Myths busted about Cesarean and Normal Delivery

Incidence of cesarean section has increased many folds in the last two decades. Many myths surrounding it confuse the couple.

Myth 1 – The biggest myth is that all C-sec operations are done to get more money.

While it is true that a C-sec delivery will be more expensive than a normal delivery, it is important to understand the reason behind it. No obstetrician wants to do an unnecessary Cesarean section as it does not give any benefit to her. 

Charges for medicines, consumables, Operation Theatre and an extra day of admission for C-Sec deliveries should be the only additions to your maternity bill. At W Pratiksha Hospital, we practice a philosophy of global fees, which means that regardless of the type of delivery, surgeon fees for normal and c-sec deliveries remain the same. In addition, you pay the same for our medical services irrespective of the level of luxury you choose. The difference in rates between normal and c-sec deliveries at W Pratiksha Hospital is clearly visible. 

Myth 2 – Caesarean sections can spoil the health of women.

It does not have any long lasting bad effect on women’s health. As a senior practicing gynaecologist, my team and I, at W Pratiksha Hospital promote a normal delivery in all women, but ultimately the health of the baby and the mother is of prime importance.

Maternal death and infant death rate has drastically reduced in the last few decades due to good antenatal care and timely intervention. Many a times it is not advisable to prolong the pregnancy. The decision of a c-sec depends on the well-being of either the mother or the foetus.

 In cases of uncontrolled preeclampsia or intra uterine growth retardation, for example, it is not advisable to prolong the pregnancy. For the sake of the mother and baby’s health, sometimes, the doctor might opt for an operative abdominal delivery.

Myth 3 – Caesarean sections are advised in the last minute, although the doctor always communicated that everything was normal.

My opinion on all these statements is a lack of proper communication, education and open dialogue between both parties. This is the main concept behind W Pratiksha Hospital’s child birth preparation class.  We want to clear all facts and prevent last moment surprises. We certainly know the indications of elective cesarean, for instance when a baby is lying in an abnormal position in the uterus e.g. oblique, placenta is low, and baby’s head is bigger than your pelvis etc. But when women undergo labour, it is difficult to predict which cases will land in an emergency C-section, since it depends on emergency situations arising unexpectedly such as fetal distress, non-opening of the mouth of the womb, non-descent of baby’s head etc. 

So it is necessary to have a knowledge about these emergency situations beforehand to eliminate any surprise elements which leads to a sense of cheating.

At times during delivery, certain medical complications may arise such as cord prolapse, scar dehiscence or abruption of placenta (placenta detached from the womb and may result in a fatal situation for the baby and the mother). During these moments, your doctor may take decisions that are based on the present conditions and their clinical acumen to ultimately ensure the safety and health of the mother and the baby. In such circumstances, the relationship between the patient, the doctor and the family is important and requires a high level of trust. 

To conclude, I just want to say please have trust in your health   care provider and discuss openly.

_{This article is sponsored by: W Pratiksha Hospital}

_{To consult Dr Ragini Agarwal in person, click here.}