Are Cesarean Sections safe?

More and more women are opting to have an unnecessary C-Section because they believe it will be safer… unfortunately that could not be farther from the truth.

Mothers who have a Cesarean Section face an increased risk of:

• maternal mortality 😦
• Hemorrhage requiring a blood transfusion
• Hysterectomy
• Accidental cutting of the bowel
• Accidental cutting of the uterine artery
• Surgical trauma to bladder
• Increased postpartum infection
• Scar pain
• Long-term severe back pain
• Pulmonary embolism
• Anesthesia mishaps

Babies born via a Cesarean Section face an increased risk of

• Food Allergies
• Asthma
• Accidental fetal laceration
• Respiratory distress
• Accidental premature birth

Great source of info! Photo Credit: http://www.ucpress.edu

But why would a doctor recommend it if it isn’t safe?

Yes, there are situations where a Cesarean Section is necessary to save the mother’s and/or baby’s life.  However the rate of unnecessary c-sections is increasing every year.  Doctor’s frequently use the rationale of “safety” to promote a procedure that is actually more risky because it is:

• more convenient (can be scheduled Monday-Friday, 9AM – 5PM)
• less likely to result in a lawsuit (because the mother chooses the procedure instead of it resulting from an emergency)
• more expensive and requires more equipment to perform (more money in your doctor’s wallet)

Fit Pregnancy shared some simple ways to avoid a C-Section:

• Use a midwife
• Hire a birth doula
• Labor at home as long as possible
• Avoid being induced

References:

• “C-Section Babies 5 Times More Likely To Develop Allergies.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2014.
• Gaskin, Ina May. Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. New York: Bantam, 2003. Print.
• Wagner, Marsden. Born in the USA: How a Broken Maternity System Must Be Fixed to Put Mothers and Infants First. Berkeley: U of California, 2006. Print.