The Benefits Of A Cesarean Section Delivery

There are admittedly many risks attached to the delivery of a baby by Cesarean Section, labor painsand proponents of natural or vaginal delivery do tend to highlight those at all given opportunities; however there are many benefits to a C section delivery as well, which are important to be aware of so that a woman can make an informed decision about an elective C Section if she so wishes:

Safety: Yes a cesarean birth is a major abdominal surgery and it involves all the risks associated with that, however medical science is now so advanced as to lower the risk so significantly that women can consider elective C Section birth.

C sections are now much safer than they used to be, and with them becoming more routine, surgeons are more skilled at this than ever before.

No Labor pain: Labor pains can be a very real downside to a vaginal delivery. Since labor pains can extend over a long period of time, it can be a harrowingly difficult and painful time for a woman.

There is of course the pain of an abdominal surgery to overcome, but after the first few days the pain is very manageable in most cases. Remember even in a vaginal delivery there is usually an episiotomy performed so there are those stitches to deal with.

In any case proponents of a C section will tell you that with this form of delivery you know the amount and duration of pain, whereas with a vaginal delivery you don’t know how long and severe your labor will be.

You can be conscious throughout and not have to suffer any pain of delivery. Post delivery issues like hemorrhoids etc are also not an issue with a C section.

Dignity and Privacy: A vaginal delivery is not the most private of things, with doctors and nurses milling around to check how dilated you are, and you being in a less than flattering position for any number of hours. A C section is over in a matter of some minutes.

No trauma for the child: Coming through the birth canal is quite an arduous process for a baby, who often comes out with an elongated or slightly misshapen head. In a C section the child is simply lifted out and has to undergo none of the rigors of a vaginal delivery. This is something to be considered too.

You can schedule the delivery: Proponents of natural childbirth generally are of the view that it is a process that should happen in due course rather than something you schedule, but this has to be a personal choice that a woman should be permitted to make without having to deal with guilt.

Some of the Medical Sources:

http://www.osteodoc.com/birthtrauma.htm

http://www.osteohome.com/articles/Birth_Trauma.pdf

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Note: The purport of this post is to offer another angle to the Cesarean Section delivery. There is a lot of material out there on the internet, that can scare a woman into eschewing the option of a C Section and also make her feel guilty about opting for something that should rightly be a choice available to her without complications of fear and guilt.

This was not meant to be a learned piece filled with scientific and medical data, merely an anecdotal piece written by one of our writers who has undergone two C section deliveries and who wanted to highlight her positive experiences with the procedure.

This piece is in no way meant to belittle or in any way try to disparage the primacy and value of a natural vaginal delivery; merely to present a point of view that is not commonly expressed and which we feel that women have the right to hear as well.

Since this post has also invited a plethora of negative comments we shall also be replying to all of these comments to try and to give factual and medical citations to support the claims that the author of this article has made.

100 COMMENTS

  1. Why haven’t you touched more on the safety issues? What about statistics? Whoever wrote this can’t honestly believe this will make women think it’s a-ok to have a cesarean do they? Do they think women are so ignorant we are going to believe someones ramblings without proof to back it up? What about how the maternal mortality rate and it’s increase that correlates to the cesarean rate increase? What about the number of mothers that die either from the surgery or complications. What about issues of infection, the last thing a new mom should have to do is pack an infected incision every day (shudder) What about the very real risk of cutting the baby? Yes, it does happen!
    No labor pain, what about pain after delivery? The recovery from a cesarean is twice as difficult than a vaginal birth. Labor is only for a number of hours and yet recovery from a cesarean lasts for days/weeks/months. How about caring for a newborn (and possibly more children)after a major abdominal surgery?
    Dignity and privacy, there is no dignity lying in bed with a chux pad under you catching the blood post delivery. There is no dignity in moving post cesarean when you can’t fully stand up or move on your own. There is no privacy having your stomach sliced into, intestines moved and uterus lifted out.
    Trauma for the child- that ‘trauma’ also helps to squeeze the amniotic fluid out of the babies lungs. That trauma also helps with maternal-baby bonding by a release of hormones that can’t be replicated through synthetic hormones and ripping the placenta out.
    Finally, scheduling the delivery. We all have such hectic lives and scheduling a delivery has a nice ring to it BUT we must ask what harm comes of it. We must ask if the outcome is worth the risk. In most cases, it simply is not.

    • Eliza – The statistics and safety issues about C sections are well known and very well publicized. C sections are major abdominal surgery and have all the various risks that are associated with them. That is not in dispute here; it is not suggested otherwise. Infections are not unheard of in vaginal births either.

      Yes recovery time is also more prolonged with a C section, however many women do prefer to under the finite pain of post operative recovery than labor pain. Some women also find recovery from a vaginal birth difficult. Also for every woman that underwent a C section and said it took time for them to recover, there is a woman who will say that she was changing diapers within two days of the C section, as was the case with the writer of this article and who wanted to share her experiences with other women, so that they could themselves evaluate the risk and decide if it is indeed worth it.

  2. I have had two cesareans and there is NO benefit to them. They are painful, scary, and have a 3 times higher risk of neonatal death. Anyone who is OPTING for an elective cesarean should know the SERIOUS life threatening risks, and not allow their provider to sugar coat the real risks because it is easier for the doctor.

    • Danielle – Yes these dangers are well documented but like we said, the writer has had very positive experiences with both her C sections and wanted to share this fact. She found the pain to be manageable (she refused and was able to manage without pain medication after surgery because she was afraid it would impede breastfeeding)

  3. I hope people who stumble across this know enough to look for info that is well-researched and cited with proper sources. Try ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) or Childbirth Connection for some evidence-based info.

    • Meanest Mommy Again, the pitfalls of a C section are well documented, we wanted to highlight that there are some positives. BTW we enjoyed your blog.

  4. The World Health Organization firmly states that the safest cesarean rate for both mother and baby is 10%-15%. The United State’s cesarean rate is currently at 31.8%! More than double than the safest recommended rate, and it’s rising every year! The United States ranks 29th in the world in infant mortality. Fewer babies die in countries with lower cesarean rates. Our maternal mortality rate is also on the rise. Those statistics don’t appear to be very “safe” to me.

    Cesarean sections are by far more painful than vaginal deliveries. This article does not mention that after undergoing a c-section, you will not be able to care for your baby by yourself, climb stairs, or drive for two weeks after the baby is born. After I had a cesarean, it was incredibly painful to laugh, sneeze, or cough for weeks. You have a serious risk of rehospitalization due to infection. Breastfeeding is much more difficult after a cesarean, as well.

    Cesareans come with more privacy and dignity? There is nothing private about a nurse shaving your pubic area with other doctors and nurses “milling about” to prepare you for surgery. Or needing a nurse to help you undress, remove the dressing over your incision and shower after the baby is born. How much dignity is there in the hours upon hours of vomiting into a plastic bucket held by a nurse or your husband/partner after the surgery? Or desperately seeking the advice of a pharmacist days after returning home because you haven’t had a bowl movement in almost a week?

    No trauma to the child? That “trauma” is meant to clear the baby’s lungs of amniotic fluid. Babies delivered via cesarean have a higher risk of needing deep suctioning and a visit to the NICU for breathing assistance. Baby’s heads are meant to mold to fit through the birth canal. The head will take on a “normal” shape within days of delivery.

    • Ambosh – Yes the statistics are well known and easily available on the internet. For all those women who compare vaginal deliveries unfavorably with C sections, there are usually an equal number who do the reverse. If you look here http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=1006020906747 for instance, you will see that women have had quite a few positive experiences with C sections, though there is no dispute that natural deliveries are the preferable way to go; women’s bodies being designed for it and women having done this literally since the dawn of time.

      However in that discussion there is also a woman who regrets the fact that the decision to perform a c section was not taken earlier by her doctor; that it was left till almost too late.

      Also look here http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Maternal–Child/natural-delivery-vs-c–section-open-forum/show/334319 for women who have had positive and negative experiences with a C section. Point being that there are positive and negative experiences with both kinds of birth.

