Tips for Avoiding a Cesarean
How can you avoid having a c-section? There are many things you can do and choices you can make that will assist you if this is your goal.
1. Choose your Care Provider Carefully
You have a right to a care provider that will treat you with respect and who will work with you to have the birth experience that is best for you. Ask about c-section rates if you are working with a doctor, ask about hospital transfer rates if you are working with a homebirth midwife, ask what will risk you out if you are at a birth center. If you choose someone and partway through pregnancy you decide that it isn’t working, look at your options again – don’t be afraid to switch if needed!
2. Educate Yourself
While it is important to discuss your decisions throughout your pregnancy with your partner and your health care provider, one of the best things you can do during pregnancy is to truly educate yourself. Read books, talk to other mothers, open your mind to all the options available to you. Look at the statistics for c-section where you live and accept that the possibility is real, instead of hoping that you will not have a c-section, find out what reasons exist for a c-section and what you can do to avoid the specific scenarios that might crop up.
3. Learn About Fetal Positioning
Babies that are sitting in optimal position when labour begins make everything easier. The body dilates best if the baby’s head is pushing down just right. Sometimes the baby’s position is not within our control, but there are things that can be done during pregnancy to encourage optimal positioning. This includes spending as little time in a semi-reclined sitting position as possible (tilting somewhat forward is much better). A great website to check out to learn about optimal positioning during pregnancy and labour, including how to try and encourage a breech baby to turn, is Spinning Babies.
4. Avoid Induction
The last few weeks of pregnancy can be a difficult time. Mom is heavy and tired and so, so, so ready to meet the new little one. But, generally speaking, babies need to stay inside until they decide it is time to be born. Specific medical concerns aside, moms and doctors sometimes rush birth via induction. If your body isn’t truly ready to go into labour, induction can just be a frustrating experience that ultimately leads to a decision to perform a cesarean, because progression doesn’t occur within an allotted timeframe.
If you want to know more about induction and c-section risks, read these:
Labor Induction Boosts C-Section Risk from Medicine Net
labor induction (whether elective or not) increased the odds of having a C-section by more than 2.6 times.
Elective Induction of Labor by Henci Goer
5. Have A Great Support System
When you are in labour, it can be very difficult to concentrate on anything other than your body and what it is working so hard to do. A great assistance during labour is having a designated support person who understands your wishes as regards birth and who will help you as needed. It is important that this person is on the same page as you (ie agrees with natural vaginal child birth, understands your birth plan, etc) because sometimes close family or friends can be a great support person in general but when you are at the hospital and faced with decisions, family might make a choice they are comfortable with, not the one you would have made. Your support person should be concerned about honoring your wishes, not doing what they think is right or safe. A doula is a particularly good option as a support person and well worth the financial cost, because they are experienced and ready to act as your advocate in the hospital. They leave your partner free to hold your hand, take pictures and even grab a quick snack or drink as needed.
