When you’re pregnant and approaching your due date, it’s time to have a serious discussion with your physician about the delivery process. While a C-section, or Caesarean delivery, is nobody’s dream delivery, it’s sometimes the wisest choice to preserve the health and safety of both the baby and the mother.
What are the signs you may need a C-section?
The signs that a natural delivery could be dangerous can be present long before labor starts. They can also manifest after labor begins. Here are some of the most common reasons that usually cause doctors to advise an expectant mother to have a C-section:
- You have problems with your placenta. Placenta previa, which has to do with the abnormal placement of the placenta over the opening of the uterus, can lead to abrupt bleeding and the loss of life.
- You have a medical condition that makes labor dangerous. Uncontrolled diabetes and high blood pressure are two frequent maternal conditions that may make a C-section safer than a natural delivery. So can certain infections, like HIV or herpes.
- You’re having multiple babies or one very large one. Twins (or more) can make delivery difficult for any woman. So can a baby that happens to be too large for the mother to easily deliver.
- Your baby is in the breech position during labor. Most babies flip so that their heads are pointed toward the birth canal. When that doesn’t happen, it may be too hard to deliver the baby naturally.
- There are signs that the umbilical cord is short, pinched or prolapsed. That could cut oxygen off to your baby during delivery and lead to tragedy.
Expectant mothers have to rely on their doctors’ wisdom during delivery. When a doctor doesn’t exercise good judgment and the mother or baby ends up harmed, it’s important to find out more about your right to compensation for your losses.