Elective Cesarean

A growing number of women are deciding to schedule a Cesarean instead of having a vaginal birth. In some respects, it seems a logical decision. Today's mother-to-be is a busy woman. Scheduling a Cesarean means she can plug the date of the baby's birth on her calendar and easily plan around it.

Also, some women believe if a previous birth was by Cesarean, subsequent births are easier done the same way, or they've been told a vaginal birth after a C-section is difficult. Still other women believe a C-section is the safer way to give birth.

However, having a Cesarean is not without risks. It's easy to forget this is major surgery. With a C-section, anesthesia is involved, as is opening up the abdomen and womb. The typical recovery period is eight weeks, which is longer than the recovery for a vaginal birth.

"There can be long-term, permanent damage from a C-section," says Dr. Robert Atlas, chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Md. "Some women end up with chronic pain, numbness or itching at the incision."

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