What causes a woman to need a c-section instead of having a vaginal birth?

Answer 1

Usually, the baby assumes the position in uterus with its head down pointed towards vagina. Since the baby's head is the biggest part of baby's body, it virtually "makes a path" for other parts to push through and be delivered. Unfortunately, this isn't the only possible scenario. Baby can be positioned with its buttocks or feet down or even to lie horizontally in the uterus (which is very rare).Usually in these situation, it is safer to opt for c-section than to try and manually reposition this baby. Sometimes the pelvis is not proportionate in such a way that it can provide a safe natural delivery.
On other occasions C-section is chosen when everything is supposed to go normal, but it doesn't. In such situations, depending on the position of the baby, the decision has to be made whether it has to be distracted by some extractors through vagina, or it can be finished in the operating room. I hope this answers your question.

Answer 2

CPD (cephalopelvic disproportion) - When a babies head or body is too large to fit through the mother’s pelvis. It is believed that true CPD is rare, but many cases of “failure to progress” labor is given this diagnosis. When an accurate diagnosis of CPD has been made, the safest type of delivery for mother and baby is a cesarean delivery.

Malpresentation: A fetus in a nonvertex presentation is at increased risk for trauma, cord prolapse, and head entrapment. Malpresentation includes preterm breech presentations and nonfrank breech term fetuses. A randomized controlled trial assessing the safety of term breech deliveries has been completed and is awaiting publication. (Some caregivers are experience and comfortable with breech births but many will opt for a c/s right away. There are things that can be done to turn a breech baby in order to try to avoid a c/s. My third was breech until late in PG but I was able to encourage her to turn on my own through exercises.) In twin gestations, a second twin in a nonvertex presentation is a relative indication for an outright cesarean delivery.

High-order multiples (more than two babies).

Congenital anomalies: A cesarean delivery is recommended for several congenital anomalies; these include fetal neural tube defects, some cases of hydrocephalus, and some skeletal dysplasias. Whether or not an outright cesarean delivery should be performed in the setting of a fetal abdominal wall defect (ie, gastroschisis and omphalocele) remains controversial.

Nonreassuring fetal heart rate - baby's heartrate isn't responding well to labor...not rebounding between contractions...depressed heartrate.

Mom has an active genital herpes infection.

Mom is HIV positive.

Placenta previa - placenta partially or completely covers the internal side of the cervix.

Placenta abruption - the placenta has detached from the uterine wall and mom is bleeding.

Cord prolapse - the umbilical cord has dropped out into the vagina after the water broke.

In some cases when the mother has had a previous c/s.....depends on how the old c/s incision was made.

Shoulder Dystocia - baby isn't fitting past mom's pelvic brim - may or may not call for a c/s - if the mother is allowed to change positions she may be able to continue pushing and birth vaginally.

Answer 3

Some of the most common indications for a C-section are:



Great difficulty with the fetus to passing through the birth canal.
The medical term is dystocia (Dis-TOE-sha). This is most frequently caused by the fetus' head being too large for the woman's pelvis.
Abnormal presentation of the fetus. Normally the fetus comes down through the birth canal head tucked to chest, with the crown first. In this position, the baby is compressed as much as it can be with the largest part clearing first. Other positions risk being too large, in some cross-sections, to pass, or passing smaller parts of the body first leaving the head trapped in the woman. This is closely related to the first concept of dystocia.
Failure of natural labor to begin and/or to respond to induction in a past due pregnancy.
Fetal abnormalities. Labor and birth is a big stress to the infant, as well as the mother. Fetuses with known, more serious birth defects may not do well with this otherwise normal stress.
Abnormal amounts of bleeding. So that the source of bleeding can be identified and stopped quickly.
The umbilical cord falls into the vagina.
Problems with the placenta such as the placenta separating before the birth or covering the cervix.
Fetal distress, usually as determined by fetal monitoring during labor, is a very common cause.
Maternal condition such as diabetes, active herpes lesions, uterine abnormalities or hypertension.
Previous cesarean has long been used as a reason for doing a cesarean, as there were concerns about the uterus rupturing at the point of the previous scar, during labor. With the low transverse scars that have been standard for many years, the stress on the scar tissue is much less and this reason has lost favor.
Multiple births. Even with a set of twins a c-section is standard in most cases.

