Having A C-section------What You Need To Know?

If you are expecting a new baby, as your due date approaches, you probably have ever thought about whether have a natural birth or a surgical delivery by cesarean section. No matter which way of delivery you choose to welcome your baby’s arrival, the ultimate goal is to give a birth to a healthy baby safely.

Cesarean section, also known as a C-section, is a surgical delivery performed when a natural birth is not possible or safe, or when the mother or the baby is at risk. In some cases, C-sections are planned because of medical reasons that make a natural birth dangerous. Your health care provider might commend a C-section for you if any of following conditions exist:

Reasons For A C-section：

Placenta previa is a problem of pregnancy in which placenta previa grows in the lowest part of the uterus and covers all or the part of the opening of the cervix. There are different types of placenta previa: marginal, partial, complete. Nearly all women with placenta previa need a C-section. If the placenta covers all or partial of cervix, a vaginal birth may cause severe bleeding, which can be harmful to both the mom and baby.

Macrosomia literally means “Big baby”. A baby is considered a macrosomia when he or she weighs over 4Kg. If a natural delivery is not possible as the baby is too big, a cesarean section should be taken into consideration.   

Breech Presentation is the most common abnormal fetal position, it occurs in approximately 3~4% of all deliveries. It refers to a fetus in a longitudinal lie with buttocks or feet closest to the cervix, which is probably dangerous to the fetus as well to the mom. To avoid this potential threat to the fetus and mom, most health care providers may commend a C-section. 

Antepartum Haemorrhage, also known as prepartum haemorrhage, refers to bleeding from the vagina which occurs after 28 weeks of pregnancy. The cause is not absolutely clear, but some believe it’s related to cervical ectropion, vaginal infection, placental edge bleed, placenta praevia, etc. And such conditions usually need to be resolved by delivering a baby via a C-section. 

Elderly Primipara---Women who are pregnant for the first time at age of 35 or older are often referred to as “Elderly primipara”. Some researches have shown that the elder you get, the more likely you are to experience pregnancy complications that predispose you to a C-section.

Intrauterine Hypoxia---Intrauterine hypoxia occurs when the fetus is deprived of an adequate supply of oxygen. Some pregnancy complications can result in fetal oxygen deprivation and an emergency C-section is necessary. 

For more information: Having A C-section------What You Need To Know?