      Requiring suction for a C section baby is an extremely rare occurrence, and it is not unknown even in vaginal deliveries as a Gynae and OB that this site spoke to personally told us.

  5. Just because a cesarean is “safer than ever before” does not mean that it is SAFE. Cesareans are riskier to moms & babies than a vaginal birth is.

    The way to avoid the dehumanizing treatment in hospital vaginal births is not to have a scheduled cesarean- it’s to choose care providers who practice safe, evidence-based, respectful care.

    But hey, if you want to place yourself, your baby, & your future baby under avoidable risks & deal with weeks, months, or even YEARS of post-op pain unnecessarily because you don’t want to deal with a few hours of labor, then go for it. . .

    My first was born by planned cesarean. My second was an unplanned (& unnecessary) cesarean that resulted in avoidable emotional & physical trauma. Even though one was necessary & planned, they were BOTH dehumanizing & traumatizing. My third was born after 2 1/2 DAYS of NATURAL labor at HOME, almost 10 lbs with both hands by his head, & I didn’t even tear or “need” an episiotomy, & it was millions of times better than either of my cesareans. More importantly than my experience was the love, care, & safety that my third child was born in to.

    • LNC Again we are not disputing that C sections are risky, just that women should be able to make a decision based on facts from both sides. When you say, “2 1/2 DAYS of NATURAL labor” that is precisely what women want to avoid, and they should have the choice to do so without guilt.

  6. Wow-I don’t know where to begin. First of all, no trauma to the baby? My son had a vacuum extraction during our csection. My daughter was cut by the scapel during her csection. So there is no trauma? They also got pulled out-I have some pictures that would challenge your assumption that the surgery is easy on the baby.
    As for length of enduring pain, I guess that also depends on personal tolerance and pain management protocols at the hospital. I have had friends who ran out of their prescriptions and had to beg for more pain relief. I have also known several women whose incisions became infected and had to have their wounds packed for weeks. They had no idea how long their ordeal was going to last. I also do not feel that being shaved by nurses protected my privacy at all (never mind the itching near the incision post-surgery!)And then you have to have the nurses check your discharge and change your pads for you post-partum as well. And multiple csections are not safe if you plan on having more than two children-the risks of having placental issues goes up exponentially with each surgery.

  7. I’m not going to comment on the article itself–only to let you know that I know of multiple people who are writing comments that are not being “approved” as of 5:20 pm EDT. Unless you want thepregnancyzone.com to go down in history as a biased, poorly researched, one-sided website, I suggest you publish the comments that are being sent to you. Sooner rather than later.

  8. I’m really appalled that you are lauding elective cesarian sections as a safe and comfortable alternative to natural childbirth. As an emergency procedure c-sections are a wonderful, valuable tool, but in no way are they superior to uncomplicated natural childbirth! I resent that you are essentially encouraging women with no prior experience giving birth to CHOOSE an operation with all it’s inherent risks, in favour of letting their bodies do what they are designed for. I think you are exploiting a very common fear and misconception that labour and delivery are grim, painful and debilitating experiences. I have had both a c-section with my first child and a natural birth with my second and I can tell you that the pain of the second labour and delivery was nothing compared to the pain of recovery from the c-section. My emergency c-section was completely necessary, and I applaud my doctors for the excellent job they did, but I would never trade my experience of a natural, uncomplicated delivery for a c-section. It also took me weeks to recover fully from the operation, while I was up and at it the DAY AFTER my vaginal delivery. How on earth is that less painful? As for dignity and privacy, how is a c-section either diginfied or private?? I had about 5-8 doctors and nurses staring at me down there while I was strapped down to a table. Terribly dignified. As for the argument of convenience… since when have babies EVER been convenient creatures? Perhaps it’s best we learned that sooner rather than later.

    • Kate Hansen – May we clarify that we are not “lauding elective cesarian sections as a safe and comfortable alternative to natural childbirth” or as being “superior to uncomplicated natural childbirth”. Being aware of all the risks, if a woman wants to make a decision surely that decision should be hers to make without guilt?

  9. Cesarean Section – What Happens During Surgery

    If the mother is to be conscious, an anesthesiologist will inject spinal or epidural anesthesia (usually fentanyl, a derivative from the opium family; and bupivicane, a derivative from the cocaine family) into the mother’s back or epidural space (between the vertebra) via a thin catheter. Vomiting and/or dry heaves may occur as a reaction from the narcotics, as may uncontrollable shivering. A catheter is inserted into her urethra to allow urine to be eliminated.

    In a sterile operating room, with a surgical team in “scrubs”, masks, hair net, and gloves, preparation continues with strapping the mother’s arms, crucifix-style, to an operating table. A nurse starts an IV with fluid and/or narcotics (usually demerol or stadol, a derivative of the morphine family), and an anesthesiologist applies oxygen and/or general anesthesia. A curtain is hung between the mother and her lower body to prevent her from seeing the surgery. Her belly is laid bare and she is completely naked, save for a hospital gown that is now pulled up to her neck or just below her breasts. Her belly and pubic area are rubbed with a 10% Povidone-Iodine solution (a.k.a. “Betadine”) and her pubic hair is shaved. A sticky plastic drape is laid over her belly to stabilize her skin.

    A horizontal incision is made with a scalpel, just above the pubic bone where the pubic hair begins, slicing through five layers of skin, tissue, and muscle: 1) the derma, or outer layer of skin and 2) fat; 3) the fascia, the tough, thin layer that supports the muscle; 4) the rectus muscle, which is manually separated with the fingers down to the pubic bone; and 5) the peritoneum, the shiny layer that encases the entire abdominal cavity. Suction is applied to absorb excess blood. A metal “spatula” known as a bladder blade is inserted to pull back and protect the bladder. Another “spatula” known as a retractor is inserted at the top of the incision and/or on the sides, and are pulled back tightly to enlarge the incision, usually by two surgical assistants. Another incision is made into a sixth layer, the uterine lining, taking care not to cut the bladder, causing infection. Suction is again applied. Sponges and gauze are used to blot blood and fluid pooling in the abdominal cavity.

    The mother may feel intense pulling and tugging to dislodge the baby’s head from the pelvis. If vertex, the baby is pulled by the neck backwards out of the pelvis and then by the head through the incision in the uterus. The baby’s nose and mouth are then suctioned to remove any amniotic fluid, mucous and/or meconium from the airway. The remainder of the baby’s body is pulled from the mother’s uterus through the abdominal incision, taking care not to tear the uterine or abdominal incision wider.

    The umbilicus is clamped and cut immediately and the child may be held up over the curtain for the mother to see before being taken to a warm table to be suctioned further, toweled off, footprinted, weighed, measured, tagged and wrapped in a blanket and hat. Pitocin and/or methergine is immediately injected into the mother’s IV to begin contractions of the uterus to aid in the removal of the placenta. The remaining umbilicus is then pulled and the placenta is scraped off the uterine wall by hand to tear away the placenta from the uterine wall. The placenta is removed and examined to ensure all pieces are intact. The uterus is then removed from the mother’s body and placed on her stomach for the incision repair. One set of stitches is made in the wall of the uterus, then a second layer of stitches in the outer lining. The uterus is then pushed back through the abdominal incision and into the mother’s body. Sponges and gauze are counted to ensure none are left in the surgical cavity. The abdominal cavity is irrigated with water to flush out bacteria (to prevent infection) and check for bleeding.

    Approximately 1000cc of blood is lost during the procedure. A layer of absorbable stitches are made in the rectus muscle, another layer of sutures are made in the fascia. The plastic drape is pulled away from around the abdominal incision and another set of absorbable sutures or staples may be used for the outer layer, usually removed three to five days later by a nurse. A second dose of demerol may be injected into the mother’s IV to aid in relaxation as she is wheeled into recovery to hold her child when the physician allows it. Again, the mother may experience dry heaves and/or uncontrollable shivering and chills.

    Within 24 hours, the urine catheter is removed and she is allowed to stand and perhaps walk to the bathroom or shower. Within three to five days she is discharged and permitted to return home, with a check of her incision in two weeks. If infection or seeping occurs, antibiotics may be prescribed. Incision pain may occur constantly or intermittently for up to a year or more. Feeling may be regained on the incision site, or nerve damage may result in permanent lack of sensation. Her ability to birth normally in the future may be called into question.

