producing fluids, but this process does not occur properly during childbirth by caesarean section. Babies born with caesarean section before 39 weeks' gestation are more likely to experience this.
In addition, babies can also be at risk of experiencing:
- Problems regulating blood sugar levels
- Body temperature problems, babies born faster are unable to maintain the warmth of their bodies
- Eating problems
- Jaundice, caused by high bilirubin levels
- Hearing and vision problems
- Learning and behavioral problems
Cesarean section makes it difficult for you to plan for the next birth
Remember, every caesarean section can increase your risk of experiencing serious complications in your next pregnancy, especially if you want to have many children. Some of the complications you can experience are placenta previa and placenta accreta (the placenta that is embedded too deep in the uterine wall). Both can cause you to experience hemorrhagic (severe bleeding) and hysterectomy (removal of the uterus).
A multiple caesarean section can also increase the risk of scarring and damage to the bladder and intestines. This makes caesarean section more risky and subsequent births are more difficult. Therefore, many experts recommend normal childbirth if you intend to have several children.
So what should I do?
If you can give birth normally, you should choose that method because it can be safer. There is no evidence to suggest that giving birth by caesarean section is a safer way than normal delivery. Although it seems normal births give you excessive pain, but normal childbirth has less risk if you do not have a medical condition. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) also recommends that all women plan a normal birth if possible.
READ ALSO
- What Happens During C-section?
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