In the United States one third of women give birth by cesarean (aka C-section), a surgical procedure whereby your baby is delivered via an incision in your abdomen and uterus.

For being such a common (and medically necessary) procedure, people have a lot of feelings about ityou might have heard that its worse, a shameful alternative to delivering vaginally. Theres a lot of mommy shaming that occurs around C-sections, but the truth is C-sections can be a safer alternative for both mom and babyit all depends on your pregnancy and your history.

Since knowledge is power, we asked doctors to help explain when C-sections are typically used, what happens during the procedure, what recovery after a C-section looks like, and how they compare to vaginal births.

Its true that you can schedule a C-section to avoid having to worry about going into labor. Sometimes the hardest part of labor and vaginal delivery is the uncertainty, says Ashely Brant, D.O., an ob-gyn at the Cleveland Clinic. Its important for all parties to be flexible and open to changing the plan as labor unfolds.

Thats not lazy. There are a lot of medically valid reasons that your doctor might recommend going this route, says Costa Sousou, M.D., chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Mayo Clinic Health System. Some of the reasons your doctor might suggest planning a C-section:

You have a condition called placenta previa.

Placenta previa is a condition that occurs when the placenta, an organ that develops during pregnancy to provide your baby with nutrients, covers the cervix (the tissue that connects your vagina to your uterus and opens during labor). That can lead to severe bleeding during pregnancy and delivery, says Sousou, meaning a C-section can be the safer alternative.

Youre pregnant with twins or triplets.

Depending on the babies positioning, a C-section may be the safer option.

Youve had a C-section before.

If you had a C-section with a previous delivery, there can be a small increased risk of uterine rupture (if you have prior uterine scars), explains Tajh R. Ferguson, M.D., an ob-gyn at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Of course, just because you had a C-section once doesnt mean its 100% certain youll need to have one again. Deciding whether you want to schedule a repeat C-section or if you want to try vaginally calls for very individualized counseling with your physicianmuch of which is driven by patient preference if all else is healthy, Ferguson says.

Your baby is breech.

If your baby is not head-down (maybe hes butt-down, i.e., breech), vaginal delivery is dangerous if not impossible. Your doctor can try a procedure to turn the baby's head down, but if that doesnt work, a C-section may be the only option.

You have a history of trauma.

In rare cases, women may want to avoid vaginal delivery due to other circumstances, for example, a history of sexual assault that makes vaginal exams very difficult, says Brant. In cases like these, the patient should have a thorough discussion with her doctor about the risks and benefits of elective C-section."

Of course, there are plenty of scenarios for which your doc might order an unexpected C-section too. Some of those situations include:

Babys heartbeat dropping (which may indicate fetal distress).

Youre not progressing in labor (read: pushing for a long time without any progress).

Your doctor is worried about your health or your babys health. Oftentimes multiple factors contribute to the decision to have a C-section, says Brant. A doctor will recommend a C-section if the risks of vaginal delivery are thought to outweigh the risks of C-section.

If youre lined up for a C-section, first a nurse will prep you for the operation in an operating room, putting an IV in your arm or hand so that you can get fluids and medications such as antibiotics during the surgery.

The rest is here:
What is a C-Section? Everything You Need to Know About the Procedure - Glamour

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