  10. Risk of Cesareans
    In the first cesarean
    1 out of 154 women will have a hysterectomy, 1 in 25 will have a blood transfusion and 1 in 417 will have placenta accreta.

    According to the CDC in June 2009, a women who has an elective cesarean has three times greater risk of DEATH than if she had a vaginal delivery.

    As a result of the first cesarean, it may not be possible to have a vagainal birth after cesarean due to the multiple state bans on VBAC. Major complications can occur with placental placement and miscarriages and stillbirth may occur during the second pregnancy. If she is able to get pregnant and carry to term and a second cesarean is performed:
    In the second cesarean:
    1 in 238 women will have a hysterectomy, 1 in 65 women will have a blood transfusion, 1 in 323 women will have placenta accreta, 1 in 23 women will have major complications, 1 in 5 women will have dense abdominal adhesions (uterus and abdominal wall grows into intestines and affects fertility even further)

    The Maternal Death Rates have continued to rise due to increase in elective and non-medical Cesarean Sections.

    Promoting cesarean as a beneficial way to give birth is only going to increase the cesarean rate which in return increases many risks to the mother and the baby.

  11. Is this serious or a parody? I cannot believe this! So much erroneous opinion presented as fact. The fact is that, while the first c-section has a seemingly low risk, each following pregnancy and c-section puts the mother and future babies at increasingly higher risk for so many horrible complications including higher rates of death. It is unethical to ignore those risks which are higher than for standard vaginal birth and far far higher than in an actual old-fashioned natural birth (e.g. drug free so baby comes out with fully function reflexes, unlike epidural or demerol babies; with mother on her feet not butt or back; and pushing when she feels the urge, not holding her breath when they scream numbers at her).

    In an undisturbed birth, there isn’t really trauma just from passing through the birth canal. In fact, that squeezing has many physiological benefits, like helping expel mucous that was needed when in the amniotic fluid but must be expelled for air breathing. Thus a higher rate of breathing problems for c-section babies than that average hospital birth and much worse compared with babies born drug-free to a mother who controlled her pushing stage.

    Of course, if you’re comparing the average OB attended hospital birth to c-section, it’s a brutal event traded for major surgery. But why do American women only have the choice of having a scalpel slash through theri skin, fat, muscle and uterine wall OR a bunch of strangers checking dilation, even when dilation is almost meaningless. And if you try to refuse letting everyone and their uncle stick their fingers up to your cervix, you are horribly pressured. Yeah, THAT”S gonna help the mom cope with the pain, even when there’s no benefit to checking (except maybe once or twice, by the same person).

    If you feel guilt about your choices, you have to ask yourself if it is productive guilt or just some hang up. It’s not my fault that the American obstetric community is lying to women and putting us and our babies in harmful situations. And don’t blame the messenger if this is the first you’ve heard this.

    Try visiting pushedbirth.com for a good summary of how and why America has such shamefully bad birth statistics in spite of paying more for childbirth services than any other country on the planet. (I am not “with” the site; just think it’s accurate and a good resource for someone who wants to research childbirth choices at least as much as you would research a new car or major appliance purchase.

    • UliPele – With respect, I don’t think can tell someone else what opinion they should have. You are free to disagree. As we have said this article is an anecdotal piece written by one of our writers who has undergone two C section deliveries and who wanted to highlight her positive experiences with the procedure.

  12. Who wrote this crazy stuff? What are you talking about?!!!
    1) Despite improvements c-section carry a higher risk of death to mother and baby than vaginal birth as well as higher risk of complications in future births.
    2)Labor and pain are fear inducing words. Try hypnosis for birth and use the terms “birthing time” and “pressure waves” and you may have an entirely different experience. I hate pain. A lot. But I made it through with no drugs and in fact at no time thought I wanted them. It was a decision I made ahead of time and I prepared myself for the birth. The Unknown = fear = pain
    3)Dignity and privacy. Where is the privacy when everyone in the room BUT you can see your bottom half, opened up with all your innards out. Not much dignity in being stuck on a bed unable to move while a doctor rips your baby from your womb. Not to mention the trade off is at least an hour in recovery most likely without access to your baby. That means you and your baby are robbed of bonding time and get a rocky start to breastfeeding, which will be more painful anyway due to the healing incision on your mid-section and the inability to sit up.
    4)No trauma for the child. WHAT??? Even if having a planned c-section it’s better not to schedule for many reasons. Your baby’s hormones start the labor so you know it will not be born premature. The labor actually stimulates the baby for the world outside and prepares it to breath and thrive. The flexion the baby experiences as it’s chest is squeezed coming through the perineum pushes the fluid out of it’s lungs so it doesn’t have to be suctioned. Having it’s safe home cut open and being ripped out with no warning is indeed much more traumatic. Birth is work for the baby, not trauma.
    5)Scheduled c-sections have caused a much higher rate of preemies to be born in recent years. I know this because my husband is an actuary. Preemies cost the parents and the insurance companies more money and cause the cost of health care to go up for ALL of us. Preemies also have more chance of health problems. Scheduling a c-section for convenience is selfish. Besides, once the baby comes, you can’t schedule their behaviors so trying to maintain this one last bit of control is unrealistic.
    and 6)My friend just had an emergency c-section and talked about the awful tugging as your body flops from side to side. And also the ripping sound as they are cutting your stomach open. I had never heard that before. No one talks about it. Perhaps it’s so awful that they block the memory out.

  13. As a person who had to have an unplanned c-section, I can say that I see none of the points on this list as ‘advantages’. This whole article is reprehensible, especially in its lack of scientific basis. C-sections have their place as emergency measures, but you’re selling it as an alternative to the ‘inconvenience’ of labour.

    No physician, OB or scientist I know would support this lackadaisical approach to what is 1. major surgery and 2. not ideal for either baby or mother.

    • Working from home today – Again, this is not meant to be a learned piece merely an anecdotal one that presents a view contrary to what is usually given.

  14. None of these points are persuasive, when one has full information.
    (A) Safety: yes, medical advances make major surgery safer now than it was decades ago. And yes, sadly, obstetricians are getting more and more practice performing this surgery. But research overwhelmingly supports the fact that, unless there is a true medical need, vaginal birth IS statistically SAFER for both mother and baby than a primary elective cesarean. And an important point that this opinion piece does not address is that an elective primary cesarean has major impact on subsequent pregnancies. Besides the limited options for women wishing to consider a VBAC, previous cesareans do increase the risks for both the mother and the baby in a subsequent pregnancy. These risks are small, but real — and why cause them in the first place when not necessary?

    (B) Pain: A significant amount of labor pain can be quite manageable, and sometimes eliminated, with support from caregivers (such as doulas, midwives, natural childbirth educators, hypnobirthing instructors, and well-trained/experienced labor & delivery nurses) and partners trained or knowledgeable about the wide variety of techniques available. One of the most important factors is the ability to move around as desired during labor, unhindered by continuous monitoring and epidural. In a majority of cases with a knowledgeable caregiver and unhindered mobility, an episiotomy is NOT necessary. A planned cesarean does NOT guarantee that you will know ahead of time how much pain you will have or how long it will last; just as the amount of labor pain varies from person to person, as well as between one birth and another with the same woman — so too can the amount of pain from major surgery vary from person to person and between one cesarean and another for the same person. (On a personal note, I have experienced both a cesarean suregery and an unmedicated vaginal birth, and the pain of the cesarean surgery was, in my experience, much worse.) Further, a planned cesarean surgey does NOT guarantee a pain-free delivery, nor that the mom can be conscious for her baby’s arrival; well-documented cases of inadequate anesthesia during cesarean surgery do occur; and emergency surgical complications can on occasion necessitate general anesthesia.

