How to Decide Whether to Have a C Section
Weigh the risks of any pre-existing health conditions you might have., Ask your doctor whether the position of the baby or placenta requires a C-section., Ask your doctor if you or the baby have a physical condition that would make a vaginal birth...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Weigh the risks of any pre-existing health conditions you might have.
There are some health conditions that can make it safer for you or safer for your baby if you have a C-section.
For this reason it is extremely important that your doctor know your complete medical history.
Conditions that might lead the doctor to advise a C-section include:
If you have a heart problem that could make going through a vaginal delivery dangerous for you.
If you have high blood pressure that makes it important that the child be delivered immediately.
High blood pressure related to a pregnancy is called pre-eclampsia.
If y ou have an infection that could be transmitted to your child during a vaginal birth.
Examples include genital herpes and HIV/AIDS. -
Step 2: Ask your doctor whether the position of the baby or placenta requires a C-section.
Sometimes the baby or the placenta is located in the uterus in ways that makes a vaginal birth more risky.
Under these circumstances, the doctor may advise against a natural birth.If your baby is breech or transverse, a C-section may be safer.
A breech baby is positioned so that the feet or bottom is born first.
A transverse baby is lying in the uterus so that it enters the birth canal sideways with its side or shoulder first.
Mothers carrying more than one baby often have one that is not in the normal head-first position.
If you have two or more babies that share a placenta, you may need a C-section to prevent one of them from not getting enough oxygen during birth.
If you have placenta previa, a C-section might be necessary.
Placenta previa occurs when the placenta covers your cervix.
Because the baby must pass through the cervix to be born, it is dangerous for it to be covered by the placenta.
You may also need a C-section if the umbilical cord, through which the baby gets oxygen and nutrients, is squeezed.
This can happen if part of the cord goes through the birth canal before the baby.
This is dangerous because it means that the oxygen supply to the baby during birth may be restricted. , Occasionally vaginal deliveries are not possible due to mechanical reasons.
These can include:
You have a fractured pelvis or an unusually small pelvis.
You have a fibroid that is in your birth canal which would prevent the baby from fitting through.
Your baby has an unusually large head.
The baby has an anomaly like omphalocele or gastroschisis (the baby's intestine or other abdominal organs are outside of the body), or cystic hygroma (cysts on the baby's head or neck), which would make a vaginal birth dangerous for them.
You are in labor with strong contractions, but your cervix is not opening to allow the baby through.
The doctor has tried to induce labor, but it was ineffective.
You had a prior C-section and the incision that was made into the uterus makes you more vulnerable for a ruptured uterus.
This is called a "classical C-section." This is not the case for all women who have had a prior C-section.
Many do have successful natural births. , If your baby is not getting enough nutrients and oxygen through the umbilical cord, it may not grow and develop at the proper rate.
The doctor will track your baby’s development and evaluate whether a C-section is necessary by:
Measuring the your baby’s heartbeat Measuring your baby's growth by measuring the size of the uterus from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus.
If this measurement is not normal for your gestational weeks, then an ultrasound is used to measure the baby.
Checking the blood flow to the baby with a Doppler ultrasound Measuring your baby’s growth trajectory in the ultrasound images -
Step 3: Ask your doctor if you or the baby have a physical condition that would make a vaginal birth difficult.
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Step 4: Assess whether your baby is developing properly.
Detailed Guide
There are some health conditions that can make it safer for you or safer for your baby if you have a C-section.
For this reason it is extremely important that your doctor know your complete medical history.
Conditions that might lead the doctor to advise a C-section include:
If you have a heart problem that could make going through a vaginal delivery dangerous for you.
If you have high blood pressure that makes it important that the child be delivered immediately.
High blood pressure related to a pregnancy is called pre-eclampsia.
If y ou have an infection that could be transmitted to your child during a vaginal birth.
Examples include genital herpes and HIV/AIDS.
Sometimes the baby or the placenta is located in the uterus in ways that makes a vaginal birth more risky.
Under these circumstances, the doctor may advise against a natural birth.If your baby is breech or transverse, a C-section may be safer.
A breech baby is positioned so that the feet or bottom is born first.
A transverse baby is lying in the uterus so that it enters the birth canal sideways with its side or shoulder first.
Mothers carrying more than one baby often have one that is not in the normal head-first position.
If you have two or more babies that share a placenta, you may need a C-section to prevent one of them from not getting enough oxygen during birth.
If you have placenta previa, a C-section might be necessary.
Placenta previa occurs when the placenta covers your cervix.
Because the baby must pass through the cervix to be born, it is dangerous for it to be covered by the placenta.
You may also need a C-section if the umbilical cord, through which the baby gets oxygen and nutrients, is squeezed.
This can happen if part of the cord goes through the birth canal before the baby.
This is dangerous because it means that the oxygen supply to the baby during birth may be restricted. , Occasionally vaginal deliveries are not possible due to mechanical reasons.
These can include:
You have a fractured pelvis or an unusually small pelvis.
You have a fibroid that is in your birth canal which would prevent the baby from fitting through.
Your baby has an unusually large head.
The baby has an anomaly like omphalocele or gastroschisis (the baby's intestine or other abdominal organs are outside of the body), or cystic hygroma (cysts on the baby's head or neck), which would make a vaginal birth dangerous for them.
You are in labor with strong contractions, but your cervix is not opening to allow the baby through.
The doctor has tried to induce labor, but it was ineffective.
You had a prior C-section and the incision that was made into the uterus makes you more vulnerable for a ruptured uterus.
This is called a "classical C-section." This is not the case for all women who have had a prior C-section.
Many do have successful natural births. , If your baby is not getting enough nutrients and oxygen through the umbilical cord, it may not grow and develop at the proper rate.
The doctor will track your baby’s development and evaluate whether a C-section is necessary by:
Measuring the your baby’s heartbeat Measuring your baby's growth by measuring the size of the uterus from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus.
If this measurement is not normal for your gestational weeks, then an ultrasound is used to measure the baby.
Checking the blood flow to the baby with a Doppler ultrasound Measuring your baby’s growth trajectory in the ultrasound images
About the Author
Andrew Stone
A passionate writer with expertise in practical skills topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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