C-section numbers have been growing in the last few years. At my hospital, 33.6% (was 20.7% in 1996) of all the births are done by c-section, whether emergency or planned. Why the increase?
Pitocin usage. It is the synthetic version of oxytocin (the hormone pregnant women secrete during labor) used to start or speed up the process of labor
Just some of the risks of Pitocin:
For the mother: Higher rate of complicated labors and deliveries, greater need for analgesics and anesthetics, postpartum hemorrhage and a higher rate of placental rupture and separation life-threatening to both the mother and baby.
For the baby: Fetal distress, a higher rate of jaundice, low apgar scores at 5 minutes, permanent central nervous system or brain damage and fetal death.
With naturally paced contractions, there is a time interval between contractions allowing for the baby to be fully oxygenated before the next contraction. In induced or stimulated labor, the contractions are closer together and last for a longer time thus shortening the interval when the baby receives its oxygen supply. Reduced oxygen could have life-long consequences on the baby's brain.
The longer, stronger, and closer contractions directly leads to more epidurals. Epidurals tend to slow down labor and make it harder for women to push.
Then the doctors finally say "there's nothing else to be done, we must do a c-section!" (emergency c-section numbers are rising)
Doctors do know best right? Actually, America has the
worst infant mortality rate of the ENTIRE DEVELOPED WORLD. It also administers the most pitocin. Interventions are not needed! In fact, a controlled randomized study showed that the use of pitocin to stimulate labor was not as productive for the progression of labor
as allowing mothers to change positions during labor by walking, sitting or standing.
I have decided that the only way I will be induced is if my water breaks unexpectedly and it has been a few days. (so infection does not harm my daughter) Any other time they can kiss it! I will not be induced.
C-section risks (just a few)
1) It is major surgery and infections can occur.
2) Those who deliver by planned (no previous health problems) Cesarean are 2.3 times more likely to be re-hospitalized within 30 days
3) C-section babies have higher rates of childhood asthma. Being pushed through the birth canal squeezes fluid from their lungs, so babies delivered vaginally tend to have fewer respiratory issues.
4) They are cutting THROUGH your abdominal muscles.
5) Longer recovery time
6) The hormones that are supposed to be secreted at birth by both mother and baby are not secreted at all, making it harder to recover mentally, physically, and go through the bonding process.
7) Babies are also more noticeably aggitated and harder to console in the days following birth. (see #6)
