All You Need to Know About C-Section or Cesarean Delivery

Over the past few years, the rate of cesarean deliveries in India has been rapidly increasing. There are two ways for the delivery of the new-born i.e., normal delivery and caesarean delivery. Whatever type of birth one is expecting, ruling out the possibility of C-section or cesarean delivery is never an option. When complications arise during labour, doctors usually prefer to perform C-section deliveries.

What is a C-section delivery?

A C-section or cesarean section is a type of operation or surgery used to deliver the baby. In a cesarean delivery, the doctor surgically removes the newborn by making an incision in the mother’s abdomen and a second incision in the uterus.

Increased rates of C-section or Cesarean delivery

Cesarean deliveries have been increasing over the past few years and doctors have linked it to multiple facts like obesity, diabetes among many others. Some other reasons include lifestyle changes and the use of epidurals and techniques that induce labour. These techniques may result in complications leading to a C-section delivery.

Prepare

Take care of your weight if you want to avoid having a complex surgery or a C-section. Right from the time of pregnancy, the mother must take care of her weight as overweight women are most likely to deliver by C-section or have cesarean deliveries.

Research and Read Well

Before the pregnancy, adequate research is advisable to ensure one knows about the requirements beforehand. Once the baby is born, the mother may not have sufficient time to do anything else, at least for a few days.

The Procedure

The Obstetrician performs the C-section, who will use a surgical knife and make a horizontal incision in the skin and the abdominal wall, along with the bikini line. A low cut is made to take care that it would not be easily visible. Some women also get a vertical or up-and-down cut. Once the abdomen is cut open, the doctor makes an incision in the uterus. Usually, this is a side-to-side cut that ruptures the amniotic sac surrounding the baby. After the protective membrane ruptures, doctors remove the baby safe from the uterus, the umbilical cord is cut and then they remove the placenta. Afterwards, the doctor examines the baby before giving it to the mother for skin-to-skin contact. After the delivery and a few afterbirth procedures, the doctor repairs the cuts made to the uterus with stitches. Then they stitch the abdominal skin or staple it. Once all the procedures are complete, doctors shift the mother to the hospital’s maternity ward to recover.

Recovery

After a cesarean section, a woman spends 2 to 4 days in the hospital. However, complete recovery is only possible after 6 weeks. After surgery, the mother would experience a sore abdomen due to the surgery which will need some time to heal. To get rid of the post-surgical pain, doctors prescribe pain medications till the time the pain doesn’t go away. Besides, some women also experience bleeding for 4 to 6 weeks after a surgical birth. It is advisable to not have sexual intercourse for a few weeks and avoid strenuous activities like lifting heavy objects. Cesarean section deliveries can be lifesaving for both the mother and the child in certain cases, which is why doctors insist on the same in times of complications. However, if the mother has had a cesarean delivery in the past, she is most likely to deliver in the same way during her consecutive deliveries.