Caesarean Section

The procedure that is done for opening the womb by cutting the front abdominal wall to bring the baby out of the mother’s womb is known as caesarean section.

A caesarean is done if there a high level of risk associated with the mother’s or baby’s health.

It can be done under one of the following ways:

a planned section if the medical help is unavoidable for giving birth to the baby.
an emergency section if there results in an urgent situation for the baby’s or mother’s health
elective section where one can choose on her wish.

A caesarean section is preferred if:

• The baby is in breech condition
• there is some risk for the baby
• the labour has not progresses in a normal way
• the woman has undergone a caesarean previously

Necessity for a caesarean

There may be cases when the baby‘s health is in danger from normal delivery. The following conditions can result in a caesarean section:

• high pre-eclampsia, which is hypertension associated with pregnancy
• the oxygen supply to the baby is very less than normal conditions
• normal delivery is not a feasible option at a given point of time.
• progress of labour is very slow
• if the mother is carrying twins or multiple babies
• the baby’s head is larger than the space that is there in way of its travel
• placenta praevia, which means the blocking of the womb by the placenta
• presence of infections such as HIV or active genital herpes.
• premature labour that can affect baby’s health
• if the mother suffers from conditions like diabetes or any other heart problems.

Women above the age of 35 normally require a caesarean because:

• of gestational diabetes
• hypertension during pregnancy
• of the slower dilation of the cervix
• if the baby is too large causing difficulty in vaginal birth
• placenta previa is present
• the position of the baby is complicated

Recovery

The time taken for recovering from a caesarean is more than that of a normal delivery.

One must to take as much rest as possible during the first week after the caesarean. Climbing up the stairs and walking down must be avoided since the abdomen is still sore. One must consult a doctor if there is pain.

Do mild walking to avoid clotting of the blood.

The normal time taken for the healing of tissues completely is six weeks. During this time, any stressful situation must be avoided.

The consequent deliveries need not be a caesarean even if the first one is a section. If the reason for which a caesarean was performed still persists during the next pregnancy, then the woman may need to undergo caesarean again.

A caesarean is also preferred because there are chances that the scar may open up if a normal delivery is attempted which can pose risks to both the bay and the mother.

Risks

The major risks include:

• wound getting infected
• endometritis
• constipation
• thrombosis on the leg
• excessive bleeding