Know in Depth About Caesarean Process
The caesarean birth process takes place through an incision in the uterus and the abdominal wall. The birth does not take place through the vagina.
The normal caesarean process takes between 45 minutes to one hour. The baby is delivered between 5min to 15min. The rest of the time is taken to close the incision.
Pre-Surgery:
Prior to the surgery you will be given an anesthetic which could either be spinal, epidural or general. This anesthetic will be given to you if you are not given one earlier during your labor. The general form of anesthetic is normally only used in case of emergency cesareans because it affects immediately. Thus you are immediately sedated by it.
The spinal and the epidural anesthesia on the other hand is used to numb the area from the abdomen up to the below the waist area. Thus you will not feel anything during the procedure. You will be given a catheter to collect the urine while in the mean time your lower body will be numb.
Surgery:
The first thing that your surgeon will do is make an incision in your abdomen wall first. If it is an emergency case of cesarean then the incision made will most probably be vertical i.e. from the navel up to the public area. This vertical incision will assist your health care professional to deliver the baby faster. The most common form of incision that is made is done horizontally i.e. just above the pubic bone. This will not cut the muscles in your stomach. They will rather be pulled apart which will help the health care provider to get to the uterus.
The incision will then be made in the uterus which will either be done vertically or horizontally. It is not necessary to make the same kind of incision both in the uterus and the abdomen. The vertical incision which is more classical is reserved and used for more complicated situations like babies with abnormalities, emergencies or placenta previa.
If a woman undergoes a classical cesarean then a vaginal birth is not recommended to her in the future. There is another type of incision which is very rarely used and that is lower segment vertical incision. This is only recommended when there is some problem with the uterus which is not suitable for any other form of incision to be made.
The lower transverse incision is one of the most common forms of incision made. The lower transverse incision is more common because it involves the least amount of risk and complications as compared to others. This allows most of the women to undertake vaginal birth after incision in their future pregnancy with the least amount of risk involved of vaginal rupture.
The health care provider on the other hand suctions the amniotic fluid out and then delivers the baby. It is the head of the baby that is delivered first which allows it to breathe as soon after the delivery the nose and the mouth of the baby is cleaned. After the baby is delivered completely then it is taken out. More often before allowing the mother to meet the baby it is given to the nurse. The nurse then quickly evaluates the baby and confirms its health. After the baby is delivered successfully, the next thing delivered is placenta. Once the placenta is delivered then the team of surgeons will begin to work on closing the process.
After Surgery:
After the surgery is over, you may immediately feel some trembling and nausea. There could be more than one reason for it i.e. an adrenaline let down to the effects of the contraction of the uterus or anesthesia. This feeling of uneasiness does not stay long and is often followed by a feeling of drowsiness. If the baby is healthy then you can immediately let the baby rest on your chest. You can also start bonding with your baby and breastfeeding it. Even after the process is completed without any complications your health care professionals will keep you under observation initially.
After being discharged from the birth center you will be briefed about the post operative care for yourself and your incision.
Reasons for Cesarean Deliveries:
There are many reasons why your health care expert would advise a cesarean delivery for you. It could either be elective decision that you make, or could be performed under critical situations or to prevent critical situations.
Placenta Previa: This usually happens when the placenta lies low in position in the uterus and then either partially or completely covers the cervix. There are very few cases of placenta previa as only 1 in 200 women come across placenta previa during the third trimester. The treatment for placenta previa is frequent monitoring along with bed rest. A cesarean is usually necessary even if the placenta previa is partial or complete. If the placenta previa diagnosed is marginal then there is a possibility of vaginal delivery.
Placental abruption: It happens when the placenta is separated from the uterine lining that takes place in the third trimester. Approximately one percent of all the women who are pregnant experience placental abruption. When this happens you will experience bleeding from the point of separation of the placenta apart from pain in the uterus. This separation may cause obstruction to the oxygen from reaching the baby and thus depending on how critical the situation is a cesarean may be performed.
Uterine Rupture: In every 1500 births there is approximately 1 case when the uterus tears during labor or pregnancy. This can lead to the hemorrhaging in the pregnant mother and can also block the supply of oxygen to the baby. This is another reason why immediate cesarean is done.
Apart from the ones mentioned above there are many other reasons which lead to immediate cesarean like Breech position, Cord, Prolapse, Fetal Distress, failure to progress during labor, repeat cesarean, Cephalopelvic Disproportion, Active genital herpes, Diabetes and multiple births.
Cesarean though is a very common process it also involves a lot of risk. There is risk involved both for the mom and the baby. The risks faced by the mothers are infection, increased blood loss or hemorrhage, injury to organs, Adhesions, extended hospital stay and recovery time, reactions to medications, additional surgery risks, maternal mortality, and emotional reactions.
On the other hand the risks faced by the child are premature birth, breathing problems, fetal injury and low APGAR scores. Apart from all the risks involved cesarean can also be a very positive experience. All that you require to do is make sure that you have a comprehensive and flexible birth plan in place.