    (C) Dignity & Privacy: The plain fact is, no matter how a baby comes out, whether vaginally or by cesarean, the mom is at least half undressed by the time it comes out. Cesarean surgeries involve a greater number of necessary medical personnel. If you think it’s dignified and private to have, at bare minimum, five medical people (and usually more) around while you are numbed, scrubbed, shaved, poked, and strapped to a table — and then are cut open while lying flat on your back, unable to move, and have surgical instruments inserted and your organs moved around — and afterwards REQUIRE assistance to walk, dress, urinate, breastfeed, etc. — then you have very different ideas of privacy and dignity than I do.
    A vaginal birth REQUIRES only the woman and the baby (although most women CHOOSE to have at least one support person present). A vaginal birth also allows the woman herself to choose when to undress and how much (if she’s not bullied into giving up this right by “routine hospital procedures”). Beyond that…most medical personnel do not widely acknowledge this, but a woman actually has the right to decline vaginal exams, to the extent she feels them unnecessary and intrusive. Some women, with a respectful, experienced care provider who trusts the process, give birth without a single vaginal exam. As for that “less than flattering position” — a woman birthing vaginally with unhindered mobility and knowledgeable support, can, in fact, give birth in whatever position she chooses, whether it’s standing up, squatting, lying on her side, on hands & knees, one foot up on a stool, and any number of other actual birth positions.

    (D) and (E) No trauma for the baby, and You schedule the delivery: Well, these two things are mutually exclusive. A scheduled cesarean without labor actually is a very strong indicator that the baby may not have been hormonally and developmentally READY to be born. Research shows that the hormonal and physical events of non-induced labor and vaginal delivery have a large number of complementary benefits for both the baby and the mother, including but not limited to benefits for the baby’s immune and respiratory systems, breastfeeding success, and decreased incidence of post-partum depression. When labor and birth occur without pain medication, and with delayed umbilical cord clamping, immediate skin-to-skin contact between mom & baby, and natural delivery of the placenta, the benefits increase even more. On the other hand, a baby who is suddenly yanked from a warm dark fluid home into a cold, bright, noisy operating room, into the hands of a non-family member, and usually whisked away from mom to be examined, bathed, weighed, swaddled, photographed, etc. before the baby even hears mom’s voice, before the mom is even physically able to hold her own baby — well, that seems likely to feel pretty traumatic to the newborn.

    Get more information: http://www.ICAN-online.org.

    • Wendy W – Thanks for raising some valid points. We are aware that an episiotomy is controversial and far less common today than it was, however the fact remains that it is the most common medical procedures performed on women and in Latin America it is performed in 90% of hospital births. (http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/324/7343/945?view=long&pmid=11964339) .

      Whatever the requirement or incidence of an episiotomy, it is important for women to know that some midwives compare routine episiotomy to female circumcision and that one study found that women who underwent episiotomy reported more painful intercourse and insufficient lubrication 12-18 months after birth.

      As for dignity and privacy that is surely an opinion that women should be allowed to form for themselves. Some women may prefer that their baby is delivered within a matter of minutes rather wait for an unknown amount of hours in an unclothed or partly clothed state in great pain. Should they not be allowed to decide what is better for them?

      When you talk about a scheduled C section delivery also give a thought to when the child’s head has not descended the child is full term (as in the case of the writer with both her children). Many women may seek a C section rather than have an induced labor; in fact that is advised by many doctors.

  15. Cesarean section surgery increases your chances of dying during birth. It increases your risk of infection, injury to internal organs, embolism, stroke, infection, and increases your risk of stillbirth with your next baby.
    The misinformation in this article is absolutely shocking: “No trauma for the child” ??? Babies born by Cesarean are at risk for cuts from the surgery, prematurity from a scheduled birth, respiratory problems, and higher rate of transfer to the NICU after birth. Vaginal birth is beneficial to babies’ preparation for being on the outside, clearing lung fluids, and preparing to breathe.
    Hemorrhoids are often an unfortunate by-product of pregnancy itself; but even if they happened during birthing, would you really trade freedom from hemorrhoids for an increased risk of death for you and/or your baby? Ditto for “a few days” of post-surgical pain, vs the hours of labor pain.
    I have worked with too many women who have only realized after they had the second recommended Cesarean that they wished they hadn’t chosen that first Cesarean. They wish desperately for a vaginal birth. But at that point, it gets difficult in this country, to find support for vaginal birth, and they may bitterly regret their earlier choices.
    I have also seen the heartache and disfigurement to a little boy who had the end of his nose cut off during a Cesarean section, needing followup cosmetic surgery.
    A Cesarean, as any surgery, is a godsend and a lifesaver when used appropriately. However, great damage and regret can result from a surgical intervention applied without need. (BTW, that is what doctors finally have “discovered” about episiotomy – that its harm outweighs its benefit, and they are performing far fewer of them, in case fear of episiotomy would make you choose Cesarean section. But how horribly ironic, that the use of one unnecessary procedure – episiotomy – is being used to scare women into another usually unnecessary procedure.)
    Women, it’s up to you to stop being cattle. Educate yourselves, choose a maternity caregiver who provides the kind of care you want, and protest this kind of misinformation every time you see it presented to try to scare, manipulate, and misinform.

    • Better Birth – You make a very impassioned comment, however like we said we are not advocating C sections to be preferred over vaginal deliveries, however it pays to know that a prolonged labor prior to natural delivery can also be very traumatic for a child and can result in several problems after birth.

      When you say “it gets difficult in this country, to find support for vaginal birth” I think that the comments here indicate otherwise.

      When you say “Women, it’s up to you to stop being cattle,” we applaud your view; a woman has to take an informed decision on what is best for HER, and not be misguided either by fear or guilt.

  16. Obviously, the writer of this article has never had a c-section, and didn’t do any research. As a birth doula who has supported women during surgical deliveries, I can say that there are significant safety risks. I have watched women have significant blood loss and nearly lose their ability to carry more children. Sure, maybe a woman doesn’t have a single hard contraction, but recovery is long and painful. Not only are you healing from major surgery, you’re doing it with a newborn who needs round-the-clock care.

    And let’s talk about dignity and privacy for a moment, shall we? To be prepped for a C-section, you are shaved, a catheter is placed w/ a room full of people looking on, and then you are strapped to a narrow table before being draped. After the baby is extracted, your uterus is removed from your body, checked over and replaced. Once you are sewn up, several people will work to slide you onto a postpartum bed, your still-numb legs flopping around. How dignified.

    And then there’s the babe. Labor and delivery is not a ‘traumatic event’ for an infant. It’s a carefully designed process that transitions the child from womb to world, squeezing amniotic fluid from the baby’s lungs during the journey to prepare it to breathe on its own. Watching a baby be extracted through a narrow incision in its mother’s abdomen is traumatic. The child is pulled out by its head. The chest isn’t compressed during extraction, so surgically delivered infants need invasive suctioning to clear their lungs, which also increases the risk of infection. A vaginally born baby can be delivered into a warm, dimly lit room and immediately placed to mom’s breast, but a surgically delivered baby is born into a freezing cold, insanely bright room, and then whisked away to a table where it’s suctioned, stimulated vigorously, and in the hands of strangers. Skin to skin contact with mom may be hours away, depriving both of that necessary bonding immediately after birth.

    • Meredith – The writer of the article had two c sections
      And “invasive suctioning to clear their lungs” is not common even among C section babies.

  17. You have got to be kidding me. Are you people really serious.

    “You can be conscious throughout and not have to suffer any pain of delivery. Post delivery issues like hemorrhoids etc are also not an issue with a C section”

    -You may have to be put under if they screw up the spinal or epidural. Oh and you don’t get hemorrhiods from vaginal delivery. I had a c-section and still got them.

    “Dignity and Privacy: A vaginal delivery is not the most private of things, with doctors and nurses milling around to check how dilated you are, and you being in a less than flattering position for any number of hours. A C section is over in a matter of some minutes.”

    -I had minimal vaginal checks (4)while I was in labor. I counted 13 people in the OR while I was getting sectioned. Yoiu have a choice about what is done to you while in labor. When laying on the operating table you have no control. It was 45 mins from the first cut until they got me to recovery. Then another hour before I got to hold my child. And mine was not an emergency c-section.

    “No trauma for the child: Coming through the birth canal is quite an arduous process for a baby, who often comes out with an elongated or slightly misshapen head. In a C section the child is simply lifted out and has to undergo none of the rigors of a vaginal delivery. This is something to be considered too.”

