Important Facts About Elective Cesarean

There are a lot of pregnant women around the world who are deciding to schedule a caesarean section instead of a having a vaginal birth. Elective caesarean pertains to a caesarean section that is performed in a pregnant woman on the basis of a medical indication or at per patient’s request. However, before deciding to choose an elective caesarean, it is important for you to talk with your health care provider first.

Why Women Choose Elective Cesarean

There are number of women who want the expediency of scheduling the birth that is because of the fear they have; fear of postpartum sexual dysfunction, the fear of labour and childbirth and the pain you get with both and the fear of damage to the pelvic floor. For different reasons, between the convenience of scheduling the delivery and the insight those c-sections diminishes the risk of incontinence, more patients are asking about the option.

There may be few reasons why a mother would choose an elective cesarean for childbirth. One could be that she has a fear of having a vaginal birth. If you have experienced traumatic events in your life, especially in the case of sexual abuse for instance, a vaginal birth might seem very difficult for you, while choosing a cesarean might appear emotionally and psychologically safer to you.

This option is often recommended to pregnant women that are older in age and it is usually considered the safest option in the case of a breech presentation. There is also convenience for mother and doctor as time for the delivery is scheduled.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Elective Cesarean?

Having an elective cesarean is not without risks because this procedure is a major surgery. In a caesarean, anaesthesia is used, the abdomen and womb is opened. The typical recovery period is eight weeks, which is longer than the recovery for a vaginal birth.

Moving around is more painful than a normal delivery, as a result, you will be much less active when it comes to baby for feeding and help at home. In addition, you will stay longer in the hospital and the recovery time is slow compared to a normal vaginal delivery. C-section is known to predispose babies to diabetes by 20 percent chance.

How To Prevent Elective Cesarean Complications?

Several guidelines can be followed during elective cesarean sectionto reduce postoperative complications, like formation of adhesion. Those techniques include:

  • Prevent infections
  • Controlling bleeding
  • Keeping tissues moist
  • Use powder free surgical gloves
  • Handling tissues with absolute care
  • Choose sutures and implant carefully

What Are The Complications?

Elective caesarean can lead to higher rates of urinary tract injury, hemorrhage, and infection than vaginal deliveries. Women who have had cesarean sections have risks of complications in subsequent pregnancies including higher rates of unexplained stillbirth, placenta previa (placenta positioned over the cervix), and uterine rupture. There may be increased rates of ectopic pregnancies and spontaneous miscarriage following a cesarean, as well.

Surgical wound problems such as adhesions can cause bowel obstruction and chronic pain. Infertility can be resulted from adhesions that twist the tissues of the ovaries and tubes, blocking the passage of the egg from the ovary to the uterus. Infection of the uterus, incision or other organs such as kidney or bladder is also possible as well as blood clots in the legs, pelvic organs or lungs.

In addition, babies born by cesarean sections are predisposed to short-term respiratory problems; newborn lungs may benefit from the process of being squeezed through the birth canal. There is also a small risk of laceration from the surgery itself, and of prematurity. Premature birth happens when cesareans are unintentionally performed before 37 weeks of gestation and gives Apgar scores at birth.

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