How to Avoid Unnecessary Cesarean
A cesarean delivery may be necessary to save the life of the woman or baby. But an unnecessary cesarean should be avoided at all costs, as there are risks involved. Cesarean section is major...
Factors Contributing to High Cesarean Rate
The United States’ cesarean birth rate skyrocketed from 4.5 percent in 1965 to a high of over 24 percent in 1988. This has decreased slightly to the rate of approximately 21 percent in 1995....
Indications for Cesarean Birth
Cesarean deliveries are performed for many reasons. Because opinions vary concerning these reasons, you might want to get a second opinion if you are told that you need a c-section. Over one-third of the...
Family-Centered Cesarean Birth
A cesarean section is more than an operation. It is the birth of a baby. The way a father and mother feel about their childbirth experience may affect their ability to bond with their...
Unexpected Outcomes of Labor and Birth
This chapter has presented variations in the usual progression of labor and the possible medical interventions that could result. The next chapter discusses cesarean birth. If you are like most expectant parents, you are...
Gentle Birth — Give an Easier Way-Out to Your Infant
The concept of gentle birth considers what birth is like from the baby’s point of view. It attempts to minimize the stress and trauma experienced by the infant as he passes through the birth...
Emergency Childbirth and How to Properly Handle It
If your labor progresses very rapidly or you fail to recognize that you are in the final phase of labor, you may give birth at home or on the way to your intended place...
Rotation and Extraction of the Baby During Labor
Forceps and the vacuum extractor are two obstetrical tools that are used to rotate a baby to a more advantageous position for birth and to help a baby move down the birth canal. They...
What is Episiotomy, and When to Use It?
An episiotomy is a surgical incision made from the vagina toward the rectum to enlarge the vaginal outlet. The incision is usually midline (straight), but can be mediolateral (angled to the side). (See Figure...
Active Management of Labor
Some physicians routinely practice active management of labor to ensure that labor will be completed within 12 hours. The standard, which originated in Ireland, waits for the woman to be in active labor before...