Most people would rather avoid major abdominal surgery and its potential for complications, unless there is a pressing medical reason. Yet, the c-section rate has been rising steadily over the last few decades in most developed countries. In the United States, it’s now at nearly 33 percent! Some of those many c-sections saved lives, but many were not true emergencies. Those who are interested in learning about some of the feelings women who had so-called “unnecessareans” are experiencing only need to ask Google — many are angry and disappointed, and some feel genuinely traumatized and cheated by their doctors.
There are good reasons for not wanting a c-section. They include a higher risk of a baby that needs to stay in the NICU; a prematurely-born baby or a baby with respiratory problems. There are all the usual risks that come with surgery (like infection), and higher risks during subsequent pregnancies. Recovering from a c-section takes time, and can be painful. Of course, anyone who actually needs a c-section shouldn’t decline one. But, how can you avoid having a cesarean that is not medically necessary?
1. Take a closer look at your healthcare providers
Ask any doctor whether they carry out medical procedures for which there is no need, and they’ll say no. Obviously. But, taking a closer look at your hospital’s cesarean section rates, and those of your particular OBGYN, will give you a vague idea how likely you personally are to end up with a c-section. There are many reasons one doctor’s c-section rate can be high, so don’t assume they are a bad doctor — more twins are born by c-section for instance, so if your doctor deals with many multiple pregnancies, that could be one explanation. If you would like to avoid a c-section, though, choosing a doctor and a hospital more supportive of natural childbirth is one way of achieving that.
2. Ask questions
Informed consent is an important principle of modern medicine; use your right to know exactly why a procedure is proposed and what the possible consequences are. Many of the c-sections that later turned out to be unnecessary happened because an ultrasound showed the fetus to be “unusually large”. Ultrasounds are notoriously inaccurate when it comes to size prediction in the later stages of pregnancy, which explains the fact that some or these “huge babies” are born at 6 lbs. If your doctors tells you that you should have a c-section because you have a large baby, ask what the real chances are that your baby will be so big, and what will happen if you try to have a vaginal birth and your baby really is huge. If there is anything at all you are unsure about, ask questions until youare sure. Seeking a second opinion is perfectly reasonable, as is just saying no… in some cases at least.
3. Don’t be induced
A large percentage of labors are induced or augmented, something that leads to a higher chance of having a c-section. In many hospitals, women who have their waters broken will be “put on the clock” — in order to avoid infections, the hospital may have a policy that the baby must be born within 24 hours of the bag of waters being ruptured, or they will carry out a c-section. Saying no to the induction may help you avoid a cesarean.
4. Don’t go to a hospital (until later)
One way of avoiding a c-section is by not giving birth with healthcare providers who are able to do one. Women who have a homebirth, or a birth center delivery, will need to transfer in order to have a c-section. Women who opt to have their hospital birth presided over by a midwife will also need to be transferred to the care of an OB in order to have a c-section. Midwives are more committed to natural birth, among other things because that is all they can provide. Those who will be having a hospital birth can still benefit from the same principle by laboring at home for a while. If your hospital is nearby, it is generally fine to stay at home until your contractions are coming at three minutes apart.
5. Look after your health
Finally, a note about avoiding c-section that are medically necessary. Women who were fit and healthy going into their pregnancies are less likely to encounter complications, including those that will require a c-section. Taking a critical look at your health and lifestyle before you start trying to get pregnant may do you and your baby a lot of good later on.
Olivia is a blogging mom of two. She writes about fertility, expecting, weight loss after pregnancy , and parenting. With her free ovulation calendar , women who are hoping for a baby can pinpoint their most fertile days.
