Natural Child Birth Is Best
Learn The Facts About The Dangers Of
Caesarian Section Births
The following information was obtained on Dr. Mercola’s website,
www.mercola.com.
Go to this website to get active links to other resources. Some
of my comments are below, preceded by DG.
Natural Birth is Best
A major study of more than 94,000 births found that women who
have a planned (elective) caesarean section put themselves, and
their babies, at increased risk of serious complications.
- Risk of maternal death was three to five times higher
compared to vaginal birth.
- Risk of requiring a hysterectomy after a cesarean
was four times higher than after vaginal birth.
- Being admitted to intensive care, requiring a hospital
stay of more than seven days was twice as high for those who
underwent planned caesarians, compared to those who had
natural births
 The
only time cesarean section was a safer alternative than vaginal
birth was for babies who were in a breech position. But for
normal, headfirst deliveries, the risk of the baby dying or
suffering serious complications was one-and-a-half times higher
when an elective (non-emergency) cesarean was performed.
This study should be a wake-up call, as nearly 25 percent of
all deliveries are now cesarean sections.
According to lead researcher Dr. Jose Villar, “The
increase in rates of caesarean delivery at an institutional
level is not associated with any clear overall benefit for the
baby or the mother but is linked with increased morbidity for
both.” Said Dr. James Walker, spokesman for the Royal College
of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and an obstetrician in Leeds,
“[C-sections] can save lives in some circumstances but it does
have risks for the mother and baby. It is important we don’t
think of them as just another delivery option. This research is
a reality check that we don’t go too far.”
Sources:
The Telegraph October 31, 2007
British Medical Journal October 30, 2007 [Epub ahead of
print]
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
There’s no doubt that a cesarean
section can save your life, or the life of your baby in some
circumstances. But the main point here is that ELECTING to have
a C-section rather than going through with a vaginal delivery
will increase your risk of serious complications, including
death, for either you or your child.
Some instances where a C-section is necessary would include:
- In the event of a prolapsed umbilical cord (the
umbilical cord slips through your cervix before your baby
and may endanger your baby's oxygen supply).
- In the event of placenta previa, which occurs when
your placenta grows in such a way that it blocks your baby's
exit through your cervix.
- When your baby is in a transverse (sideways)
position.
- If you have an outbreak of genital herpes.
Unfortunately, the growing fanfare surrounding cesarean
sections is another health care "illusion." The rising rate of
C-sections is not due to an increase in the complications
mentioned above, but rather to an increase in planned C-sections
for reasons such as patient or practitioner convenience,
pain-free labor, or provider liability fears, none of which
constitute a valid reason for C-section.
If you are on the fence about whether or not to deliver your
baby vaginally, remember that a C-section is MAJOR surgery,
which brings with it many risks. As with all modern procedures,
deciding to use drugs or technology is a judgment call -- it may
make things better, or worse.
For example, babies born by C-section do not receive the
natural stimulation that comes from moving down the birth canal,
and therefore must often be given oxygen or a rub down to help
them breathe. They also do not receive your natural hormones,
which are released during vaginal birth to help your baby during
its first moments of life. Merely putting yourself in the hands
of a high-tech doctor and a high-tech hospital does not
guarantee you the safest birth. You
yourself must take responsibility for your child's birth,
including your decision of whether or not to use surgery.
There is not a single report in the scientific
literature that shows obstetricians (specially trained surgeons)
to be safer than midwives for low risk or normal pregnancy and
birth. So if you are among the more than 75 percent of all women
with a normal pregnancy, the safest birth attendant for you is
in fact not a doctor but a midwife or doula.
Below is a variety of sources to help you make your pregnancy
and childbirth as healthy and joyous as it possibly can be. If
you are not pregnant, but know someone who is, take a moment to
forward this vital information to her as well. It may make a
world of difference.
Education resources:
Home birth resources:
- The Home Birth Advantage by Dr. Mayer Eisenstein
- www.homefirst.com
- www.elvovemd.com
- Check your yellow pages or do a Google search for home
birth providers in your area.
How to find a midwife, doula, or birth attendant:
Water Birth Resources:
Water birth
International (DG: Both of our children were born this
way. This is option provides incredible support for the mother
who can have her body weight supported while birthing in
positions that maximize comfort and allow for maximizing opening
of the birthing canal and gravity is working in the desired
direction of birth. This is dramatically different from giving
birth on one’s back, which narrows the pelvic opening (creating
a smaller tunnel for the baby) and forces the mother to birth
uphill, against gravity. Does uphill birth seem ideal? Perhaps
for the comfort of the attendants and physician … but not for
the comfort of the mother and the efficiency of the birth.)
Emotional resources:
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