    -All one needs to do is to actually watch a c-section to find out that ther is a lot of pulling to get the baby out. Once the uterus is cut it quits contracting so there is no other way to get baby out. Baby is not simply lifted out.

    As far as the lat point about scheduling the delivery. Why? So that you can be sure to have baby on some arbitrary date; To please family members; You don’t take a cake out of the oven before it’s done or else you will end up with an undone cake. No baby cooks at the same time as another. Isn’t life planned out enough without scheduling when to have your baby. Let the baby pick it’s own birthday. That will make it more special.

    This article has no evidence to back up these claims. Nor does it have an author. I hope this does get published as it would be a shame to only offer one side of the story.

  18. The choices a woman makes around her birth are obviously very personal ones. The author admits that this article is one sided. The author states that he/she wants to inform readers of the benefits to cesarean sections. How about a link to the risks of cesareans so that woman can be truly informed and choose for themselves?

    Additionally, the risk of the first cesarean my not be so high. What about the risk after multiple cesarans? If the author wants to suggest that a cesarean is low risk than to be truly informative, he/she needs to add the caveat that it is low risk for women who are choosing to limit their family size. Placental abnormalities are on the rise due to cesarean sections. These abnormalalities create risks for future births and for the mother. The more cesareans a woman undergoes the greater the risk there is for complications.

    Additionally, there are some myths that this article perpetuates. The article states that usually episotomies are performed, suggesting that you can avoid this with a cesarean. In most areas of the country, episiotomies are becoming less common if not rare. To state that that “usually” episiotomies are done is is a bit of a scare tactic.

    Having had one child by each method, I can say the pain of a cesarean lasts much longer than the labor and post delivery pains of a vaginal birth. With my cesarean my doctor put restrictions on my driving and bathing. No driving for 6 weeks. No bathing in a tub. No such thing with a vaginal delivery. To state that you know the duration of pain in a cesarean section is really inaccurate. Tell that to women who have pain due to scar adhesions or nicked bladders.

    To call coming through the birth canal a trauma is also inflammatory. The reason that a baby’s head is mishapen is to fit through the birth canal. This is hardly birth trauma. The definition of trauma is any injury whether emotionally or physically inflicted. Can you cite some research to support your use of this term?

    Additionally, there are some definite advantages to coming through the birth canal. One big advantage is that it helps clear the baby’s lungs. Babies who are born vaginally have less respiratory issues. There is also some research to suggest that babies born vaginally have the benefit of exposure to good bacteria which helps populate the baby’s intestines, helping with digestion.

    In terms of dignity and privacy, there is nothing private about having your uterus exteriorized meaning that it is taken out of your body. To liken a baby being surgically removed to something like having a splinter pulled – “done in a matter of minutes” is also a bit of a misconception. You still have to get prepped for surgery, your abdominal cavity has to be opened and then muscles, uterus, and skin stitched back up. Some mothers experience postop infections. This delays healing as well. If a mother has had multiple cesareans than there is more scar tissue to be cut through. This can make the surgery take even longer.

    With a cesarean surgery, a mother is in a hospital for a longer period of time. More time to get poked and prodded. Often postop, there are no solid meals until you have had a bowel movement. Yes, this is major abdominal surgery. The hospital wants to make sure that everything was put back into the right place and your digestive system is operating properly. There is no privacy in medical staff asking each time if you have had a bowel movement.

    Looking forward to that joyous moment when you can finally hold your baby? Find out the hospital policy ahead time. Some hospitals routinely take healthy babies away from the mother for hours at a time. This delays bonding and (if it is the mother’s choice) it also delays breastfeeding.

    While it is true that it is an added convenience to schedule events, there are benefits for babies to remaining in utero. The March of Dimes is finding increasing rates of late preterm babies due to inductions and cesareans being done prior to 40 weeks. Their research suggests that even these late preterm babies are at risk for developmental delays. In their petition for preemies they are calling for doctors and hospitals to voluntarily assess cesarans and inductions done prior to 39 weeks to ensure consistency with guidelines. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that scheduled deliveries should be after 39 weeks. For the author to suggest that you can just schedule the delivery any time you want is irresponsible for the health of the baby regardless of personal choice.

    The decision to schedule a cesarean, have an unmedicated or medicated birth, choice of care provider and choice of birth environment – hospital, home, or birth center is a very personal decision. Everyone should have the option to make a truly informed decision weighing the risks and benefits of all choices. However, if this website wants to offer elective cesareans as a choice, please include all the facts so that women can make informed decision for themselves. This oversimplification of a major surgery really is patronizing to women. Women should have choices. Let’s promote truly informed ones. Even internet websites should be held to some standards of responsible journalism.

    • J Herr – Thanks for reading the post in the spirit that it was written and also thanks for adding some very valuable points for our readers here. I am sure that many of our readers will find very valuable information in your comment.

  19. I suppose this is in response to the many facts being reported about the risks of cesareans. I’m interested to note that this article really dismisses some of the real risks of cesareans . I fully support a woman’s right to choose her birth method, but I think women aren’t told about the actual risks of major abdominal surgery, such as a 4x greater chance of death, greater likelihood of breathing problems for newborns, much longer healing time, and greater risk of infection and rehospitalization. Yes, there can be advantages, and not every vaginal birth is a cakewalk, but women need to know the truth before making their decisions based on inaccurate articles such as this.

    • Maureen – We are dismissing none of the risks. To do that would be irresponsible and downright reprehensible. We merely want to present a counter view.

  20. I am so shocked at the inaccuracy of this article, my mouth is literally hanging open.
    1. Maternal and fetal outcome HAS NOT IMPROVED with increased C-sections.
    2. Dignity preserved? I had people chit-chatting over me like I was a slab of meat, with my arms strapped, and a stranger shaving my pubes. Oh, and I lay there with my gown pulled up to my neck for probably half an hour. There were about 10 people in the room, so no privacy.
    3. My child had breathing issues b/c he did not go through the birth canal and have fluid squeezed out of his lungs. I counted 14 needle pricks on his hand trying to get an IV started.
    Was any research, AT ALL, done for this article?

    • Jennifer – We are sorry that you think of a person’s experiences as ‘inaccurate’ and we are also sorry about your experiences, which are not the same as many others.

  21. Oh My Goodness!

    This is so ridiculous. Whoever wrote this must not have experienced a vaginal birth & cesarean delivery to compare them.
    I have and I can tell you cesarean birth is so much more painful and intrusive. Vaginal birth leaves a mother intact and ready to care for her baby. Where as cesarean delivery leaves you an invalid walking hunched over holding your gut.
    You can have no reverence for birth and make that comparison. Those without reverence for birth should not be involved with it.

  22. I cannot help but notice that you cited no references at all to support your statements, so that I can go look them up for myself instead of taking your word for it. I think you need to retract this article, do some research, rewrite it, and put in references to the places you got your information.

  23. Sibce when is an episiotomy a “usual” part of a vaginal delivery?

    That “trauma” is shown to give baby the best start in breathing and immunity.
    Yep, I’ve had a section, and the pain is AWFUL. Ive had two homebirths and a hospital birth too and I can categorically state that the 26 hour labour I have had is better than the 40 min c section and 6 week recovery.

    What a truly awful article, based on claptrap and no science… On day two of my section I was morphined up to the eyeballs, on day two of my last homebirth I was at a dog show, running round the ring and showing off my gorgeous 36 hour old baby to my friends.

  24. This kind of stuff makes a cesarean seem like a walk in the park. I bought into thoughts like this the first time I was pregnant. That kind of ignorance led to a very rude awakening in me that has carried through since my first child was born. There is truth here – but it’s a dangerous truth that only holds on the surface, like the skin that forms over cafeteria pudding. Thin, flimsy, but it looks just fine to the casual observer. I read this over and over again, and it is still turning my stomach.

    The thing is, when I hear “It’s safer than ever before!”… Well sure. That doesn’t make it 100% safe. In fact, a woman is still four times more likely to die from this major abdominal surgery than she is from a vaginal birth. Four times. And that is only the most severe of complications. There is also a dramatically higher rate of return trips to the hospital for both mom and her baby.

