Some of the main reasons for C-section deliveries are failure of labor to progress, repeat cesarean, multiple births, premature labor, baby in breech position or fetal distress. Although a C-section is a common procedure, many women are unaware of how the procedure is performed, or their chances of having a cesarean section.
In order for a natural labor to occur, three factors must be achieved. There must be strong enough contractions to dilate the cervix to ten centimeters, the fetus must be able to transcend through the birth canal, and the pelvis must be large enough to allow the baby to make the trip down the birth canal. If these three factors do not occur, then it is called "failure to progress." In a case, where little dilation has occurred, a doctor will let a laboring mother continue to labor 24 hours or more to allow the opportunity for a natural delivery, as long as neither the baby nor the mother are showing any signs of distress. If, after twenty-four to forty-eight hours, dilation has not progressed, a C-section will most likely be performed.
When labor continues over a long period of time, doctors tend to take extra precautions to ensure that both mother and baby show no signs of extreme exhaustion or over exertion. If the baby's heart rate slows or accelerates too quickly or shows no signs of activity, most often he is considered to be showing signs of fetal distress. Because the risk of infection and oxygen deprivation is high after a prolonged labor, any sign of distress usually calls for an emergency C-section.
Another frequent reason for cesarean sections is complications during a pregnancy. If a mother develops a complication such as toxemia, also known as preeclampsia, then it is highly likely that she will have to have a C-section before her expected due date. It is common for those mothers who have developed Gestational Diabetes, a condition which often causes babies to gain more weight in utero, to have to forego a natural birth in order to make sure that the baby is born with an average and healthy birth weight.
Once it has been determined that a cesarean section will be performed, several things must take place. First, depending on the hospital's procedure, an epidural is administered by an
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