Overuse of Caesarean section Essay

Over the past 20 years the rate of Cesarean sections (C-sections) births has risen. In these past years the rate of women having C-sections is one out of three. And they are not all due to a medical reasons. The question that comes to my mind is why? Well there are several factors that play a part in answering this question. To touch on just a few; First, I believe that we have become a society of convenience. Women want to plan their deliveries so it can be worked into their schedules instead of natural childbirth. Some research suggests that the labor interventions that are widely used make a C-section more likely. Another factor would be high risk women, many women are not seeking the prenatal care they need to deliver healthy babies, they are either from low income families, or are very young and aren’t aware of the prenatal care that is required while pregnant. In either case the lack of care to the mother and unborn child causes health issues for both of them. Which leads to having a caesarean section. While these issues can cause an over worked medical staff it is also miss use for a medical procedure that puts the mothers and unborn child at high risk for future health risks. Such as: life threating complications can include excess bleeding, blood clots and can even cause a future pregnancy to develop outside of the uterus. Babies born by C-sections have a chance of being cut during the procedure, they are less likely to latch on to the mother for breast feeding, or the mother may not be able to breastfeed due to the drugs used during the C-section. While there are definitely some medical advantages for having C-section. Such was the case for myself. While pregnant with my first child I was very healthy during the beginning of my pregnancy and followed my doctor’s orders, it wasn’t until my doctor on a routine checkup realized that my reflexes were extremely slow to respond and my blood pressure was on a steady rise. I was at 361/2 weeks at the time of this diagnosis and was put on bed rest and a diet of no salt. I was schedule a follow appointment within 3 days. I met with my doctor three days later during my checkup they discovered my reflexes to be non-responsive and my blood pressure to be extremely high. I was admitted to the hospital that afternoon with a condition called Toxemia,  and was schedule to have a C-section first thing the next morning. There was no other option for me as my liver and kidneys were on the verge of failing and my unborn child was in distress. Having a C-section was an advantage to me and the medical staff. The team of nurses and staff of the hospital were aware of my condition before I arrive and were well prepared for me. Which I believed helped in giving me and my child the best care possible. I believe that if women are having C-sections for legitimate health reasons there are many advantages for the patients and the medical staff that will be treating them. However C-sections should not be used for the convenience of one’s own personal gains and reasons. It puts a burden on the hospitals and the medical staff that works in them.