Can you voluntarily have a c section

If this happens, you will have an emergency rather than a planned caesarean. Call your hospital's maternity unit or delivery suite immediately if you are booked to have a planned caesarean and you go into labour. Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.

Sometimes birth doesn't go as expected. If you or your baby are at risk, there might be a need to do an emergency caesarean. The cut is usually made low and around the level of the bikini line. Recovery after a caesarean section - whether it's an emergency or planned - will take several weeks. Find out what to expect after you have had your baby. Having a planned or elective caesarean birth? As with any major surgery, it helps to know what to expect during a caesarean section.

Our guide explains. Read more on raisingchildren. Being abdominal surgery, pain in the early months is very common after a caesarean section C-section and needs to be managed with rest, pain relief, and. Read more on Australasian Birth Trauma Association website.

Many mothers ask, "Can I breastfeed after a caesarean birth? There is no reason why you should not be able to breastfeed successfully.

Read more on Australian Breastfeeding Association website. Consumer brochure with information on birth options available to women planning their next birth after caesarean section. Read more on NSW Health website.

For many women, vaginal birth after caesarean — VBAC — is a safe and positive way to have a baby. This guide to recovery after caesarean section has tips for wound care, pain relief, practical help, physical and emotional recovery, and breastfeeding. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is not responsible for the content and advertising on the external website you are now entering.

Video call. This information is for your general information and use only and is not intended to be used as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes. The information is not a substitute for independent professional advice and should not be used as an alternative to professional health care.

If your provider recommends a scheduled c-section, you may want to ask about gentle c-section modifications, which can help make your cesarean feel more intimate and less clinical. Also ask whether your hospital has an ERAS protocol, which can help you recover from surgery more quickly. A c-section, or cesarean section, is surgical delivery of a baby through incisions in the mother's abdomen and uterus.

In some circumstances, a c-section is scheduled in advance. In others, the surgery is needed due to an unforeseen issue. If you or your baby is in imminent danger, you'll have an emergency c-section. C-section rates began rising significantly in the mids. Doctors are trying to reduce the use of unnecessary c-sections, but sometimes a cesarean is needed to protect the health of the mother or her baby.

Expect your c-section to take 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Extracting your baby is usually very fast, between 1 to 15 minutes. Suturing your uterus and abdomen closed takes longer. Typically, your partner can be with you during a c-section. He or she will be asked to wear operating room garb and take a seat by your head. In some cases, a c-section is safer for you and your baby than a vaginal delivery.

For example, your provider may recommend a planned c-section if:. Unless there's a medical need to deliver your baby sooner, your caregiver will schedule your surgery for no earlier than 39 weeks. You may need to have an unplanned or emergency c-section if problems arise that make continuing labor dangerous to you or your baby, such as:.

Elective c-sections are c-sections that aren't medically necessary, and most healthcare providers advise against them. That's because having an unnecessary c-section is riskier for you than vaginal birth. Also, having an elective c-section increases your chances of needing a c-section with future deliveries. Medical organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ACOG , recommend planning for vaginal birth whenever possible.

Unless the health of the mother or baby is in danger, ACOG says that the risks associated with a c-section usually outweigh any short-term benefits. Elective or "maternal request" c-sections are uncommon. Reliable numbers are hard to come by, but most experts estimate fewer than 3 in women request a c-section for their first delivery. Some are afraid of the pain of childbirth, others are worried about complications of vaginal birth like tearing , incontinence and sexual dysfunction , and some feel that a scheduled c-section is easier to plan for than an unpredictable labor and delivery.

If you have any of these concerns, talk to your provider. But because of the risks — including a tougher recovery and a greater chance of complications — be prepared for your doctor or midwife to discourage you from having an elective c-section.

Babies born late pre-term are generally healthy but may have temporary problems such as jaundice , trouble feeding, problems with breathing, or trouble keeping an even body temperature.

You might be impatient to meet your little one, but vaginal delivery usually carries fewer risks than a C-section.

Plus, you can come home sooner and recover quicker with a vaginal delivery. If you're interested in having a C-section instead of a vaginal birth, talk about the risks and benefits of both options with your doctor.

Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. But Cesarean sections or C-sections usually are scheduled for women such as those: who have a high-risk pregnancy for example, they're expecting multiples or have a medical condition that would make a vaginal delivery too risky who've had previous C-sections although many women can safely deliver vaginally after a C-section or other uterine surgeries who have problems with the placenta, such as placenta previa when the placenta sits too low in the uterus and covers the cervix whose babies have some types of birth defects whose babies are in the wrong position sideways or breech It may be tempting to try to schedule your baby's "birth day" and avoid the uncertainty and pain of labor.