C section

When doctor Recommend caesarean delivery?

Hereby, it is noteworthy to remember that not every time, a C-section comes as a choice but is an only considerable option due to the high risks involved in pregnancy. Some of the scenarios, if not all, that make one count as high-risk pregnancy include;

1. When a mother is overly aged (above 35 years) or is a chain smoker or drink addict.
2. When women are having doublets or triplets.
3. When women had already gone through C-section delivery.
4. When a woman is having a geriatric pregnancy.
5. When the fetus is in an uncomfortably painful position or not developed properly.
6. When women have health issues, for example, diabetes or severe blood clotting.

What kind of anesthesia is used in c section?

In general, three different types of anesthesia are given to pregnant women with expected C-section delivery

• Spinal block anesthesia: As the name suggests, it is injected into the sac around your spinal cord, which helps numb the lower body part.
•  Epidural anesthesia: It is applied over the spinal cord sac in your lower back, both during normal delivery or C-section.
• General anesthesia: It is injected to get mothers-to-be unconscious for a painless experience of a cesarean delivery procedure.

How doctor performed C section procedure?

1. First and foremost, the abdomen of mothers-to-be goes through formal cleaning before injecting IV (Intravenous fluids) into their arms. This injection helps doctors enter fluids or medication into patients' bodies easily. A catheter is also applied to patients to empty out the bladder before the cesarean operation begins.
2. After this, a series of anesthesia is offered to patients(discussed in detail in the next section).
3. After numbing the whole body through anesthesia and offering fluids, your maternity surgeon will make a horizontal incision (or sometimes, vertical incision) right across the pelvis area over the hairline. Once the incision over the abdomen exposes off your uterus, the doctor will make another incision into the uterus to take out the newborn. This step is followed by flushing out body fluids through the nose and mouth of the newborn and cutting off the umbilical cord for the final release of the baby.
4. Your baby is then given to nursing staff for a formal checkup of breathing and other body functioning before handing it over to mothers to snuggle right into their arms on the chest for direct skin-to-skin contact.
5. In specific conditions where your doctor has your consent over not wanting more children in the future, they will tie your tube simultaneously before mending the uterus with stitches and closing the abdomen with statures.

Recovery time after C section:

• Soon after the effect of anesthesia gets over, mothers will begin to feel normal to severe cramps and painful sensations around the incision with bleeding or clotting in a few cases. Both newborns and mommies must spend at least 2-4 days in the hospital or until the symptoms get better. It may take around 4-6 weeks for mothers to heal and fully recover from incision pain and bleeding. 
• During the recovery, doctors recommend mothers avoid laborious activity, weight lifting, or other domestic chores for a few weeks. They are advised to use a back support or soft cushions for their abdomen to help the incision heal quickly and safely. And while resting, ask your partner or other family member to support you from getting up or sitting in bed.
• To begin driving or even a regular walk in the park is not allowed for mothers for the initial weeks to prevent putting pressure on soon-to-be healed statures. It is also suggested not to indulge in sexual intercourse for the six weeks phase of recovery post-C-section or until the doctor gives you a thumbs up.
• Some mothers also experience thick-clotted vaginal discharge that gradually changes color from red to yellow during their recovery period from C-section. Dont get panic in such a case, and use sanitary pads instead of tampons. In case, you experience heavy red discharge with a bad odor, do not hesitate to call your doctor for a proper consultation.

C section cost in Pakistan 

Cesarean delivery (C section) costs in Pakistan may start from PKR 50000 and up to PKR 300000, depending on the surgeon and hospital expenditure. You can check out our list of best gynecologists in Pakistan to narrow down maternity services with the most affordable C-section cost.

Is C-section dangerous?

Considering there are pregnancy cases where it is the only possible option, a C-section delivery should not be overlooked as a dangerous procedure. But just like every surgical procedure, a C-section carries its own set of risks and severe complications for both mommies-to-be and newborns. Some of the risks associated with cesarean section delivery of women include

1. Infection to incision (causing swelling, itching, or discharge).
2. Infection to the uterus lining (causing discharge, bleeding, or severe pain).
3. Severe bleeding, rarely leading to another surgery.
4. Blood clotting in the leg (deep brain thrombosis) often proceeds further to the lungs, causing more severity.
5. Internal damage to the bladder.
6. Complications in future pregnancies

Newborns can face the following complications due to cesarean delivery;

• Injury or cuts on the skin
• Breathing difficulty, especially when C-section is done prior to 39 weeks of pregnancy

C-section vs Normal Delivery

If you are a woman in her pregnancy period, there will surely come a point where you need to make the final move of how to take the baby out of your womb, either through normal delivery or C-section. Mind you that sometimes, even if you are mentally prepared for a vaginal delivery, any emergency situation might become the reason your doctor calls for cesarean delivery. This section breaks down key factors to help mommies-to-be decide their fate in normal childbirth versus C-section delivery.

i). Stay in hospital and recovery

• In normal childbirth through the vagina, mothers can leave the hospital premises after a period of 24-48 hours, given the doctor's instruction. However, it is strictly prohibited for mothers with normal delivery to perform any heavy weightlifting, exhausting exercise, or sexual deeds for approx six weeks.
• Contrary to vaginal delivery, a C-section procedure, given surgical statures, may take up to ten weeks or more to properly heal. It means mothers have to make up their minds for a longer stay in the hospital.
• Also, though personal and environmental hygiene and sanitation is a must-have prerequisite in both delivery cases, it takes extra post-pregnancy care with cesarean delivery. Cesarean delivery comes with surgical complexities, extended hospital stay, and multiple post-surgery consultations, it is a more expensive procedure than normal childbirth.

ii). Heath risk and complications in further pregnancies

• The risk of internal bleeding, scarring, or long-lasting post-pregnancy pain is zero to none in a normal delivery, so new mommies are more likely to begin breastfeeding their babies earlier than those with a cesarean. Some studies also reveal that women with normal delivery are less prone to facing any infertility, miscarriages, or placental rapture issues over cesarean procedures.
• The muscular movement involved in normal delivery help flushes out fluid from the baby's lung preventing the risk of respiratory disorder or abnormalities in the child.  

iii). Procedural length and pain level

Depending on the severity of the pregnancy case, normal delivery can take long as 6-12 hours that too with great physical exertion and pain. Contrarily, cesarean operations are not that lengthy procedure and are less painful.

iv). Risk of injury and tearing of tissues

• Although doing incisions is not part of normal delivery, it can potentially lead to severe painful tearing of vaginal tissues, causing urination problems later on. Luckily, there are no such risks of tissue tearing or injury while one is having a C-section delivery.
• Vaginal delivery can cause injuries to newborns if their size is bigger than expected and healthcare professionals are not fully trained and experienced to handle it. However, with a credible surgeon, a C-section does not impose any threat to the child during the birth process.