C-section Surgery: Here's What You Should Know

What is C-section Surgery?

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C-section surgery is also known as Vivisection, cesarean section delivery, or surgery to deliver a baby.

In this one or more than one baby is delivered through an incision in the mother’s abdomen.

In developing countries, C-sections are becoming more common, just as they are in developed countries (1)

According to WHO, In India, the C-section rates have crossed the threshold of 15%, which is a severe matter (2).

There are several reasons why c-section surgery is done to deliver the baby including:

The shape of the mother’s pelvis or history of previous c-sections may determine whether a cesarean delivery is necessary.

WHO recommends that cesarean section be performed only when it is medically necessary.

NOTE: Premature Birth: Causes, Signs, Complications, And Prevent

It usually starts or is performed with general anesthesia when a woman is still awake.

Then a urinary catheter (a hollow tube, that collects urine from the bladder which is connected to a drainage bag)

And the abdomen skin area is cleaned with the antiseptic, then the incision is about 6 inches on the mother’s lower abdomen.

A horizontal incision across and just above the pubic bone is also called a bikini cut.

Then the doctor makes a second incision in the mother’s uterus to reach and deliver the babies.

The time from the abdominal incision to the baby’s birth typically takes 5 minutes, then the doctor clips and cuts the umbilical cord.

The doctor removes the placenta and tightly stitches your uterus and abdomen, this typically takes 45 minutes.

A doctor may recommend a stay usually for 3 to 5 days in the hospital.

The c-section surgery is most often a common delivery type worldwide, but it still takes risks for both mothers and baby including:

risk of postoperative adhesions (a natural cause of surgical tissues trauma, and healing)
wound or site area infection
if it’s performed in an emergency, the patient’s stomach may not be empty, which increases the risk of anesthesia.
severe blood loss
pain
risk of placenta accreta (a condition where the placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall) (3)
a mother can experience post-traumatic stress disorder (4)
women who have previous c-section surgery, so they may have a problem having a second children

Increase the risk of death during infancy
Early birth increases many complications in both short and long term
wet lung – Not passing through the birth canal does not expose the baby to cortisol and epinephrine, which reverse the sodium pumps in the baby’s lungs, leading fluid to remain in the lungs
health issues later in life with babies like lungs, immune system, obesity, and poor digestive system issues.
the lower level of Bacteroides that associated with peanut allergy in infants

Guidelines recommend that c- section surgery not be used before 39 weeks of pregnancy without a medical reason (5)

For women who undergo c-section surgery reduced or absent bowel movements for several hours or days are common.

During this time, women may also face, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting (6)

Poor control of abdominal pain, so there is complementary and alternative therapies that may help in relieving pain through – acupuncture.

A Study report shows that a Full recovery may take 6 to 8 weeks, and your scars will lighten as it heals (7)

Some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be helpful in wound pain (8)

Make sure, after a c-section surgery, in the first couple of weeks, mothers should avoid lifting heavy weights (9)

A mother should keep in mind what doctors say to them to keep healthy, the doctor may tell her to walk around to prevent blood clots.

Clotting is a natural or normal body response to prevent excessive bleeding when we are injured.

However, it is also quite dangerous, if it is formed without any injury inside our body that can travel to the vital body organs.

Your healthcare will teach you how to breastfeed in different-different positions and ease your pain.

Following tips for after c-section surgery include:

Take rest, especially the first few weeks
stay hydrate
don’t lift the heavy weight that baby
take prescribed pain medicine if needed
talk to a doctor, if you experience any kind of discomfort like mood swings, excessive pain, fatigue, etc
avoid intercourse for a few weeks

C-section surgery where the delivery of a baby is done by making an incision in the lower abdomen of the pregnant woman.

Vivisection (c-section surgery) is done due to several reasons including heavy baby weight, placenta issues, and mother issues like HIgh Bp, etc

Make sure, after surgery doesn’t lift heavy weight, if you feel any discomfort talk to your doctor.