| A vaginal delivery is the safest way to have a baby but many women today are being subjected to unnecessary C-section. Using C-section as a routine method of delivery carries many risks. A Cesarean Section delivery can save the life of a baby who might not otherwise have survived or whose health would have been compromise. However, the World Health Organization has stated that no country is justified in having a c-section rate greater than 10-15%. In the United States in 2006 the Center for Disease Control reported that the U.S. national average for cesarean deliveries rose again to 31.1%, an all time high. Anything over the 10%-15% recommended by WHO is harming women and babies more than helping them. In fact maternal illness following a Cesarean is 28% compared to only 1.6% following a vaginal delivery. Cesarean delivery also requires long recovery periods and can even be fatal. On average, planned out of hospital deliveries only result in Cesarean section 4-10% of the time. That means if you plan an out of hospital birth your chances of having a vaginal delivery are 3 to 8 times higher! If you have had a previous cesarean you may want to consider a vaginal birth with any subsequent pregnancies for the following reasons: Cesarean Section carries risk of: * Infections of the incision site, uterus and bladder (28% after C-section, 4% after vaginal delivery) * Uncontrollable blood loss * Need for blood transfusion * Injury to other organs (the bladder, bowel, urinary tract) or blood vessels * Injury to the baby * Breathing problems for the baby * Anesthesia complications * Psychological complications * Adhesions (painful bands of tissue that form between organs in response to injury caused during surgery) * Maternal mortality two to four times greater than that for a vaginal birth * More difficult recovery than after a vaginal birth * Increased risk of ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy that implants outside of the uterus) in future pregnancy * Increased risk for placenta acreta (when the placenta grows too deep into the wall of the uterus) in future pregnancy |
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