You might say there's nothing typical about Linda Sorin's childbirth experience. Sorin is a Chicago-area mom of triplets. She gave birth during a full moon and on Friday the 13th. But in one sense, Sorin's delivery was not unusual. Her triplets arrived via C-section, or Cesarean delivery.

According to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly a third (29.1 percent) of all U.S. babies are delivered via Cesarean – a whopping 40 percent increase over the last decade. And this number is expected to climb even higher, says Dr. Jacques Moritz, director of gynecology at Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan. "I see it eventually getting as high as 50 percent," Dr. Moritz says.

This increase has many experts concerned. While there's no doubt that Cesareans save lives – before the modern C-section, mothers and babies often didn't make it through difficult births. But a Cesarean is major surgery and brings with it its own set of risks. In fact, April 2006 was recently declared Cesarean Awareness Month by the International Cesarean Awareness Network, Inc. (ICAN), an international nonprofit organization dedicated to lowering the Cesarean rate.

When Karen Hunt's* labor began, her daughter was in the breech position. Hunt's doctor offered her the option of delivering vaginally or choosing a Cesarean, and then gave Hunt and her husband a few minutes to think it over. "We asked the nurse why we should choose a C-section over a regular birth," says Hunt, a mom of two in South Carolina. "We were told that it was possible the baby could get caught in the birth canal and die. After that, it was a no-brainer." Hunt had the C-section and both she and her daughter are doing well today.

Cesarean delivery is performed for many reasons. In situations like Hunt's, where going through with a vaginal delivery would be dangerous for the baby, the mother or both, a C-section can be a life-saving operation.

Content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical question or condition. Reliance on information presented on this site is at your own risk. This site contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of this site, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.