About half of the deliveries in our country are performed by cesarean section. It is of great importance that the mother has sufficient knowledge about the subject before the cesarean delivery. It would be beneficial for mothers who plan their birth by cesarean section to consult their doctor with all the questions in their mind before finalizing their decisions. Questions such as the health status of the mother and the baby, how many children the mother plans to have; It is important in determining the mode of delivery.
What is Cesarean Delivery?
It would be helpful for mothers who plan to have a vaginal birth, which is called a normal birth, to have an idea about cesarean birth. Sudden changes in maternal and infant health close to birth may require changing the planned delivery method. In such an emergency, the mother and health worker may not have time to talk in detail about cesarean delivery. Therefore, all expectant mothers should have basic information about cesarean delivery. In this article, topics such as 'What is a cesarean section and what are the harms of cesarean section?' are explained in this article. Cesarean delivery method; It is applied to women who may have complications related to childbirth, where vaginal delivery is not safe, or who have given birth to a previous child by cesarean section. Cases where cesarean delivery is preferred can be listed as follows:
Failure of delivery: Cesarean delivery is preferred in cases where the cervix (cervix) is not dilated enough for delivery despite the strong contractions in the mother continuing for hours. Failure of the birth to progress is one of the reasons why the cesarean delivery method is preferred. The lack of oxygen also puts the baby under stress. In such cases, the doctor may decide that a cesarean delivery is a better option. However, some babies may have trouble positioning. In these babies; will come out first in the lower part of the uterus, that is, at birth The white body part can come from the foot (breech position) or shoulder (transverse position). Problems in positioning may also cause cesarean delivery to be preferred.
Multiple Pregnancy: In multiple pregnancies such as twins and triplets, problems related to positioning can be seen in babies. Therefore, cesarean delivery may be a safer option in multiple pregnancies.
Plasental diseases: Cesarean delivery is preferred in cases such as placenta previa, where the placenta is located on the cervix.
Umbilical cord problems: Cesarean section may be a safer method of delivery when problems such as entanglement in the umbilical cord are encountered. Again, active genital herpes infection in the mother during delivery may also require cesarean delivery.
Narrow birth canal: In cases such as hip fracture, large fibroid tissue that will cause narrowing of the birth canal; vaginal delivery can be difficult. Again, if the baby's head or itself is larger than normal, it also makes vaginal delivery difficult. In such cases, cesarean section may be considered as a better option. Depending on the incision made for the cesarean section and other factors, cesarean delivery may be repeated. Although cesarean section is not a necessity for mothers who gave their first birth by cesarean section, cesarean section is usually repeated in practice.
How is Cesarean Delivery Performed?
Cesarean section can be planned in advance or it can be done under emergency conditions. The question of 'in what week does the cesarean section take place?' is frequently asked by expectant mothers. Planned cesarean sections are usually done at 39 weeks of pregnancy.
Before the cesarean section, the mother's suitability for anesthesia is evaluated. Various blood tests are performed to evaluate the mother's blood group and hemoglobin status. Thanks to these tests, we are prepared for complications that may occur during cesarean delivery.
The mother's abdomen is cleaned before the cesarean section. Vascular access is opened to the mother and the necessary for surgery drugs are introduced into the body. Again, a catheter is inserted to the mother, which allows the bladder to be emptied during the surgery. In cesarean delivery, the mother is usually given epidural anesthesia. In this type of anesthesia, anesthetic drugs are injected into the cavity of the membrane surrounding the spinal cord by entering from the back of the waist. Thanks to this anesthesia, the mother does not feel pain or pain during delivery.
After the necessary drugs are given for the surgery and the anesthetic effect begins, an incision is made just above the line where the pubic hair growth begins. This incision is usually made parallel to the pubic hairline. However, in some cases, the doctor may choose to make a vertical incision. After this incision in the abdomen, the uterus is reached. After an incision made in the uterus, the baby in the uterus is taken out. Thus, after two incisions, the baby is born. In this whole process, the mother's lower back is covered, so that the mother is prevented from seeing these stages.
After the birth of the baby, its mouth and nose are cleaned and breathing is provided, and the umbilical cord is cut. While the baby is given to health workers to check his vital signs, the incisions on the mother's body are closed with stitches. The baby who is checked is given to his mother.
How Long Does a Caesarean Section Take?
The question 'How long does a Caesarean section take?' is one of the frequently asked questions. The whole process described takes 40-50 minutes under normal conditions.
Mother and baby need to stay in the hospital for a few days after delivery.
With the disappearance of the effect of postpartum anesthesia, the pain of the mother increases. In order to prevent this situation, strong painkillers are given to the mother after the birth. It is recommended that the mother consume plenty of fluids and take a walk in order to avoid problems such as thrombosis (clot formation) and constipation due to surgery. Again, the urinary catheter inserted in the mother should be removed as soon as possible. Both the mother and the healthcare professionals should be careful to avoid infection of the surgical site. Each mother may need to pay attention to a number of different issues. However, postpartum recommendations that apply to most mothers:
- Get plenty of rest for a few weeks
- Drink lots of fluids
- Sexual intercourse Staying away from the stomach for 4-6 weeks
- Taking appropriate painkillers when necessary
- Staying in the right positions to support the abdomen can be counted as.
You can ask the questions you are wondering about Caesarean section to the expert team of Group Florence Nightingale Hospitals and ask for suggestions regarding your question. You can use the contact form on our website to reach us.
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