There are many emergency situations that call for caesarean or C-section delivery. This is a surgical procedure, which involves a couple of incisions being made through a mother’s uterus for delivering a baby. Some critical situations like placental abruption, uterine rupture, prompt the C-section delivery, where as others prevent the critical situations and yet others are elective. Enumerated below are some emergency situations that do not allow vaginal delivery. In such cases the only option is C-section delivery.
Emergency Conditions That Calls For A C-Section Delivery:
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Placenta Previa:
This is a condition in which the placenta completely or partially covers the cervi, while it lies low in the uterus. 1 in 200 women experience this condition during the third trimester. For a partial or partial placenta previa, c-section is recommended.
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Placental Abruption:
This is a medical condition where the placenta separates from the uterine lining and this occurs in the third trimester. About 1% of the pregnant women experience placental separation. During the placental abruption you would experience pain in the uterus and bleeding from the site. This separation can cause the interference with the supply of oxygen to your baby and depending on the severity of the situation, a C-section is performed.
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Uterine Rupture:
This is another emergency condition that prompts C-section delivery and this takes place 1 in every 1500 births. This leads to haemorrhage in the mother and disrupts the oxygen supply to the baby.
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Breech Position:
This breech position calls for immediate C section, especially if there is a cord prolapse and the baby is in distress. A C-section is also recommended for premature babies.
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Cord Prolapse:
In this situation, the umbilical cord protrudes from the vagina after slipping through the cervix before the birth of the baby. With the contraction of the uterus, pressure is exerted on the umbilical cord and that minimizes the blood flow to the baby. Cord prolapsed is a rare situation and calls for immediate c section.
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Foetal Distress:
In this emergency condition, inadequate amount of oxygen reaches the baby. If a foetal monitoring reveals an insufficient amount of oxygen is reaching your baby, a C section has to be performed.
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Failure To Progress In Labour:
This situation arises due to incomplete dilation of the cervix or the labour has slowed down or stopped or the baby is not in a proper delivery position. This is diagnosed during the second phase of labour, that is beyond 5 centimetre of dilation as the first phase of labour, which is 0-4 cm is slow.
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Cephalopelvic Disproportion (Cpd):
This is a condition where either the baby’s head is too large or the pelvis of the mother is too small to permit the passage of the baby.
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Active Genital Herpes:
If the mother has an outbreak of genital herpes, a C section is performed to shield the baby from being exposed to the virus during vaginal delivery.
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Diabetes:
If you develop the gestational diabetes during pregnancy you may have complications or a large baby, which would increase your chance of having a C-section instead of vaginal delivery.
C-section is a safe operation which is required in emergency situations where vaginal birth can put both the baby and mother’s life at risk. Over the past thirty years there has been a tremendous rise in this surgery. Whether you need a C-section is decided by your Obstetrician.
