Healthy women schedule C-sections to prevent vaginal stretching

[rph3664]

Has anyone personally encountered this, or known a doctor who would do it?

There's been press about this in the past few years, along with a "too posh to push" philosophy, and it seems very disturbing on so many levels. I don't have a link handy, but one story even said that in Brazil, the C-section rate for middle class women exceeds 90%! It's actually considered disgraceful in some circles to deliver lady partslly, according to the source.

Every woman I have ever known who has experienced both has said that a lady partsl birth is MUCH less painful, even a very traumatic delivery vs. a c-section with no labor at all.

Keep in mind that this is not a criticism of necessary c-sections.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Of course, God help the man who would suggest i needed such surgery. One, it would be the last thing he'd be able to verbally suggest, and two, if he thinks the idea's so fabulous, then he should be the one to GET the surgery.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

It is the elective C/S for personal schedules and vanity that really get to me.

Same here

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

......"elective ceserean chosen to preserve the integrity of the lady parts as seen on the Today show"

Ah yes, the Today show, forget listening to your HCP, the Today show is where the real deal is at :stone.

[PattonD]

Thanks for your candor Awren. Actually I would love to come to work with you for a few nights :)....for real.

I had no idea fluids are squeezed out of a babies lungs durning a vag delivery. Makes sense now.

How many moms know this?...percentage wise, do you think?

[PattonD]

a c/s because you don't want to feel pain is indeed a vanity reason.

according to webster:

vanity - having or showing undue or excessive pride in one's appearance or achievements : conceited

arwen, i'm having a hard time making the connection from vanity to pain relief.

[Jolie, BSN]

As for causing a danger to mom and baby, we have medical procedures done all the time that have some element of risk, often times in the name of pain prevention. Childbirth should be no different.

Can we please address the fact that childbirth is not, in and of itself, a medical procedure. It is a natural body function and process that has been overly medicalized, usually unnecessarily. That the medical community and society at large have come to view birth as a "medical procedure" is a tragedy. It is not a reason to further alter the event by electively transforming the process into unnecessary surgery.

Other than cosmetic surgery, which affects only the patient and not an innocent infant, can anyone name a condition in which the patient is allowed to dictate a surgical procedure as the first line of treatment when less invasive and less risky therapy has not been tried first? For example, patients with heart conditions are instructed to lose weight, exercise, stop smoking and use medications. They do not electively progress directly to open heart surgery because they are unwilling to try medical management of their condition first. (Unless they are determined to have a life threatening blockage.) Obese patients do not progress to bariatric surgery until they have attempted less invasive means of weight control, and pass psychological screening that indicates their likelihood of long-term success. Patients with chronic joint problems attempt PT and medical management of their pain before becoming candidates for joint replacement.

It is irresponsible of the public and the healthcare community to consider a surgical procedure to be the elective equivalent of a natural body process that poses far less risk to most mothers and infants.

[scattycarrot, BSN, RN]

The beauty of a lady partsl delivery for most women (and I have my experience comng up hopefully, at the end of March so I hope I am right!) is that while it is painful, its a pain soon forgotten. Speaking to friends and family members who have delivered lady partslly, they all say it was worth it and one of them had a very traumatic childbirth but is planning to go through it all again. The recovery time for the majorty of woman following a lady partsl delivery is short and you can be home in a few hours. With a c-section, you are looking at a much longer recovery time of 6 weeks and it is fact that women who have sections are less likely to breastfeed and are more likely to have babies who need supplemental support of some kind when they are born.

Now, as I said before, I support a womans right to choose but she should not pretend that she is doing it for any reason other than herself and definatly, not in the best of interests of the child ( I am only referring to sections for vanity reaons or 'pain' control).

[May_baby]

Patton -

Real women have lady partss.

Not "koochies"

:angryfire

[Jolie, BSN]

I'm having a hard time making the connection from vanity to pain relief.

The need for pain relief is legitimate and valid, and can be safely addressed in the childbearing woman thru a number of interventions. C-section is NOT one of them. Any woman who believes that a C-section is an appropriate means of pain relief in labor is seriously mis-informed.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

How many moms know this?...percentage wise, do you think?

Probably not many. I couldn't give you a #, but it's been my experience when I have a sneezy, puky baby (also far more common in c/s babies) moms act really surprised when I tell them this usually happens in babies whose moms had c/s.

Also, Jolie, I totally agree with your post.

[magz53]

I don't know why insurance companies who dictate so much of what can be done in the medical setting are paying for elective surgery. Are all the docs lying and submitting fake medical reasons for the surgery ? The cost factor is a significantly larger one with the use of OR, equipment, personnel, medication, anesthesia and a longer hospital stay. Insurance companies rule the decisions of physicians in so many areas.......how have they ignored this unneccessary surgery in so many cases. NY state mandates insurance companies pay for 48 hours for lady partsl deliveries and 96 hours for surgical deliveries. Is having a babysitter this weekend a good reason for scheduling surgery ?? I have seen it. The pain issue is ridiculous........when was the last time any one of us saw a patient "suffer' with a lady partsl delivery. Almost 100 % of our women get early epidurals and doze or watch TV until pushing. But that has been addressed on another thread. Anyone know anyone who works in the insurance industry ?? I seriously wonder how these elective sections get paid for unquestioned.

[rph3664]

I had no idea fluids are squeezed out of a babies lungs durning a vag delivery. Makes sense now.

How many moms know this?...percentage wise, do you think?

Probably not a lot is my guess. Most people probably don't even know that the lungs are full of fluid before birth.

Animals born by c-section usually die for this reason.

My oldest uncle was born at home, and my other uncle and mom were born in hospitals because MOU's birth was extremely difficult (I don't know the details) and had Grandma been in a hospital, she would have had a c-section. I've always wondered what happened because this was in 1930. The nearest hospital was 25 miles away, and since this was December, there might have been ice or a blizzard or some other obstacle to transporting them.

I remember reading in separate places that Bill Clinton and Queen Elizabeth were born that way as well. Makes me wonder what the indications might have been back then!

P.S. My uncle was none the worse for wear; he was 2nd in his graduating class, went to Thailand two days after the tsunami (the area wasn't affected by it) and had planned to be in Gulfport on Katrina weekend but didn't go because his flight was cancelled.