When is a C-Section Necessary?
Your doctor may recommend a C-section, or surgical delivery of the baby through your abdomen when a health condition exists that makes vaginal delivery risky. The choice of a C-section is also made when a problem arises during delivery.
Whenever your doctor determines a C-section is necessary, it’s always to protect the health of you and your baby.
These are a few examples of conditions that often require a C-section:
- Labor fails to progress
- Fetal distress (baby has an abnormal heart)
- Umbilical cord problems
- Baby too large to pass through the birth canal
- Breech or transverse position
- Multiple babies
- Placenta separates too early or blocks the vaginal canal
- More than one prior C-section
- Uterine rupture
The mother’s health also influences the decision. For example, you may need a C-section if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or an infection that could pass to your baby during vaginal delivery.
What is a Gentle C-Section?
In the event you need to deliver with a C-section, your doctor from Premier Women’s Care of Southwest Florida makes your delivery as comfortable and natural as possible with a gentle C-section.
It’s a gentle C-section because every effort is made to help you participate in the experience. By comparison, standard C-sections are more like surgery than a wonderful childbirth.
Here’s what your doctor does to make your C-section gentle:
- Clear Drape: Draping is important to maintain a sterile field where the incision is made. In standard C-sections, the drape blocks the mother’s view. With a gentle C-section, a clear drape is used so that you can see your baby being delivered.
- Free Arms: During a standard C-section, your arms are stabilized. With a gentle C-section, your arms are free to move.
- Contact with Your Baby: Your baby is placed on top of you directly after delivery for skin-to-skin contact and to allow for breastfeeding.
Can I Deliver Vaginally After a C-Section?
Many women can go on to have a vaginal delivery after a C-section. The only concern is that the incision site from your C-section may cause a weak area that ruptures during a vaginal delivery.
Your doctor can evaluate your previous incision and decide whether it’s safe to attempt a vaginal delivery.
Whether you know ahead of time that you’ll need a C-section or it’s a decision made during delivery, you can count on a more natural experience from the doctors at Premier Women’s Care of Southwest Florida. To learn more about gentle C-sections, call or book an appointment online.
