- You risk death 5-7 times more than with vaginal birth
- complications during and after surgery include surgical injury to the bladder, uterus and blood vessels, hemorrhage (1-6 women per 100 require a blood transfusion) blood clots in the legs (6-20 per 1000), pulmonary embolism (1-2 per 1000), paralysed bowel(10-20 per 100~mild cases, 1 per 100 severe cases), infection (up to 50 times more common), anesthesia accidents.
- 1/10 women report problems with normal activities for 2 months after the C/S birth...
- Twice as many women require re-hospitalization
- Negative emotions are reported by twice as many women for unplanned C/S
- Related to C/S being an abdominal surgery, internal scar tissue can cause pelvic pain, pain during sexual intercourse, and bowel problems.
- Increase sterility, miscarriage, placenta previa, abruption of the placenta, premature birth, uterine rupture.
Hazards to the BABY for Cesarean Section include:
- for planned C/S. some babies will be inadvertently be delivered prematurely. These babies may then experience breastfeeding problems.
- 1-2 babies per 100 will be cut during the surgery.
- babies are 50 percent more likely to have low APGAR scores, requiring assistance with breathing, and 5 times more likely to be admitted to intensive or intermediate care units.
- Babies born after elective C/S are likely to develop persistent pulmonary hypertension compared with vaginally birthed babies.
- Mother's have more difficulty forming an attachment to the baby.
- Babies are less likely to breastfeed.
Reference:
Coalition for Improving Maternity Services, N.D. The risks of cesarean delivery to mother and baby: A CIMS Fact Sheet: Retrieved by Google website, November 20, 2007, http://www.motherfriendly.org.
