Why are More Women Being Pressured into Having C-Sections?

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana. According to , in 2000, C-sections accounted for only 12 percent of all births. By 2015, 21 percent of all births were C-sections. Why? While there are many instances where C-sections are necessary, for example, if the baby is breach, if the placenta covers the mother’s cervix, or if the labor isn’t progressing as it should. Another case where a C-section might be needed is if doctors determine that the baby is in distress.

However, there are gray areas. This is where doctors for the World Health Organization say that doctors may be over eager when it comes to recommending C-sections. C-sections pose real risks to the mother. A C-section is a major surgery, after all. Women who have C-sections are more likely to have longer hospital stays. If anything goes wrong during the surgery, the woman’s bowels can be cut or the baby can even get cut. C-section comes with a risk of hemorrhage, infection, and heart problems. According to Parents, it is often not recommended to plan your C-section. Why? A C-section is a major surgery and while labor has its risks, a C-section can have far more complications.

Why are more doctors pushing women to undergo C-sections? It might come down to cost. Doctors get more money when they perform a C-section over delivering a baby naturally. And, while a doctor would certainly be performing medical malpractice by pushing a mother into an unnecessary surgery, there are many cases that are on the edge. For example, how long is too long before a doctor makes the call that the labor isn’t progressing? When doctors make the call for a C-section, mothers rarely protest the call.

If you’re pregnant and don’t want an unnecessary C-section, what can you do? If a doctor recommends the procedure, ask if the hospital has methods to turn a breech baby around without a C-section. Ask if the hospital will perform vaginal births on a woman who has had a C-section. Ask the doctor what criteria they use to measure a “stalled labor.” If the hospital doesn’t have methods to turn breech babies around, doesn’t permit women with prior C-sections to have their babies naturally, and doesn’t have clear guidelines on “stalled labor,” they may not be promoting vaginal births. Vox also recommends that women consider having a doula by their side. A doula can better assess the situation and help you understand when a C-section is necessary, and when it is best to let nature take its course. You can also ask your doctor what percentage of births in the hospital are C-sections.

Did you have a C-section that you believed was unnecessary? Were you injured in the process? Was your baby injured? If you or your baby have been hurt due to a C-section, you may have rights under the law. The The Bowling Christiansen Law Firm are Baton Rouge, Louisiana birth injury lawyers who work closely with victims who have been hurt due to medical malpractice while giving birth. If you have been hurt, our Firm may be able to help. Visit us at http://www.lawbowling.com/ to learn more.

The Bowling Christiansen Law Firm, A Professional Law Corporation

1615 Poydras Street, Suite 1050

New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112

Phone: (504) 586-5200

Toll Free: (504) 586-5200