In Spain the debate that can become a woman about if it is better to have a normal delivery or a caesarean section It is not very useful because in private healthcare, where the majority gives birth, caesarean sections are only done if the obstetrician thinks he should do it.
However, there are countries in America, where many of our readers are, in which doctors inform women of the two options so that they are the ones they choose, in many cases misrepresenting the information to choose caesarean section and I don't give birth, when the ideal is the opposite. That is why today we want to give you a warning: future mom, distrust the doctor who recommends a cesarean in a normal pregnancy.
The incredible and irresponsible cesarean section rates
About a year ago, alarms in the Dominican Republic jumped as they reached the terrible figure of 56% of deliveries finished in caesarean section. When shelling it, it was seen that in public health the percentage of caesarean sections was 44% and in private of 87% (Only 13% gave birth vaginally!).
Something similar happened in Brazil, because they saw that there were 52% who gave birth by caesarean section, in what are considered totally impossible to believe, while irresponsible.
Impossible to believe because there is no way to believe that more than half of women have an emergency delivery in which they need a caesarean section and irresponsible because Caesarean section has more risks than a normal delivery; and also, because these figures are totally far from those recommended by the World Health Organization, when it states that only one in 10 deliveries should end in caesarean section (10%, although 15% are considered acceptable).
The lies that doctors can tell women
In Facebook's comments to the posts we publish we have often encountered phrases and arguments of women who defend the caesarean section based on what the doctors have explained to them. Sometimes we have put pictures of newborns and some women have said things like "He is very purple, how dangerous, he should have been born by caesarean section", "If he had been born by caesarean section it would have been better for his little head" or "For the woman it is better give birth by caesarean section because this way your vagina does not suffer ”.
That is, some doctors are dedicated to convincing women that it is better for them and their babies to have a C-section (perhaps because a C-section costs more money and so hospitals and they charge more), inventing arguments such as the one of the baby's coloring, when all children are born moraditos because at birth they have to start breathing and receive oxygen from outside; such as that the birth deforms the baby's head and that is dangerous, when the head is able to deform to pass through the birth canal and then regain its shape when leaving, without being a risk to the baby; and as it is better for the health of women and babies, when in reality it involves many more risks.
Risks of caesarean section
If the pregnancy is normal, the ideal is that delivery is also normal. Normal, what would happen if nobody helped the woman at any time. The contractions would begin, the dilation would take place, the cervix would be erased, the desire to push would appear and after a while of bids the baby would be born. It is that simple in most cases, but if something goes wrong, women tend to give birth to hospitals.
In case something goes wrong, or if it is very clear that vaginal delivery can be dangerous (or if it has to be advanced for some reason and the induction does not progress), then C-section is done because The ultimate goal is to protect the life of the mother and the baby. But, in a normal pregnancy, without any risk, do C-section directly? It makes no sense because of the risks involved and because the recovery is usually much worse than when the birth is vaginal. They want to leave the mother annoyed without needing when she could be better able to take care of her baby after childbirth.
What are the risks of a caesarean section? Well, although many people think it's a lie, because giving birth by caesarean section is relatively safe today, Caesarean section carries more risks than giving birth vaginally, and therefore the recommendation is that they be used only if strictly necessary. The risks are:
- Infection of the bladder or uterus, since it is a surgical intervention with wound and rupture of the uterus, which should heal.
- Injury of the urinary tract.
- Injury to the baby (we have already seen here a wound made during caesarean section).
- In infants it is five times more frequent that respiratory assistance is performed and five times more frequent that they are admitted to intermediate or intensive care.
- Babies born by scheduled caesarean section are at four times the risk of developing persistent pulmonary hypertension (persistent pulmonary hypertension is a threat to life).
- Babies born by caesarean section are less likely to be breastfed, and when they receive breast milk they usually do so for less time.
- Increased risk of placenta previa in future pregnancies.
- Increased risk of placenta attached in future pregnancies (the placenta has trouble separating after the next delivery).
- Increased risk of uterine rupture.
- Increased risk of bleeding as a result of the three previous situations.
- Bleeding from bleeding in the intervention area (which may require blood transfusions and, in the worst case, the removal of the uterus).
- That blood clots occur that reach the pelvic veins or legs.
- Wound infection.
- Maternal mortality risk 5 to 7 times higher.
That is, the cesarean is an intervention that has saved thousands of babies and their mothers when things get complicated, but that It is also putting thousands of babies and their mothers at risk because her pregnancies are normal and her births, most likely, were going to be too.
That is why we have to distrust the doctors who put their comfort or the money they are going to gain to the health of mom and baby and look for professionals who help mothers understand what a pregnancy and a normal birth is like and have it done they protagonists of their pregnancy and their birth, taking advantage of the strength and confidence that every woman should have to give birth to her baby.
