Why do women need cesarean sections

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In This Topic. What is a c-section? What are medical reasons for a c-section? The more c-sections you have, the greater your risk for pregnancy complications.

This is called a VBAC. There are problems with the placenta, such as placenta previa , which can cause dangerous bleeding during vaginal birth. The placenta grows in your uterus and supplies the baby with food and oxygen through the umbilical cord. You have an infection, like HIV or genital herpes. You can pass these infections to your baby during vaginal birth. So a c-section is safer for your baby.

You have a medical condition that may make vaginal birth risky, like diabetes or high blood pressure. Diabetes is when you have too much sugar in your blood. This can damage organs in your body, like blood vessels and nerves. High blood pressure is when the force of blood against the walls of the blood vessels is too high.

It can stress your heart and cause problems during pregnancy. Your baby is very large. If your baby is in a breech position, it means his bottom or feet are facing down. Some babies can be turned in the womb to move into a head-down position. But a c-section may be safer for your baby. Some physicians are more likely to recommend C-sections than others, or have varying definitions of what's really medically necessary. And if your doctor says you need a C-section, don't hesitate to ask why.

In certain cases like if your baby is large you may be allowed to try a vaginal birth first to see if surgery can be avoided, but you'll only be offered this opportunity if your doctor considers it safe for both you and your baby. Reasons for a C-Section: Planned and Emergency. By Stacey Stapleton and Dr. Laura Riley Updated September 11, Save Pin FB More. C-section rates at hospitals. Your baby's head is too big to fit through your pelvis; this is called cephalopelvic disproportion.

Baby is in distress because the doctors finds an issue with his heartbeat. The baby's oxygen supply has been disrupted by a prolapsed umbilical cord —a condition in which the cord slips down through the cervix ahead of the baby and becomes compressed. The placenta starts to separate from the wall of your uterus placental abruption , which can cause heavy bleeding and complications for your baby. A previous C-section scar rips open uterine rupture.

Your baby has breech presentation. If your baby is positioned feet or buttocks first instead of head first and your doctor can't turn him around, a C-section is usually the safest way to deliver. You've had a cesarean before.

Not all doctors and hospitals perform vaginal births after cesarean VBAC. This uterine rupture may cause extreme bleeding or hemorrhaging, and it threatens the baby and the mother. Many insurance providers refuse to cover VBACs, or they make the procedure very expensive. You have placenta previa. If your placenta lies at the bottom of your uterus instead of at the side or top , it can block your baby's exit from your womb or cause heavy bleeding during delivery.

The mother experiences health issues such as high blood pressure, kidney disease, heart disease, or diabetes that may spark pregnancy complications. The mother has a sexually transmitted disease , like active genital herpes or HIV, that could pass to the baby during vaginal delivery.

Depending on the situation, a baby with a major birth defect like hydrocephalus may have a better outcome if delivered by cesarean.

The two investigators have different professional backgrounds nurse and obstetrician , so that our findings were approached and discussed from different angles to ensure consistency in the analysis. Previous studies have reported reasons which were not found in our study, such as fear of pelvic floor injury and urinary problems or encouragement from health personnel [ 13 , 15 ].

Since cesarean section on maternal request is not allowed in our institution, some women who preferred cesarean birth and were aware of our hospital policy, may have gone to the private sector instead. Some doctors prefer cesarean to vaginal birth because it is faster, more convenient and more profitable [ 8 ]. Limitation of our study was that it did not represent pregnant women in the private sector where cesarean birth on demand is permitted. Many reasons for cesarean birth emerged from pregnant Thai women.

One striking reason was superstitious beliefs in auspicious birth dates, which was a challenge for obstetricians to approach. Obstetricians should explore in detail why women request cesarean birth and provide effective counseling in order to decrease cesarean birth on demand.

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Why do some pregnant women prefer cesarean? The influence of parity, delivery experiences, and fear. Am J Obstet Gynecol. Pregnant women's preference for cesarean section and subsequent mode of birth - a six-country cohort study.

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Gholami A, Salarilak S. Why do some pregnant women prefer cesarean delivery in first pregnancy? Iran J Reprod Med. Kovavisarach E, Sukontaman W. Preferred route of delivery of Thai pregnant women. J Med Assoc Thail. The negative birth experience of prolonged labour: a case-referent study. J Clin Nurs. Women's perceptions of living a traumatic childbirth experience and factors related to a birth experience. Women's knowledge and attitude towards mode of delivery and frequency of cesarean section on mother's request in six public and private hospitals in Tehran, Iran, J Obstet Gynaecol Res.

Attitude of pregnant women towards normal delivery and factors driving use of caesarian section in Iran Bio Psycho Soc Med. Auspicious birth dates among Chinese in California. Econ Hum Biol. Download references. There is no role of funding body involved in the design of the study and collection, analysis and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar.

All authors were involved in study conception and design. PM had the primary responsibility for data collection. CS and SC participated in data analysis, interpretation and drafting of the results. CS prepared the manuscript and completed revisions.

SC and SP provided critical feedback on all manuscript drafts. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript. Correspondence to Chitkasaem Suwanrath. All participants were provided information sheets about the study and all women signed written informed consent prior to the interviews.

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Reprints and Permissions. Suwanrath, C. Why do pregnant women prefer cesarean birth? A qualitative study in a tertiary care center in Southern Thailand. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 21, 23 Download citation. Received : 30 April Accepted : 23 December Published : 06 January