A Caesarean operation can be performed for many reasons. It could be that:
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The woman or the baby has a life threatening illness that means a Caesarean is necessary OR |
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Complications have arisen in the pregnancy or labour OR |
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A vaginal birth is considered not possible or has increased health risks for the woman and / or baby when compared to the risks of a Caesarean birth OR |
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It is the caregiver or woman's preference. |
Reasons for performing a Caesarean can be divided into medical and non-medical reasons. These are discussed in the next section.
Medical reasons for a Caesarean birth
Other reasons for a Caesarean birth
Medical reasons for a Caesarean birth
Intervening to perform a Caesarean operation can be based on 'medical reasons' or 'medical indications'. It is in most of these circumstances that the perceived risks of the operation have
FAR OUTWEIGHED the risks of continuing the pregnancy or allowing the woman to labour and give birth vaginally.
Medical reasons for performing a Caesarean operation can include:
Placenta previa
Placental abruption
Fetal distress
Cord prolapse
The mother is unwell
Unsuccessful Induction
The baby is in an unusual position
The labour is not progressing
You have twins or more
Very premature baby(s)
The baby is too large to be born vaginally
Previous uterine surgery
A previous 4th degree tear
It is felt that a vaginal birth may put the baby at risk
Placenta previa. This is when the placenta is lying low in the uterus and in rare cases covers the opening of the cervix to a large degree. This variation makes it impossible for the baby to be born vaginally. You can read more on this in
placenta previa.
Placental abruption.