The idiocy continues

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Why mothers should be offered (elective) caesareans
This editorial conveniently ignores the very real increased risk of death and disability following cesareans (especially many and repeated cesareans). I think that one would need to be sure that the benefits outweigh the risks before having major surgery. However, I get the feeling that I am in a distinct minority to have that opinion.
Placenta previa, for example, is a good reason to endure the risks and added pain of recovering from a cesarean. Convenience or anxiety probably isn't.
Our culture worships at the altar of choice, radical autonomy. It shows up in all kinds of seemingly unrelated ways. I've recently seen a virtual epidemic of young women who had breast reduction surgery done during their high school years. Not having known these women before their surgeries, I can't even begin to understand their motives. But I do have to wonder if a 15 y/o could truly give informed consent or if her parents could really understand the life-long consequences of such surgery.

10 Comments

Well I marvel that they apparently had such wonderful recoveries! I was nauseous, couldn't cough or sneeze or even laugh without severe abdominal pain. I required narcotic pain relief for at least the first week and weaned myself off of them slowly which also sucked. It made taking care of my other children impossible without help, i couldn't walk without assistance and it also makes nursing difficult. And I sure was dreading the first bowel movement! I also couldn't drive or vacuum and it takes longer to get the old abs back into shape.

But maybe that's just me because they sure don't mention any of that in the article!

It is rediculous to imply tha a c-section is an easier way to have a baby. With my 5 I was out of the hospital the next day. The in hospital recover time for a c-section is 5 days.

I can't believe how far towards c-sections the pendulum has swung. Ugh.

Isn't elective cesarean just the epitome of the instant gratification culture? Baby now, no pain, pay for it later. No one likes to be reminded that they will pay for it, though. Pain during labor isn't fun, but I sure do appreciate knowing that the pain is temporary. Each contraction has an end, and labor will have an end. Post-operative pain isn't predictable like this. It could last quite a long time. I have one friend who had a cesarean and a year later was having complications which turned out to be a hernia related to the cesarean. This was a relatively minor complication compared to some stories I've heard, and yet it still caused her quite a lot of trouble for quite some time, as she had limited movement, difficulty caring for her child, the necessity of undergoing reparative surgery (and all that goes with that when you are breastfeeding...and turns out child is highly allergic and has anaphylactic reactions to milk, so no option of formula), etc.

I'd much rather be cuddling baby and my other children in my own bed after birth than be recovering from surgery for the next few weeks.

I was actually going to drop you an email about this very subject. Brain, Child magazine's spring issue has a pro-elective-cesarean essay and a pro-formula-feeding essay, and I think I have to write them a letter saying that's just flat-out irresponsible. One criticism I have read from OBs about risk analysis with C-sections vs. vaginal births is that cesarean M&M stats often include emergency C-sections, which are riskier, and that truly elective C-sections are safer.

I'll try to be measured in my letter to them, but here among like-minded women let me just say, BLECH!

AAUGGHHH! [thud thud thud (sound of head pounding on desk in frustration)] I didn't read the linked article until after I left my first comment. [thud thud thud] How did that get into print?? [thud thud thud] Those evil UK midwives, campaigning against needless abdominal surgery. How could they? [thud thud thud] And the word is VAGINAL, not "normal," not "natural."

Wow, that's a mind-blowingly bad article.

Ugh, blech....
Yes, being pregnant and giving birth is WAY TOO DANGEROUS...let the surgeons take care of it for you. Don't want to ever get pregnant? Just take out your ovaries or uterus. Don't want to go through labor and a vaginal delivery, just have your baby cut out of you. nope, no risks involved, whatsoever.

Yah...right.

Thanks for keeping this important issue on the table, Alicia! I'm with Jamie, above - thud, thud, thud...:)

Whatever happened to the good ol' days when women gave birth vaginally but were so drugged up they were completely out of it ? Now that's what I want...the way my mom gave birth to me !

This infuritaes me. As someone who has had two unwanted c-sections (my hips are too small inside and my hip cartilege is malformed, so I can't push my babies out -- runs in the family), I wouldn't wish the recovery on my worst enemy.

Sections are awful. Awful. And here these docs are trying to convince women it's a better or easier choice? Huh.

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This page contains a single entry by alicia published on March 7, 2006 7:22 AM.

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