Mothers who are contemplating on having a C-section out of compulsion or choice may want to know the risks of a C-section and its implications on their future health and pregnancies. You may have had a C-section because of health conditions like heart problems, high blood pressure and obesity that make vaginal childbirth risky or impossible.
Cesarean births like many major surgeries involve risks, and many future implications on health and subsequent pregnancies. First prepare yourself to know the risks of a C-section and look out for methods to minimize or avoid them. Like any other surgery chances of infection to the neighboring parts like bladder and kidneys is the first risk. Secondly a C-section leads to more blood loss than vaginal delivery requiring blood transfusions to come back to normal health. Blood transfusions bring along with it more chances of infections in the form of AIDS, jaundice and other communicable disease.
The third risk you would be exposing yourself to all the other side effects of surgery like constipation, bowel distention, bloating of stomach besides the effects of general anesthesia. General anesthesia could cause pneumonia and other respiratory allergies. Also unexpected responses like variations in blood pressure due to contraindications to anesthesia and other medications could prove to be critical.
In addition, your baby will be delivered prematurely, if the due date is not accurately noted. Your baby may suffer from injury inflicted by obstetricians unintentionally when they work on you. Your baby may also have an increased risk of asthma and other breathing disorders like abnormal fast breathing at birth. It is also true that babies born by cesarean surgeries may have low Apgar scores and be less stimulated.
A C-section does have implications on future pregnancies and childbirth; it increases risks of complications in future deliveries .
There have been findings that state a C-section carries future complications like uterine rupture, hysterectomy, complicated postpartum hemorrhaging, postpartum infection, and manual delivery of the placenta. In addition, the risk of adhesions, future risks to fertility, increased risks of placenta previa in future pregnancies and possibility of C-sections in future births cannot be overlooked.
However there is no guarantee that all women who have undergone C-sections will have all these complications and risks. It just indicates the fact that women who have had a C-section surgery have more risks and health implications as compared to those who have had normal vaginal childbirth.
To conclude if you do have a choice between a C-section and normal delivery when your first baby is born, opt for a normal vaginal childbirth even if it means enduring more pain for some time. This would help you to not only avoid the risks of a C-section but its implications on your future pregnancies and health.