Answer 4

I saw diabetes mentioned, but gestational diabetes is bad because if it is uncontrolled, you can have enormous babies that are at great risk for diabetes themselves. So, not only is the mother unhealthy, the baby is unhealthy and too big to be delivered vaginally. The biggest baby born was like 22 pounds because his mother refused to take action to control her diabetes. Then, there's all that other stuff people mention, but you can't necessarily prevent those problems like you can having an abnormally large baby due to diabetes. It's bad enough having a big baby just because that's how it grew--don't put yourself and the baby at risk with gestational diabetes that can usually be controlled.

And don't just get a c-section because you think it's easier than a vaginal birth! Come on, women--there's a hole already in your vagina! Babies are supposed to come out there! There's no hole in your abdomen so they have to cut a big gash through your abdomen and rearrange all the organs in the way and cut through your uterus. That's not normal and it's not natural--c-sections should only be used when a vaginal delivery would harm the mother or baby. You shouldn't just get one because of vanity or because you think you'll be too loose afterwards or you're afraid of tearing or some horses**t like that--c-sections are serious, major surgery and should not be undertaken for cosmetic reasons. If you don't want to give birth through the designated hole, then you sound pretty vain and lazy and those aren't good mother characteristics. Think about it, people! No vanity c-sections!

Answer 5

One thing is if the baby is breech (feet first) it is safer to do a C-section. Another reason is if you have a problem such as placents previa, where the placenta is covering the cervix and the baby cant get out. Sometimes a girl's pelvis/birth canal is just too small to give birth vaginally. There are a ton of reasons. 20% of all births are C-section now.

Answer 6

Being too posh to push. Yes, women have a vagina for giving birth, but men also have foreskins and the human race seems to have no trouble with chopping them off. My friends gynaecologist when she was pregnant said he could see no reason why, in this day and age, any woman should have to give birth naturally. Avoiding a lot of excruiciating pain and exhaustion, being torn, ending up peeing if you laugh/sneeze, and having a big old bucket fanny.... I don't think it makes you a bad person if you'd rather have a C-section, so long as you have someone to look after you afterwards; it is major surgery don't forget. Also, c-sections can apparently heighten the risk of post-natal depression, so if you're prone to that, you may want to consider your options more carefully.

Answer 7

If it is a pre planned c-section most of the time it is because the baby is in the breech position, feet instead of head first.
But it can also be because
*baby is too big
*previous c-section
If it is an emerency c-section it is usually because
* labor has ceased and imediate action is needed
*baby's heartrate is dropping or dropping while pushing
* umblicial cord is around the baby's neck
* Baby is too big and gets stuck in the birth canal
* Baby puts it's hand first instead of head (rare but has happened)

Answer 8

in my case my sons head was so large i was unable to pass it thru the birth canal.. he was a 10 pound baby. there are many reasons, some women just dont want to go thru the trouble of vaginal birth. other reasons may be because the baby is in distress and needs out NOW.. like umbilical cord around the neck.. usually it is some type of emergency like that.

Answer 9

The baby may be too big to pass through the birth canal, prolapsed cord (the umbilical cord gets caught between the baby and birth canal causing the heartbeat to drop), breech birth (baby feet first), limb presentation (arm or leg coming out first), trauma to the parent, or any other issue that required immediate removal of the child for baby or parents health, (ie. eclapsia)

Answer 10

If the fetus is experincing complications such as fast heart rate then the doctors need to get the baby out right away. Or sometimes there are complications that the mother expereinces which would make it harder for her to deliver vaginally.