    And, did anyone at PregnancyZone read the recent study by March of Dimes which confirmed what many have been saying for years – that the elective cesarean rate is one major factor driving up the increase in late-term infant prematurity? Think that’s a walk in the park to deal with? Some people get lucky if they don’t have any troubles.

    The thing about people who support normal birth… Us proponents aren’t out to guilt anyone into anything – just try to help women be more informed based on current research and information – facts, as it were – rather than opinions. If a woman makes the decision to have an elective cesarean, it is she, her baby and her family who are ultimately the only ones who have to live with the ramifications – good, bad, or otherwise. That is why it is critical for each woman to know the realities of both sides.

    The thing about labor pain is, when it’s done, it’s done. It does not come back. The thing about cesarean pain is, sometimes when it’s done, it’s done, and sometimes, even, say, six years later, you’re still feeling it. And you’re dealing with everything associated with it – scar tissue, adhesions, sometimes difficulties conceiving again, limitations on choices for how you will give birth in the future… and the list goes on.

    The thing about “molded” heads after a vaginal birth – I’d certainly take that, which is normal and which will reshape itself in a few days over the scars many babies have sustained after getting cut by a scalpal.

    Dignity? Is that what that was, when I had to bend over my bed while my husband administered an enema to me because I hadn’t had a bowel movement in ten days after my cesarean?

    This article… it’s not fair at all. I can understand the appeal, and the allure of what might seem to be “just getting it done with”, but this walk in the park is full of scary eyes peering behind trees, waiting for the moment to spring out, and it’s completely irresponsible to gloss over cesareans and neglect to include that there is a very, very real, very serious downside to cesareans. This article makes it seem so easy, but it’s not. It’s just not.

    • Rachel Z – Of course C sections are not 100% safe, but then neither are vaginal deliveries.

      When you say “Us proponents aren’t out to guilt anyone into anything” actually that is precisely what a lot of women feel. If you read this comment here: “I am pleased that some people have put good comments on about c-sections. I am looking for information about them, as I have been told by my doctor that I may have to have one for medical reasons. After reading the terribly biased ‘cons’ list at the top of this page, I was in tears. I think the person who wrote that should consider people like me, who may have to have a c-section and are very very scared. You are just making us feel worse about the whole thing. (http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/143477 ) then you get an idea of how very guilty women are made to feel.

  25. These ‘benefits’ are quite a stretch. While it’s great that safety is improving for those who do need a Cesarean, ‘safety’ is not a benefit of a Cesarean, as the risk of both maternal and infant mortality are higher with an elective Cesarean (that is, when there is no medical indication for the surgery, therefore mom and baby were healthy going into it) compared with all vaginal births. The risk doubles, and while mortality rates overall remain low, it is still a serious problem. Morbitidy rates for mothers increase for all kinds of infections and injuries, need of blood transfusion, risk of rehospitalization. These are the reasons Cesareans, as wonderful and life-saving as they can be, should be chosen with caution, not seen as some easy convenience.

    It’s hard to see ‘no labor pain’ as a benefit too, since many Cesareans are performed following a trial of labor. It’s also unfair to minimize post-operative pain compared with labor pain. I’ve never heard a woman who has experienced both surgical and natural deliveries say the Cesarean was easier or less painful (and I am one, and I’ve spoken to many!).

    Dignity and privacy? Not in my experience. And while the baby was delivered in minutes, my surgery was not over for a long time after that. It doesn’t feel dignified to be exposed to a room full of people, let alone all that comes after a Cesarean. Please . . . Laboring at home with a midwife, doula and family was a million times more dignified and private.

    No trauma for the child – this has got to be a mistake.

    Scheduling is an important benefit for many families, such as in the case of an upcoming military deployment, but the majority of the time, the health of the mother and baby outweigh convenience. Except in situations like complete placenta previa, where laboring is unsafe, there are substantial benefits to both mother and baby that suggest even a planned Cesarean should be unscheduled, taking place after the mother has gone into spontaneous labor.

    In the interest of maternal and child health, and in support of women making informed choices regarding their care, I strongly urge you to do further research and amend this article to more accurately reflect the risks and benefits of Cesareans.

    • Marisa Ring – By no labor pain, the writer means in the case of elective C sections and this article is for the limited purposes of highlighting the possible plusses or a C section.

  26. Are you kidding? Let’s address your bullet points one by one:

    1. No Labor pain? Well, you have a point. Without labor, yes, you will avoid labor pain. But what about the pain of cesarean recovery?!? A day (ish) of labor pain vs. many days, if not weeks, of recovery pain? Hmmm…methinks our author doesn’t quite add well. And “in a vaginal delivery there is usually an episiotomy”?!? Not if your with care providers that actually follow the science and data. Yes, there are tears, and sometimes they require difficult recoveries. But to say one escapes all the pain of a vaginal delivery for virtually none of a c-section is a gross, gross overstatement.

    2. Dignity and Privacy? I’m not certain a woman would find being strapped to a table particularly dignified. Walk into most ORs and you’d be surprised to find mom with her arms splayed out and strapped down. Oh, and privacy? A cold sterile operating room with about 8 staff members sounds cozily private to me, too.

    3. No trauma for the child? Oy. You have this one grossly misinterpreted. In fact, it’s often more traumatic for a child to bypass the vaginal canal — bypassing their natural “heimlich” maneuver, clearing them of fluids, and preparing them to take their first breaths in the world. Check out the statistics on newborn respiratory distress in infants delivered by cesarean and reassess your definition of ‘no trauma for the child.’ Still not convinced? Check out the procedure when they deep suction an infant to remove those same fluids that would have been removed by a vaginal birth. STILL not convinced? Check out how it takes two, often three surgeons or surgical techs to remove the infant from the uterus. Might revise your definition of being “simply lifted out.”

    4. You can schedule the delivery? Yep, you sure can. And you can just as easily schedule your child a few days in the NICU if your gestation has been even the wee-est bit low. Know when baby’s ready to come into this world? When you go into labor, and rarely a second earlier. Schedule it, and it’s very likely you’re scheduling it before baby is really ready to be here. Convenience at the cost of health is no convenience at all.

    I’m not a detractor of elective cesareans. Not at all. I believe in allowing women to make the choices that are best for them, and if that means an elective cesarean, I must respect that. But I’d be horribly saddened if a woman made her decision based on the outright misinformation in this article.

  27. While I am very open when it comes to women’s choice for their birth, your article is extremely misleading. No matter the advances in technology, it is still major abdominal surgery, and there are very real risks to having this surgery. Dignity and privacy? Tell me how private it is with at least 10 doctors and nurses milling around, talking about the day’s schedule and other unimportant events over your open and bleeding abdomin. No trauma for the child? Being shaken vigorously and having tubes shoved down their throats to clear out the amniotic fluid that was not expelled by a vaginal delivery, or still having to use a vacuum to remove the baby? Painless, with having the anesthesia wear off and feeling the stitching and stapling, or a few hours later when you try to cough and feel like you insides are falling out? Labor pains are needed so that your body will be able to push your child out. As a mother who had two (informed) c-sections, I am deeply offended by your article. I am all for freedom of choice in terms of choosing your birth, but do not make things out to seem better than they really are.

  28. Labor pain vs. surgery pain… hmmmm the female body is designed for labor. The body releases chemicals that ease the afterbirth and MOST women who go through labor don’t feel pain associated with that labor for more than a few hours after their delivery. With a cesarean, even your article admits that the pain is there for DAYS. Not to mention you have a permanent scar across your abdomen. You will be on pain killers for days while the pain subsides. How does that affect a nursing baby?

    Yeah, I felt so dignified when about a dozen people milled around for the pre-op and surgery and post op seeing my body naked and putting a catheter in me and opening my body up. That was very private…

    No Trauma for the child? Shall we take a look at the records and see how many children have been injured during the cutting process? Shall we look at the records and see how many children had spinal damage from being ripped by the head through an incision? Or we could just look at the facts that vaginal delivery has benefits such as giving the child the same chemicals that are given to the mother naturally through labor… we could look at the fact that the lungs are compressed during vaginal labor and that children born vaginally have a marked decrease in childhood asthma as opposed to cesarean born children…

    Cesareans should be used as they were intended. To save the life of the mother and child… not for convenience!

