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| The truth about c-sections |
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 Ellen Spencer, 40, of Hanson, Mass., is recovering from a cesarean section. With a 1-month old to take care of, and her older toddler underfoot, bouncing back from major surgery isn't easy. "I knew I was going to have a C-section," Spencer tells WebMD. "I had abdominal surgery a couple of years ago to remove some fibroids in my uterus, and as a result, my doctor thought it was the better option over going natural. But the recovery has been tougher and longer than I thought it would be." - Taking medicine during pregnancy While some medications are considered safe to take during pregnancy, the effects of other medications on your unborn baby are unknown. Therefore, it is very important to pay special attention to medications you take while you are pregnant, especially during the first trimester, a crucial time of development for your baby. If you were taking prescription medications before you became pregnant, please ask your health care provider about the safety of continuing these medications as soon as you... Despite the slow-going recovery, the convenience of knowing exactly when she was going to have the baby made planning easy, especially with a busy job. And for out-of-town family, making the trip to Massachusetts to welcome the newborn was scheduled and coordinated well in advance. Spencer's situation is increasingly common: Today, C-sections represent 31.8% of all births in the U.S. annually -- that's more than 1.3 million births. And that number continues to rise. In fact, in the last decade, the rate of C-sections in the U.S. has grown by more than 50%. With the numbers inching upward, it's important for expectant moms to understand what a C-section means for their bodies, and their health. Here, experts explain the pros and cons of C-sections, why the C-section rate is rising, and what recovery from a C-section is really like. - Pros and cons of c-sections Simply put, a C-section is a surgical procedure in which a baby is delivered through a mother's abdomen. Nearly one in three women in the U.S. deliver their babies by C-section, either for elective reasons, or because of a risk to mother or child. As with any surgical procedure, there are benefits and disadvantages to C-sections that need to be carefully considered. "There are benefits to a C-section, especially practically speaking," says Iffath Hoskins, MD, chair of the department of OB/GYN at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. "A mom will know in advance, if it's a planned C-section, when she will have the baby." Another advantage, Hoskins says, is knowing that you may have important resources available, like neonatologists who can help if there are issues with the baby. Although C-sections can offer conveniences, they also carry risk. "Women really need to understand that a C-section is a major abdominal surgery," says Jan Kriebs, a certified nurse mid-wife in the University of Maryland Medical Center's obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences department. "While a team of health care professionals, including an OB, your mid-wife, and nurses work together for a successful outcome, C-sections are very serious." The procedure involves an incision through the skin, abdomen, muscle, and then into the uterus. From start to finish, including pre- and post-op, a typical C-section lasts 3-4 hours. Experts say babies born by CS face a higher risk of being affected by immunologic disorders such as asthma and atopic dermatitis. So mothers should consider CS health hazards and benefits to make a logical decision for the safer way of delivery. Surely normal delivery has been shown to be safer and less risky both for mom and child. However some dangerous cases such as breech position of fetus must be done by cesarean section to survive both mother and her child. If doctors, nurses and moms consider their true duties toward tiny babies, the increasing rate of CS will certainly start lowering worldwide and mothers’ and children’s health will be kept more. (Source: webmed)   Socialize this Subscribe to our RSS feed to stay in touch and receive all of TT updates right in your feed reader
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