Elective C-sections are scheduled in advance and chosen for various reasons, including risk factors or fear of vaginal birth. While controversial, they are on the rise in the US. Doctors may recommend them for medical reasons, but there are risks, including premature birth and difficulty recovering. Breastfeeding can also be a challenge.
An elective C-section, or elective C-section, is when a mother chooses to have her baby delivered surgically and the procedure is scheduled in advance. Mothers and caregivers choose elective C-sections for a variety of reasons, including when a vaginal birth may be too risky or when a mother is fearful of the pain or after-effects of vaginal labor and delivery. Although the safety and benefits of this procedure are controversial, elective cesareans are on the rise in the United States.
Elective cesarean deliveries are sometimes recommended by doctors because a health or physical condition indicates that a woman will not be able to deliver a baby vaginally. Women with high blood pressure or heart problems or unusually large babies could have complications during a normal birth that would require an emergency C-section. Doctors may recommend scheduling the procedure because elective C-sections are considered safer than emergency C-sections.
Some women opt for an elective C-section because they believe the procedure is safer than a normal birth, because they fear the pain and trauma of a vaginal birth, or because they are concerned about the possible aftereffects of a normal birth, such as sexual dysfunction or incontinence. Other women prefer the convenience of planning a birth because it allows them to plan time off work, childcare for other children, and home help.
There is a great deal of controversy about elective caesarean sections, particularly in cases where it is not medically necessary, due to the increased risks to the mother and baby. The procedure is usually scheduled to be performed at 39 weeks of pregnancy, but if the exact date of conception is not known, it is possible for a baby to be delivered prematurely, which can lead to respiratory and neurological problems because the brain and lungs they develop rapidly in the last weeks of gestation.
Although there have been great advances in surgical procedures in recent years with better antibiotics and more refined surgical and monitoring techniques, an elective C-section is still major abdominal surgery, and new mothers can have a difficult time both recovering from the surgery and taking care of care of their newborns. There is an increased likelihood of breastfeeding problems with babies delivered by caesarean section because milk supply may not be sufficient for babies born too soon and because breastfeeding can be extremely painful for a mother whose abdomen is healing. Also, C-sections for subsequent births are more likely after a woman has a C-section.
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