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Home › Articles › Cesarean › A C-section Baby Boom

A C-section Baby Boom

Why Cesarean Delivery
Is on the Rise

By Alexandria Powell

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Recovery time is usually much longer for a Cesarean than for a vaginal delivery. In addition, notes Imler, C-section moms have a greater chance of developing postpartum depression, and breastfeeding is often more challenging to initiate (although certainly not impossible).

What This Means to You
If you're getting ready to have a baby, how does all this affect you? The American Pregnancy Association recommends getting educated on the topic at hand – especially if you're considering an elective Cesarean. "People like the idea of, 'OK, we're going to have the baby on Thursday,' so they can schedule their lives around it," says Imler. "But what does it mean afterwards? Find out what a Cesarean will mean for your birth, for your recovery and for future pregnancies."

And even if you're hoping for an intervention-free delivery, it's still important to be knowledgeable about what might happen if there are complications and to be prepared for them, says Imler

Looking for a starting point? Talk to your healthcare provider about your delivery options and concerns – after all, he or she knows your individual situation better than anyone else – and make sure to keep the lines of communication open.

"My own feelings [about Cesarean birth] are somewhat mixed," says Jenny Lin, a mom of twins from Athens, Ohio. Lin had originally planned to try for a vaginal birth, but the position of her twins in utero made a Cesarean necessary. Lin's sons arrived safely and she found the Cesarean itself fairly easy, although the recovery was tough. "It was so frustrating trying to take care of and breastfeed two babies when I could barely walk, much less hold them," she adds.

"I will always wonder what [a vaginal birth] would have been like," says Lin. "But all in all, I have no regrets."

*Name changed to protect privacy.

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

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