Caesarian Sections.

Surely the whole decision should be based on the health of the Mother and the Baby. I was fortunate to have two very easy normal deliveries, but there can be some pressure from groups such as NCT, the one I attended made anyone who had a caesarian feel somehow guilty, as if they hadn't had a 'real birth experience' and this prejudice carried on when it came to anyone unable to breastfeed and choosing to bottle feed instead. Quite an uncompromising group of people, lots of talk about planning the perfect birth experience, which of course never goes as planned and women left feeling a bit left out or let down afterwards. I was the maverick of the group; no birth plan for me, my unborn baby hadn't been consulted.

Indeed C-sections are much safer these days. When it was decided that my mother needed an emergency Caesarean when I was born in 1950, my father was asked if the worst came to the worst, did he want the doctors to try to save my mother's life or mine. I cannot imagine how he felt.

That's the word I was looking for in my earlier post - epidurals - all I could think of was spine blocks. Thanks loopy.

As a former midwife 'Too posh to push' was definitely a reason in the late 70's, less so I hope nowadays.
Epidurals are a reason now, as well as when there is foetal distress or dangers to the mother.
I was shocked that my cousin's DIL, after 72 hrs in labour, was refused a CS 'because it costs £750', and ended up with an emergency one after 4 days because at 5' and a size 6 she was never going to push out a 9lb 10oz baby! Her MIL even offered to pay the costs, so distressing was the situation.
The poor lass has vowed never to have another, hardly surprising but very sad.

I really do think that the crux of the matter is the relative safety in each situation, which is based on a medical assessment.

I had a ventouse delivery (vacuum extraction) given because DS1 was transverse.

Breech birth is legs first Falcon or there's something called a face presentation where baby is the right way up but facing the wrong way. These both cause problems.

Back to back I believe [from watching One born Every Minute]. I think C sections were done a lot in America because of litigation [is that the right word?] and, as ever it spread over here. Wonder if, with people eating better and not smoking babies are getting bigger and bigger these days? And, of course, with C sections now being done sooner rather than later we don't know the consequences of waiting a bit longer for a vaginal delivery.

I had one at age 42. It was an emergency-baby was in distress,and premature. She would have died otherwise.

I hear of lots of women having planned c-sections (not in the "too posh to push" sense), and I wonder if it's something to do with meeting targets/efficiency.

I can see what's happening. Now that a C section is safe it is used far more often.

My DIL had a C section with her first baby but the midwives helped her to have a normal delivery with the second baby. It was a struggle involving forceps but my DIL felt much better and recovered far more quickly.

Back in the 40s my cousin was born facing the wrong way round (don't know the medical term.) The midwife, on her own, managed to deliver the baby and my aunt went on to have 4 more children without complications. What an amazing woman that midwife was.

My DiL had all 3 babies by C-section.The first after 36 hours with no progress.The second exactly the same and when the 3rd was due the consultant said they would not even consider trying so it was an elective op.

It is about balancing risks. At one time it was safer to try and proceed with a difficult labour as the risks of C section were high. Now that those risks are lower, often the C section is safer than a risky vaginal delivery.

My mother was a midwife. There was concerns about the overuse of C-sections even in the 70s, I remember discussing it with her when I was expecting my first baby as I was born by C-section myself in the 40s.

When the procedure became safer there was a tendency to use this rather than risk the life of baby or mother, and perhaps over-use it.

I believe that spinal blocks, which are used more and more these days, can lead to an increase in C-sections too. Then of course there are those who have elective C-sections, some for medical reasons but some for other reasons.

A vaginal delivery is much better for baby where possible and safe.

Sorry ' heart rates' x

Both DILs had emergency C sections. One after a long labour - baby in distress. The other, arriving at hospital, was told that both her and baby's hear rates were alarmingly high.

They are both healthy young women carrying no extra weight! x