Healthy women schedule C-sections to prevent vaginal stretching

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

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%! :down: 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.

Specializes in Labor and Delivery.
I never wanted a cs, but after three lady partsls....I can see the pro side of remaining intact. Let's empower women and our patients to make their own decisions based on what is important to them. Our job is to provide information, not pass judgement.

What about empowering the unborn child and the woman who would rather risk her healtha nd serious complications that come with any major surgery for cosmetic reasons-really? I'm sorry but it seems my generation, sadly, is so much about me me me me me me me me me.

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What about empowering the unborn child and the woman who would rather risk her healtha nd serious complications that come with any major surgery for cosmetic reasons-really? I'm sorry but it seems my generation, sadly, is so much about me me me me me me me me me.
That's why we provide the information, the risks, informed consent, our nursing duty. Then the patient makes their own decision. Then we support them without passing judgement. Cuz that's our job. They shouldn't be expected to base their decisions on your, or any other nurses, belief system.
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Specializes in OB (with a history of cardiac).

That's odd, in my area, and in my particular facility a woman needs to have her arm twisted to have a section. It's almost like the doctor/midwife and nurse have to say to her "hey, your baby is dying..." Had a woman whose baby had a prolapsed cord- babe was crumping, stat section. Woman was LIVID, when the happy drugs wore off. "I don't think it was really a needed intervention!" She complained the next day to anyone who would listen. Often we get women from the local birthing center whose labors are going bad and they're just not nice! They look at anyone in a white coat or wearing a stethescope and think "EVIL! EVIL!" This is very common I've noticed in the white, upper middle class super urbanites or suburbanites in their 20's and early 30's.

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I cannot believe the number of women who would voluntarily choose to have a csection, or that would prefer one straight from the get go. Women have been giving birth naturally from the beginning of time because it is what our bodies are made to do. The csection rate has gone up significantly in the last 20 years (a whopping 47%) and I can tell you it is NOT because lady partsl birth has become more risky. That is just ignorant. If you would just let your body do what it is meant to do, in low risk births, lady partsl delivery is much safer. Many births are complicated even by unnecessary inductions, which raise the risk of csection to 50%. Of course doctor's prefer to do csections. It's more convenient for them, it means less lawsuits, and insurance companies have much control as well. Most doctors these days have no idea how to really deal with natural birth, after all, they are there only when it is time to catch anyway, and many more are doing more csections every day. Hopefully this country will not one day become one where csections rates are higher than lady partsl births although it most likely will. The United States is the only country where medical doctors manage pregnancies and most deliveries. In other countries, most women are using midwives and only using doctors when they have a high risk pregnancy or had complications the first time around. AND OUR mother and infant mortality rates are higher. Pregnancy and birth is definitely a business these days and many people fail to believe that, but after watching "The Business of Being Born," I can definitely say that I realize that now and it has changed my life. I had my first son after elective induction with cytotec, cervadil, and pitocin (potentially dangerous drugs) and luckily was still able to deliver lady partslly. I had no idea at the time that my chances of having a csection double with an induction. Just a thought :)

Csection obviously has its place and thank goodness we have that option these days in case of emergency but they definitely are over used.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

IMO, women should have to pay cash for elective C/S, not the government/tax payers (Medicaid) and not the insurance companies (it raises everyone's premiums)

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Forget the lady partsl stretching!! I know too many women personally who have had a HORRIBLE time recovering from c/s surgery. No thank you! I don't want a c-section unless my life or my child's life is compromised.

BTW, I have had FIVE lady partsl deliveries (although my largest child was only 6 pounds 13 ounces). As of this morning, my husband still has no complaints about my lady parts ;)

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