A Comprehensive Guide to C-Section Treatment

A C-section, also called cesarean section, is the surgical delivery of a baby through an incision in the uterus and abdomen. A C-section is only recommended in necessary cases like in some high-risk pregnancies and when the baby is in a critical position and cannot be flipped before labor starts.

An emergency C-section is a cesarean that happens right away as there is an immediate risk to the health or of your baby. Most C-sections are done with general anesthesia, which numbs only the lower part of the body, an emergency section would require general anesthesia that means you will be fully unconscious.

During labor or delivery, the doctor may decide that you need to have a C-section. This could be a sudden change if the health or your baby’s health is affected and it’s very risky for you to go for a vaginal birth. Even if you do not think you will have a C-section, it is smart to learn what it involves. Around 30 percent of all babies in the United States are born through C-sections, so it is fairly common. C-sections are quite safe for mothers as well as babies. But it is major surgery, so one should not take it lightly.

If you know before that the baby will be born via C-section, you will know the date and likely will not even go into labor. Before the procedure, you will get an IV so that you receive medicines and fluids. You will also have a catheter put into the place to keep the bladder empty during the surgery.

Most of the women who have C-sections get local anesthesia, either epidural or spinal block. This would numb you from the waist, so you will not feel pain. This type of anesthesia will let you be awake and aware of what is going on. The doctor might also offer you general anesthesia, which would put you to sleep, but it is unlikely for most of the planned C-sections.

Postoperative Complications and Risks-

Infection
Inflammation of the uterus
Bleeding
Surgical injury to the bladder and the intestines
Amniotic fluid embolism (in which amniotic fluid/fetal material enters into the maternal bloodstream)
Risk to future pregnancies

Benefits-

For women who haven’t had a c-section earlier, a planned c-section may reduce the risk of:

pain during and after birth
injury to the vagina
the womb, bowel, vagina, or bladder pushing against the vaginal wall (pelvic organ prolapse)
severe bleeding after the birth
partial loss of bladder control

After a C-section, women might spend between 2-4 days in the hospital, however, it might take her up to six weeks to feel like herself again. Her abdomen would feel slightly sore after the surgery and the skin, as well as nerves in the area, would need more time to heal. Women would be given pain medications to take the overall edge off post-surgical pain. Most women generally use these medications for around two weeks afterward.

A woman might also experience bleeding for around 4-6 weeks after a surgical birth. She is also advised to avoid sex for some weeks after the C-section and refrain from strenuous activities like lifting heavy objects.