    • Jennifer – the writer was nursing her babies within a few of hours of their being born; the milk took some time to come in though. And as we said before she refused and was able to manage without pain medication after surgery because she was afraid it would impede breastfeeding.

    • Allison – Yes she has not experienced vaginal delivery because it was a medical emergency that required the first C section. In any case she was very apprehensive about a vaginal delivery and for her second child she opted for a C section because she had had very positive experiences with her first C section.

  29. What? A c/s offers no trauma to the child? Come on- among other things, your gross over-simplification of the real risks to the baby are appalling! C/S babies spend more time in the NICU because they didn’t get the gunk squeezed out of their little lungs from the birth canal! They often need more help breathing and the prolonged separation from mother-baby is a real problem for mothers who are too drugged out to even hold their babies, let along breastfeed them! As for the dignity & privacy issue- that is the result of medical mis-managment and total disregard and lack of compassion for the mother on behalf of the medical staff! Not an inherent part of normal labor! And schedule a c/s to avoid the probable episiotomy? Are you kidding? Once again- not a caused by normal labor but by MEDICAL MIS-MANAGMENT of a normal process! Are you seriously proposing that the desire to avoid an erroneous episiotomy is worth MAJOR ABDOMINAL SURGERY?!!!! What have you been smoking?!

  30. You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding!!!! I don’t even know where to start with this misinformation! “usually an episiotomy”?! A cesarean delivery gives you dignity and privacy?!! No trauma for the child?!!! “simply lifted out”?!!!! Have you even *seen* a cesarean delivery?! Clearly you have read little to no research about vaginal vs. cesarean delivery and about the benefits of vaginal vs. cesarean birth for mother and child. I suspect your low readership is because you make no sense. You sound like someone who is trying to justify a cesarean birth experience. Suggest you take a look at the ICAN website. And stop this misinformation campaign!! Are you an OB?!

  31. This is a totally irresponsible and misleading article that should be removed unless you can supply appopriate scholarly/medical data to support these claims. To present the ‘positive’ aspects of caesarean sections without providing an appropriate disclaimer regarding all of the inherent risks involved in any type of medical procedure is highly unethical. The anonymous author (are you an expert?) claims that women should be able to make ‘informed’ decisions about their birthing options, however, fails to provide women with the tools to do so. By the way, babies have survived the ‘rigours’ of vaginal childbirth for millenia.

    • Dr. Meredith Nash- “babies have survived the ‘rigours’ of vaginal childbirth for millenia.” Most certainly they have but that is not to say that there is no negative effect of prolonged birth canal trauma

  32. It sounds as if it was just written off the top of someone’s head (who’s name appears to be absent) without any research.
    C-sections may be safer. Safer compared to the more than 90% chance of maternal fatality they posed in the past, but today babies are still 3-6X MORE LIKELY TO DIE in a scheduled elective C-section than in a spontaneous vaginal birth. I have yet to meet a mom who approaches an elective c-section thinking “My baby is only 6x more likely to die…”
    This article also fails to mention that rigors that infants go through in vaginal birth help squeeze excess fluid from the lungs, which is why babies born by cesarean are more likely to develop respiratory complications.
    And a vaginal delivery in a hospital may not be the most dignified, but this article perpetuates the idea that women should be in one position (lithotomy position, lying on the back with the legs in stirrups) for “hours on end” and if this is the case it is poor hospital practice. There is no worse position for labor and birth aside from standing on one’s head. Non-evidence-based practices (including routine episiotomies)need to be dealt with head on. It would be wise to urge women to demand proper care and respect instead of suggesting the problem would be better solved by simply opting for surgery.
    Surgical delivery itself does not eliminate issues of dignity and privacy. A woman will be numbed and laid out (possible even tied down) with all control given to the physician alone. There will still be many attendants in the room. Body parts are still exposed. Pubic hair will be shaved and catheters inserted and of course, your body will be cut open. If anyone was in need of major surgery, it would be doubtful that they would schedule it the week they introduce a newborn baby to the family. Taking care of a new baby is a big adjustment and trying to recover from surgery while caring for a newborn makes life more difficult.
    The author states that it should be the woman’s choice to make, but fails to provide the information that would allow any woman to make a fully informed decision.

    • @Anonymous – There is a lot of information available, much of it on this site (it is our policy not to publish writer names) about the many downsides of a C Section. This is simply a counterview.

  33. ARE YOU SERIOUS?!! Don’t you think instead of publishing articles in favour of a c-section birth, we should instead be using up this page to empower women to respect and love their bodies and all that their bodies are capable of?! What is more natural or beautiful than a woman carrying- and delivering- her own baby? What could be more empowering to a woman than knowing her body is capable of doing everything it was designed to do?
    And I hardly think that dignity and privacy are reasons in favour for a c-section. Ridiculous article!!!!

    • Nic – It is true that a woman’s body is incredible in what is capable of doing and withstanding; dignity and privacy are not the only reasons for a C section, there are many more, the point is that women should not be made to feel guilty.

  34. You fail to mention the risks to the baby — quite a significant omission, really.

    During natural (vaginal) birth, many physiological events occur in the baby, for example, the squeezing out of fluid in the lungs to allow for more effective breathing after birth.

    Caesarean section is major surgery with many risks for mother and baby, and should only be resorted to in emergency or when the risks of a natural delivery are greater than the risks of the surgery, which is not often the case.

  35. I don’t know what c-sections have been attended to write this article, but I think the person who wrote this doesn’t know what they are. I had the doctor FALL on me while trying to pull out my baby during my c-section. I’d consider that a less than flattering position my self.

    Out of my family, with 3 sisters and 9 births, not one had an episiotomy. Where are you getting your facts from?

    And after wards “There is of course the pain of an abdominal surgery to overcome, but after the first few days the pain is very manageable in most cases” Nope, not the case, I was out of commission for 2 weeks. I spent the first 3 days throwing up. I couldn’t drive for 8 weeks because it was too painful. Everyone I know with a normal delivery where up and driving in a few days after birth.

    And this “No trauma for the child: Coming through the birth canal is quite an arduous process for a baby, who often comes out with an elongated or slightly misshapen head. In a C section the child is simply lifted out and has to undergo none of the rigors of a vaginal delivery. This is something to be considered too.” just silly. Woman have been having babies normally since we could stand up-right. Is someone taking pictures for a magazine right after the birth? Because you know, the head adjusts to normal shape a few days later.

    I think this article was written by a child in middle school. Probably one who just viewed a birth and thinks they are “gross”.

  36. This article is absurd! Vaginal birth is natural. Women’s bodies are made to birth a baby naturally. There are several parts to this article that need to be addressed.

    “No Labor pain: Labor pains can be a very real downside to a vaginal delivery. Since labor pains can extend over a long period of time, it can be a harrowingly difficult and painful time for a woman.”

    Yes, while it is true that labor pains are difficult and nothing anyone looks forward to, it is part of the whole birthing process.

    As for dignity and privacy during labor-women having babies are not usually troubled by such superfical things as who may see her in a compromising position. Ob/gyns and materternity nurses have seen all sorts of things. While the miracle of life is going on in a birthing room the last thing on anyone’s mind should be how a woman looks or for the woman herself to worry about how she looks. That is an absurd reason to choose a c-section!!

    No trauma for the baby during a c-section-babies are prepared to be born vaginally. Woman’s bodies are constructed to birth a baby that way. That is why it is called the “birth canal.”

    C-sections can be scheduled-not everything in life is meant to be scheduled. Not everything needs to fit a time slot. Babies are born when they are ready to be, they don’t need to be forced to be born at a time that fits in mom’s or doctor’s schedules.

    *There are obviously times when a c-section is neccasary. There are times when an emergency arises. There may be medical condition that prevents a mother from birthing a child naturally. But to elect to have a c-section is another thing.

  37. How dare you publish an article that is so dangerous and

    totally void of any facts?

