What do you think would be the best way to lower the C-section rate?

The World Health Organisation states that a healthy C-section rate is 10-15%, when it is lower than that there are effects on maternal and neonatal mortality, and when it is higher than that the same effects are seen. In other words, when a risky surgery is overused it starts to do more harm than good.





The rate in the US in 2005 was 30.2%, and in the UK, 21%.





This means that in the US the C-section rate has risen by 46% in less than ten years.





So what do you think would be the best way to lower the C-section rates in these countries to life-saving levels?





How to do it?

What do you think would be the best way to lower the C-section rate?
You bet that a lot of women are uninformed about the possiblity of a csection and the risks involved.





Doctors do unnecessary c-sections because they're afraid of getting sued. But you know what? That doesn't stop them from doing B.S. inductions and administering epidurals that keep women on their back in labor.





It doesn't make a woman any less of a mother to have a c-section but it is a travesty that our society has turned birth into a medical procedure.





The best way to lower c-section rate is to give midwives more rights and protections under law, to encourage home births and freestanding birth center births, to limit inductions to truly medically necessary situations, for every laboring woman to have a dedicated birth attendant, and for continuous fetal monitoring to be the exception and not the rule.
Reply:The only way is to either ban it unless absolutely/medically necessary or make the cost out of your pocket so big(without insurance cover)people'll think twice.





Yes, the rise in C-section rate is not healthy. It's unnatural, if anything. Women have survived and giving vaginal birth for thousands of years, a little pain isn't going to kill you. A C-section just might.
Reply:I think women should be educated more on the risks etc, there are too many women who dont know the full ins and outs of it and just say 'what the hell' and go for the risky things that often end up with a c-section such as epidurals. But the women arent the only ones to blame, too many doctors agree to do unnecessary procedures, for example if a woman asks her doctor for an elective c-section and there is nothing wrong with her or her pregnancy and no good reason why she should have one then the docotr should turn around and say 'No', but they dont seem to be able to, they like the idea of having things run on a tight schedule so that they can go play golf at the weekend. But in all honesty, I dont know the best way to approach these issues, should it be down to the law? Or the people who teach these doctors? I really dont know.
Reply:If the women who accept the c-sections understand the risks and are willing to take them, isn't it their business how they choose to deliver and not ours?
Reply:How can you possibly expect people who are not knowledgeable in this field to answer such a question? Direct the question to health care professionals, where it belongs.
Reply:Wrongly used pain releif drugs can contribute to C-Section rates.





Epidurals can slow down labour and cause difficulties pushing which can lead to the baby getting into distress and the need for a C-Section. Pethadine can do the same thing although to a lesser extent.





If women were taught that childbirth is supposed to *hurt* and that you only really need an Epidural for an unusually long and painful/difficult delivery then I beleive both C-Section rates and incidences of babies being unable to breastfeed after birth would be reduced. The drugs given to the mother can affect the baby and cause problems with the baby feeding the first day or so after birth.





I had my son without any pain releif and my god did it hurt, but I survived. I had a 100% natural delivery, quite quick as it was not slowed down by drugs, and my son took to breastfeeding really well immediately after birth as his natural feeding reflex had not been suppressed by drugs. As a result, I'm so glad that I didn't have a highly medicated delivery.





Part of the problem is the chain of interventions. One intervention, even an epidural, is likely to lead to another and another and can end up culminating in a C-Section.





I think that part of the reason the C-Section rate is higher in America is that childbirth there seems to be very medicalised and Epidurals are given to everyone. The UK specialises more in midwife-led care and epidurals are not given as a matter of course (although they are available in most hospitals).





My son was born in a Midwife led unit where there was no hoice other than gas and air, waterbirth, massage, TENS and other minor means of pain releif. In the end I ended up having him with no pain releif at all and yes it was HARD. But the fact that my labour went really well, and also fairly quick, I beleiv eis testament to the fact that in cases of complication free labour, doing it naturally is the best way. Obviously more medical procedures need to be there for those who do need them.
Reply:stop people being allowed to request one. people should only be allowed one on medical advice from a doctor
Reply:I am a Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse. Our unit attends all "high risk" deliveries which includes all c-sections. Old school thinking is once you have had a c-section than all of your future children must be delivered this way. I would say 70% of all c-sections we attend are repeat c-sections, 20% are for what we call the baby is having "variables" which basically means that the baby's heart rate is dropping down to such a low rate that it is too risky not deliver right away in what we call a "crash section". The other 10% are for various other reasons...some are due to the mothers health,some are her labor is not progressing, and some are just plain elective. I do however agree that it is a major surgery that is way over used and that many women that have had a prior c-section do not necessarily need to have a repeat section. But unfortunatly, most docs do not see it that way, The good side is, we see VERY VERY few complications...at least in the hospital where I work.
Reply:Way too many women out there are too tired and are in soooo much pain and just don't want to wait any longer. My boss's wife for example is not even 3 weeks from her due date and wants be be induced for the simple fact that she is miserable. Hello that is pregnancy... we were all miserable in the end. You can't just be induced or have a C-section just because you want to gave the baby now... What ever happend to having a baby the natural way. I mean I'm all for an epidural, but there are way to many risks involved in inducing Early for non health reasons an C-sections.
Reply:Well personally I don't think it is anybody's business as long as it is done when necessary and at full term. I had to have a c-section and many doctors give them when the baby starts to get in distress because they don't want to be sued if something happens - and trust me, all of you who tout natural natural natural would probably be the first ones to sue if you were going natural and the baby had problems because you were in labor too long with the baby in distress before the doctor decided to do a c-section.





