Don't ask for a cesarean section without a medical reason, and don't have surgery just to pick a date
- Moderate value
- Evidence A
- Buys life
- For: Pregnant or trying
- Free
- Takes minutes
- Some willpower
In plain words
The World Health Organization says that once a place's cesarean rate goes above 10%, deaths of mothers and newborns stop falling. When a cesarean is needed, it must be done. Having one to pick a date or because you fear pain is just going through major abdominal surgery for nothing.
- Cost
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Free. The hard part is standing up to what family members say.
- What you get
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The World Health Organization's 2015 statement: as the cesarean rate in a population rises to about 10%, the numbers of maternal and newborn deaths fall. Beyond 10%, there is no evidence that mortality improves further. The World Health Organization also stresses that every effort should be made to provide cesarean sections to women who need them, rather than to reach some particular rate.
- Notes
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When it is medically needed, a cesarean is a lifesaving operation; do it when it is called for and don't tough it out. What to avoid is having surgery when it isn't medically needed, such as out of fear of pain, to pick an auspicious time, or to work out the age your child will start school. A cesarean is major abdominal surgery with a slower recovery, and in the next pregnancy the risks of placenta previa, placenta accreta and uterine rupture are higher. This bears directly on whether you want a second child.
- Evidence grade
- A : Specific numbers from meta-analyses, large cohorts or randomized trials; for law and policy, the statute or official text.
- Sources
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- World Health Organization (2015). WHO Statement on Caesarean Section Rates（WHO/RHR/15.02）. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-RHR-15.02
Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 27, tip 10. This section is about health and medicines. It is general information, not a substitute for a doctor’s diagnosis or prescription. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer