Knowledgeable and Experienced Guidance

When should your doctor recommend a C-section?

On Behalf of | Nov 9, 2017 | Pregnancy Related Injuries |

Caesarean sections were, at one time, only utilized to deliver babies in Greenville as a method of last resort. This was no doubt due to the serious potential for complications to mothers. Advances in obstetrical science have made this procedure now seem routine. However, it should still be remembered that a C-section is still a complex surgical procedure that carries with it inherent risks to you and your baby. Yet oftentimes, your doctor might recommend that you have a C-section even when a vaginal delivery is still an option. Should you listen?

C-section procedures may present significantly less risk than they once did, yet that does not mean that the complications that may arise from them cannot still be life-threatening. The online medical journal Medscape reports that 12 percent these procedures performed in the U.S. experience one or more problems. Some of these issues may include:

  • Dangerous reactions to the anesthesia or other medications used
  • Extreme blood loss
  • The development of blood clots in the lungs, pelvic organs or legs
  • Bowel or bladder injuries
  • Surgical site infections

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists lists specific criteria for when a C-section should be recommended outside of emergency situations. These include cases where your baby is in a breach position or is abnormally large, when you are delivering multiple babies or when a medical condition you have requires it. So why would a doctor recommend a C-section when none of these criteria are met? C-section deliveries may be much easier to plan than vaginal deliveries since a doctor does not need to wait for you to go into labor and progress. Yet your well-being should be more important than your provider’s convenience, given that you and your baby will suffer the most if complications do arise.