Another thing, if a woman has already had a c-section then why shouldn't she be able to elect to have another one? There are complications and most that try to deliver vaginally will end up having to have a c-section so why not leave that choice up to the woman and her doctor? Why should she have to sit in pain and in labor for 20 hours with risks, just to be whisked away to have another emergency c-section? If I had another child I would probably elect to go ahead and have a planned c-section instead of the emergency and chaotic c-section that will probably follow.





Another thing that ticks me off is when some women think they're better than others because they had a natural birth when some others had to have a c-section. Trust me, the healing hurt's like hell.
Reply:Until people stop bringing frivolous medical malpractice suits against doctors, or the courts learn how to recognize them and throw them out, a lot of unnecessary procedures will continue to be done.


The docs do C-sections when none is required, and also do a lot of other unnecessary procedures just to keep from being sued, not necessarily so they can send out larger bills.
Reply:I don't think this is possable. Most doctors do not even mention c-section as an option unless there is some sort of need for it. These statistics seem very odd to me. Of course the more women you open up, the riskier it is. However, I don't think that simply not doing as many c-sections is the answer either. I had a scheduled c-section because of the size of my baby. Yes, I could have pushed him out, but it could have cause more problems then a c-section would. He could get stuck in the birth canal, causing his heart rate to drop forcing an emergency c-section, it could have displaced his sholders, or even broken bones. Then again, none of those thing could happen and it could have been perfectly fine. I personally would rather the risk be on me comming through a surgety than on my baby. There is nothing any one person can do to lower the c-section rate. This procedure has saved many mothers and babies and it is not going anywhere. I think right now it is a trend, just like formula feeding was a few years ago. But like the breast, natural child brith will too make it's come back in its own time.





By the way, I cried when the doctor told me that a c-section may be required and all the things that could go worng woth either I chose. The reason I chose a c-section was because it removed the greater risk to my baby and put it on me. I wanted desperately to deliver naturally, no meds at all. I even refused to do the pre registration for the epidural. If and when I do have another baby, I am going to try to do a VBAC. Not that this matters, just fyi.
Reply:I don't think women should work in the later stages of pregnancy. Surely the stresses of todays life is a contributing factor to the increase in c-sections.





I wanted a natural birth like most women but i had complications which i put down to stress, physically and mentally.We were caught by surprise and had a mad rush, i plastered, wallpapered %26amp; painted rooms in our house from 3 months pregnancy (hubby worked long hours %26amp; no family help ) I was getting up at 4am every morning to clean offices %26amp; industrial units, i quit at about 8 months when i got pelvis problems %26amp; then i was admitted due to a liver condition which resulted in a c-section.





Theres no research into this but i think it is stress related, women are expected to be earners, housewifes %26amp; perfect mothers- all men do (majority) is earn so why do we put so much on ourselves to do so much more than the men? We do the hardest job by carrying and bearing the children its no wonder why our bodies can't cope.
Reply:stop people being able to choose to have one.


I'm all for them for emergency reasons weather for mother or child but too many women elect to have them unnecessarily.


when someone has had one they can choose to have another that's wrong and pointless unless the scar is likely to tear,only then i can see the benefits. i know a woman who had c section 10 yrs ago been told safe for natural birth as scar wont tear as so old but she dint want to go through labour


that's lazy and a waste of nhs money and silly as it is still major surgery


come on ladies have your babies as nature intended!!!!


(medical emergencies exempt of course)


mommy12406 is right when its needed its a great thing that saves lives
Reply:This was my research question so here is a snippet...





Caesarean birth rates are soaring despite much effort to reduce them not just for health fears but the fear of litigation cases against clinicians, moreover the effects such surgery has on a women psychological and physically.


It is suggested that one of the most common contributors to the rising rates of caesarean section births in the United Kingdom is simply down to the increasing number of women having a caesarean section for their first (primary) birth. The greater the number of primary caesarean sections, the greater the repeat caesarean section rate. Therefore promoting the increase in vaginal births for first time mothers is imperative if the overall caesarean section rate is to be reduced. Studies shown by the ’National Childbirth Trust’ show that an average of 80% of women who plan a VBAC , succeed in having a vaginal birth as opposed to a caesarean section. (www.nct.org).
Reply:One of the main problems in the UK is that delivery wards are so over stretched that if a woman is in labour for more than a certain number of hours, they encourage her to have a section just to free up the room. Their babies aren't in distress, but when a woman has been in labour for a long time and she is exhausted and a section is suggested, she is generally going to take it.


So more investment in labour wards is needed.





The other key things is more support for vaginal births after caesaeran. Women who have had one are usually offered another, they think this is the only choice and the options are not explained.
Reply:STOP GETTING INDUCED FOR NON-MEDICAL REASONS! Lots of women get induced because they just want their babies out so bad, and some Dr.'s do it for insurance purposes. It's terrible. Inductions raise the c-section rate a lot. And TRY TO SUCK UP THE PAIN! Most women who get c's end up getting them because epidurals make it so you don't know when to push, causing labor to stall sometimes as well.





P.S.





It's fine for emergency reasons though. I had a water birth, and it went great.
Reply:Ooops!





I thought this was a question about the mortgage industry.





Never mind.





You ladies don't mind if I take a couple points on the way out, do ya?
Reply:I'm no expert, but I really do beleive the high rate of Inductions is one of the biggest reasons for C-sections
Reply:epidurals given too early play a part in the high c-section rate as well.





many don't realize that the risk of cesarean is not only to the mother but the baby as well.





I think people should be encouraged to labor naturally, avoid epidurals until later in labor if at all, and be allowed the time %26amp; freedom to labor as they wish. scheduled c-sections to make delivery "convenient" are absolute hogwash! so very selfish of whomever it is that wants the convenience (mother, doctor, employer). use alternate forms of pain management (breathing methods, water birth, etc). go back to what childbirthing was before patriarchal medicine got a hold of it %26amp; deemed it an illness.