Anonymous wrote:I am an OB and so was my father so we often talk about how c sections are commonplace now a days. A few factors. 1.) practitioners (myself included) are not trained to do breech deliveries and are discouraged to do so even if they are trained. In my dads day a breech baby wasn't an automatic c section at all and now it basically is. 2.) hospitals get nervous when woman labors past 24 hours. If you really want to reduce your chance for a c section you should come to the hospital around 6 cm. now obviously there is no way to know when you are six cm but laboring at home if you are low risk and comfortable is ideal. Even laboring for 5 hours at home before you come in can greatly reduce your likelyhood for a section. 3.) doctors do more c sections so they get better at it, feel comfortable with it, and recommend it more. Hope this helps!

sandraw wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an OB and so was my father so we often talk about how c sections are commonplace now a days. A few factors. 1.) practitioners (myself included) are not trained to do breech deliveries and are discouraged to do so even if they are trained. In my dads day a breech baby wasn't an automatic c section at all and now it basically is. 2.) hospitals get nervous when woman labors past 24 hours. If you really want to reduce your chance for a c section you should come to the hospital around 6 cm. now obviously there is no way to know when you are six cm but laboring at home if you are low risk and comfortable is ideal. Even laboring for 5 hours at home before you come in can greatly reduce your likelyhood for a section. 3.) doctors do more c sections so they get better at it, feel comfortable with it, and recommend it more. Hope this helps!

This is very interesting to hear. So in your and your father's opinion, is the increase of c-sections a good or a bad thing? I find all the reasons given to not be particularly encouraging for increasing this practice. Especially number 3!

Anonymous wrote:OP, I count 5 mentions of "decels" as the sole reason for their c-sections on this thread. In addition to the factors OB PP mentioned, continuous fetal monitoring is often cited as a factor in the increased c section rate. Look into hospital-based midwives if you want to avoid this. They will already have fought the battle with the hospital policies to allow them to do intermittent monitoring.

Anonymous wrote:A year before ds was born, I had uterine surgery to remove fibroids. The incision, while not cutting through the entire uterine wall, was deep and in the upper area where contractions occur. Going into labor and pushing could have caused the uterus to rupture, which according to my OB in her very calm tone, could be "catastrophic."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I count 5 mentions of "decels" as the sole reason for their c-sections on this thread. In addition to the factors OB PP mentioned, continuous fetal monitoring is often cited as a factor in the increased c section rate. Look into hospital-based midwives if you want to avoid this. They will already have fought the battle with the hospital policies to allow them to do intermittent monitoring.

Well, continuous fetal monitoring has reduced death rates. You seem to be implying that those c sections were unnecessary, but you really have no idea.