- Pramila Krishnan
- BBC Tamil
image source, Getty Images
Obstetrician Matangi Rajagopal says that in recent times astrologers are deciding the timing of caesarean section instead of doctors, and many parents are forcing doctors to perform cesarean section.
He says that caesarean section, which was a treatment to save the life of the baby in the womb, is used to avoid labor pain and to determine the time of child birth according to astrological beliefs. Although caesarean section is a widely performed safe treatment, sometimes there is a risk of harming the life of the mother.
According to Indian government statistics, 21.5 percent of births in India are currently by caesarean section.
This percentage has come as the number of cesarean deliveries has increased over the past 30 years. Cesarean section has increased due to various reasons like lifestyle changes, dietary habits, physical exertion. Matangi says some people seek surgery because they cannot bear the pain.
Dr. Matangi answers doubts related to caesarean section.
What are the factors for caesarean section?
First of all, it is important that the heartbeat of the baby in the womb is regular. If the baby’s heart rate keeps decreasing, surgery should be done immediately to save the baby.
Next, the baby’s weight is important. If the baby weighs more than 3.2 kg, the baby can come out only if the mother’s pelvis is flexible enough to allow the baby to come out. Otherwise, surgery is the way to go. Even a very low birth weight baby cannot come out. As the child cannot withstand the contractions of labor, the child is forced to be surgically removed.
The third main reason is that the woman’s cervix should be dilated by 10 cm. When that is not the case, surgery is the way to go.
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Since the first delivery is by caesarean section, Next delivery Will it be a caesarean?
Definitely not. It cannot be said that the second birth will be the same as the first. A healthy delivery involves the efforts of both the mother and the child if a baby is to be born. A healthy delivery or a surgery can be said depending on the situation.
In recent times, some parents ask that the baby should be born at a certain auspicious time, even though there is a possibility of a healthy delivery. So I think astrologers rather than doctors decide whether surgery or natural delivery.
In some families, the girl either says she can’t bear the pain or the girl’s parents and husband decide they want surgery.
Will women experience lifelong pain from cesarean delivery?
A surgery won’t solve the problem. Perhaps if a woman has two or three cesarean sections in a row, her body will develop some disorders. With each surgery, the bladder and other organs near the cervix can move and have trouble functioning as they used to.
Sometimes, a caesarean section causes heavy bleeding and requires a blood transfusion. With continued surgery, it is questionable whether the woman will receive adequate care and nutrition to recover.
image source, Getty Images
Is it true that back pain is a side effect of the anesthetic injection during a cesarean section?
During a caesarean section, a numbing anesthetic is injected from the groin to the leg. The needle will be inserted into the spinal cord. It is not true that this injection, called epidural anesthesia, will cause permanent back pain.
Generally, after the surgery, the woman will gain weight without proper exercise as she eats more to gain weight and breastfeed the baby. Hence, back pain occurs. He said that anesthetic injections do not cause back pain.
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