    Shame on you for so many lies. I wonder if ACOG gave you money to write this trash, did they?

    I would appreciate a phone call so that we can avoid a boycott and a protest at your door.

    In the mean time please stop the insanity.

    The website is a good idea but the harm it will cause to unsuspecting women is unacceptable.

  38. At first read I assumed the author was just uninformed however this time I noticed she said…
    “” proponents of natural or vaginal delivery do tend to highlight those at all given opportunities;””

    She said that in reference to the risks of cesareans.

    This strikes me, She must have looked into the issue somewhat. How could she write this if she is aware even slightly? This makes me wonder if she has some other motive. I can’t believe a writer would put her name on something this controversial without looking into the subject and clearly she had (hence the quote). Who has something to gain from this misinformation? People have been benefiting from women being uninformed on issues surrounding birth for quite some time now. We must not overlook this in not just a mistake. Women who read it are in danger of coming away with the idea that cesareans are not as dangerous as they really are. And that they don’t have much to loose by opting out of a normal birth. It is normal to be nervous of an impending birth especially if it is your first but it is disgraceful to capitalize on this fear. We did not end up with an over 30% cesarean rate because over 30% of American women can not birth the babies they grow. We are surgically extracting many babies for no good reason. It is time that people realize that birth is hard but we can do it. It is like almost every other normal part of life.

    • Maryann Combs – As we have said before, the writer is a freelance writer who wanted to share her own experiences. We are in no way attempting to detract from the very real dangers of a C section, merely that women should be aware of their options.

  39. Angela – Birth canal trauma is a well documented medical phenomenon. Navigating the birth canal, considerable forces may be placed on the infants body, especially the head, tailbone, and spine, according to this http://www.osteohome.com/articles/Birth_Trauma.pdf article.

    This article http://www.osteodoc.com/birthtrauma.htm also talks about the problems that parents of a baby who underwent a long and difficult birth underwent and about the possible complications that can arise from birth trauma.

  40. Maryann Combs – For a comment such as yours, there is also this one: “I’d like to add a few cons to natural childbirth. I have experienced both. One natural delivery with no tears cuts or stiches very peacful very good delivery and recovery. One crash C section to save myself and my babies life.
    I am now having baby no3 even after my terrible CRASH C SECTION I am hoping to have an elective C Section the reason being after a C section you don’t have the dreaded stress incontinance. I have done my pelvic floor exercises like a trooper yet still 6 years on if I need to yell or scream laugh or sneeze I have to cross my legs…. I (assume) that some of the poor ladies out there who delivered big babies or had difficult labours forceps 3rd degree tears etc would have a few cons to add the list of cons for natural childbirth..” There are two sides to every story.

  41. Birth in Joy – I hope that the note along with the article explains its purport and our responses in the comments section address your issues.

  42. I’m awed by this op-ed. One has to wonder, has the author ever had both a c/s and a vaginal delivery?

    I have. So I’d like to rebut the claims made here.

    Starting with safety. Cesarean sections are still significantly more dangerous than spontaneous vaginal delivery. Beyond that, they carry safety risks with them into future pregnancies such as uterine rupture.

    Labor Pain. It’s true that with a scheduled cesarean surgery that you aren’t likely to experience labor pains. However make no mistake that surgical recovery is in no way on par with labor pains. In labor you have intermediate pain that comes and goes, and after the birth – is *gone*. Surgical recovery is constant pain that requires high level narcotic relief to control. Beyond that it’s not pain that lasts a few hours, or at worst a couple of days – it lasts for at least a week, and if you’re unlucky and have a complicated recovery – months. I would take 1000 unmedicated vaginal births over one more cesarean, just because even my worst labor came nowhere close to the level of pain I experienced after my cesarean. Let me also make one thing clear – I had a very *easy* c/s recovery compared to many other women I’ve talked to.

    Dignity and Privacy. I understand for some women this is a really big deal. Really BIG. The thing is, you always have the option to demand these things, and opting for a surgical birth seems far more demeaning than having someone watch while you’re pushing. After all, what could be more intimate than exposing your guts (literally) to a room full of strangers?

    No Trauma for the Child? Many babies end up being cut by the surgeons scalpel during a cesarean surgery. To me that is far more traumatic than the squeezing that is physiologically helpful to the baby during birth.

    Last but not least – scheduling the birth. This, hands down, is possibly the only benefit I can see to a surgical birth. However, babies are rarely scheduled creatures. A long time ago when I was pregnant with my first, and very impatient to hold her, I was told that patience was the first lesson a new parent needed. All children are ready at their own speed. There are also risks to scheduling a birth that may not be immediately obvious. For someone like me who gestates longer than average, scheduling a birth for 38 weeks could possibly be catastrophic. I understand my births fall on the extreme end of the bell curve, and that normally most women give birth sooner than I do. But I am not alone as a 43 week mama. Forcing a baby of mine to be born 5 weeks early would make them a full-term “premie”. It’s a Rx for a guaranteed NICU stay.

    I do believe women should have the right to birth where, and how they chose. But I don’t think that op-ed pieces like this, which paint a rosy picture on something that is far from rosy, help women to make a well-rounded decision. Lets face it from both ends of the spectrum – from planned unassisted birth, to scheduled elective cesarean, birth is relatively safe. We’re splitting hairs when we decide which risks are the more comfortable ones to take.

  43. I haven’t read all the comments, but I’m confused by the comment quoted about “the reason being after a C section you don’t have the dreaded stress incontinance.” Where on earth did this come from? I’ve had five babies, all by c-section. I’ve had some labour, but I’ve never pushed. I now experience stress incontinence. What’s more, I can’t even do kegels properly, anymore. This is because I’ve lost almost all bladder sensation due to nerve damage from my 3rd c-section, which was over four years ago. (Prior to that, I’d been doing kegels regularly for about 20 years, including during that entire pregnancy, right up until the day of surgery.) C-sections do NOT protect against stress incontinence.

    Also, any comment about how long post-op pain lasts is a generalization. I’ve had it disappear in as little as a month…and I’ve had it last as long as 8 months. My surgical recoveries have all been very different from one another.

    And, the stressed on the baby of natural birth? I only had one child who arrived with no labour at all (3 scheduled sections, but I went into labour just before 2 of them). That child used to stop breathing at random intervals. The hospital nurse told us they see that a lot with scheduled c-sections. Labour stress doesn’t seem like such a bad thing, really.

  44. The problem here is that this is not presented as an op-ed. The article is presented as fact, not the author’s personal experiences. No one would be ripping into her if she wrote her birth stories, including what made her prefer her Cesareans to what she imagines vaginal birth would have been like for her. However, that is just not what is going on here – this is a load of misinformation and people are calling it as such. You can’t defend that by saying after-the-fact that it’s just opinion.

  45. The state of the science report by the NIH and the ACOG position statements on cesarean delivery do NOT agree that there is adequate evidence that it is safe enough to consider elective cesarean as an appropriate intervention for a safe birth. Both of those reports, from the experts in the field, say there is NOT evidence supporting this at all.

    Cesarean delivery is an intervention. It is not an equal choice for delivery. Downplaying its risks on here without support from the medical community is unethical.

  46. Oh, and a note to the admin: the original post clearly mentions that “medical science” supports the safety of cesarean section, so to call this an anecdotal piece is dodging the issue. It is a MISLEADING anecdotal piece if anything.

  47. MomTFH – If you will read the wording properly, you will see that it does not say ““medical science” supports the safety of cesarean section, ” as you have said.

    The post, talks about C sections being a major abdominal surgery and that it involves all the risks associated with it and says and we quote, “however medical science is now so advanced as to lower the risk so significantly that women can consider elective C Section birth.”

  48. As a practicing OB/GYN with a quarter century of experience and a professor helping teach residents, I stand with the majority of your commenters. This is a one-sided article (not surprising since the author only had c-sections) giving erroneous and incomplete information. The many comments accurately reflect the factual errors of the article, so I will not repeat them here.

    The bottom line is evidenced by the current rising maternal & neonatal complication rates paralleling the rising c-section rate.

    C-sections should be reserved for valid medical reasons, not personal convenience.

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