11/04/2024
Did you know that British Columbia leads Canada in c-sections? In BC in 2023 32.4% of births resulted in a c-section. This is even more shocking when you learn that the World Health Organization considers between 10% and 15% of births ending in c-section as acceptable.
Now I am not here to argue the fact that c-sections save the lives of mothers and babies. I recently was honored to witness such a c-section. It was highly emotional and hectic as the doctors rushed us down the corridor and into the OR. Between the call for c-section and the emergence of a beautiful baby girl only 15 minutes had passed. I am happy to report both mother and baby are thriving. However I have also been bedside when the mother was told she needed a c-section and then we waited for 4 hours before the baby was delivered vaginally healthy and crying.
Medical providers and the public alike seem to brush off how a c-section is. It is major abdominal surgery! During a c-section 7 layers of tissue are cut through, your organs are moved around, your baby is removed, and then all 7 layers need to be stitched back together. The healing process is also longer and generally harder than a vaginal birth. One of my clients told me after her c-section with her second “I never knew how much I used my abs until I couldn’t anymore.” Along with all these c-sections can also delay your milk coming in, you are usually required to stay in the hospital longer, and there is more research coming out linking c-sections to an increased risk of postpartum depression. Can you believe some people still say a c-section is giving birth “the easy way”!?
So what is causing this dramatic increase in “need’ for this major surgery? Well WHO links it to “health sector policies and financing, cultural norms, perceptions and practices, rates of preterm births, and quality of healthcare.” but there are things you, as a birthing person, can do to reduce your risk of c-sections.
One is being educated on birth and the policies and procedures of where you are giving birth. Another is delaying your arrival at the hospital for as long as you can (if you can) so you can progress in a more comfortable environment. Moving around and changing positions during labour is also very beneficial as well as your birth being attended by a midwife instead of a OBGYN.
The last thing that helps is having a doula. According to a study by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology “Pregnant patients supported by doulas services are 68% less likely to undergo CD (cesarean delivery) than those receiving standard prenatal care”. This is because someone is there who has educated you and is educated about birth, who knows the policies and procedures, who will ensure your wishes are respected, and knows the tips and tricks to get baby moving in the right direction.
Unfortunately c-sections are being used way more casually then they should. But we can help ourselves by being educated, ensuring our wishes are heard and respected, and having people on our care team we trust.
