by Author Name Withheld 201

Created on: June 04, 2010

WARNINGS AND WHAT THEY DO NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT C-SECTIONS

Any woman who is pregnant or planning to become pregnant should read this. Please pass this information along if you know of anyone who could benefit from it, as this article not only outlines the possible dangers presented to women having c-sections but also the dangers facing unborn children.

A few days ago this was a subject I knew nothing about. I happened to be up at night watching television and I caught a lecture being given by Dr. Christiane Northrup, M.D. (

www.drnorthrup.com). The lecture was not specifically about pregnancy or childbirth, but she made a remark that seemed rather shocking to me regarding the fact that not only are more women and their babies dying and developing debilitating medical side effects each year as a result of undergoing a c-section, but the rate at which c-sections are being performed each year is increasing at an alarming rate. Oftentimes they are performed for reasons that are cosmetic rather than medically necessary, and oftentimes they have been recommended by doctors who have admitted to only having performed them out of convenience, to save time, to increase their wages (c-sections cost about double that of a vaginal birth), or for fear of being sued. Of the nine most common reasons for patient lawsuits, six of them allege failure to perform a c-section, as patients are often under the false impression that doing so will decrease risks to their baby.

A caesarean section is a method of childbirth in which a doctor cuts through a woman’s stomach and uterus in order to remove the baby. It is a major abdominal operation that interferes with the internal organs and can only be performed by a doctor with surgical qualifications; it cannot be performed by general practitioners or midwives. Initially c-sections were only performed to save a baby’s life if the mother was dying or had died. Today they can be medically necessary if doctors have determined that a vaginal birth is not possible, or if they have discovered a life-threatening illness (placental abruption, fetal distress, cord prolapsed, heart or kidney disease, diabetes) in the mother or child. Pregnant women can also choose, for their own reasons, to have a c-section rather than a vaginal birth. I seriously recommend avoiding this option at all costs if it is not deemed medically necessary. If any woman I loved were considering this, I would do everything in my power to stop her. I base that

• 1
• 2
• 3
• ...
• 7
• Next Page >>