Most women want to deliver their babies vaginally, and it may be scary to think that that might not happen. But I want to give you some guidance so that you know what leads a doctor to decide that a C-Section is the better option. Once you understand these tips, you can stand strong in labor, ask questions, challenge the reason for C-Section, and/or be at peace with a C-Section if it is necessary for the safety of you and your baby.
First, I am going to talk about normal labor so that you know that any deviation from normal labor is abnormal labor.
Normal labor is the progression of cervical dilation (0 cm – 10 cm) over a certain period of time.
All women have a closed cervix that needs to open for a successful vaginal delivery. The cervix has to get to 10 cm before your baby can be delivered vaginally. This is essential.
Before I go any further, I want to mention the FREE Pearently Natural Birth Workbook! This 4 Step Process is a great start if you are considering a med-free birth. Click the button below to download the workbook…
Now that we know what normal labor is, let’s talk about abnormal labor that can lead to a C-Section.
Abnormal labor can occur as the result of three different things. You may have one or you may have all three.
Inadequate contraction pattern
Contractions should occur regularly, every 2 minutes, 3 minutes, or 4 minutes between each contraction. This pattern may stop, and that is when things become abnormal. If the time between contractions goes beyond 4-5 minutes then the doctor may talk to you about how to get back on track. The solution is called Pitocin.
Your body secretes a hormone called Oxytocin. This natural hormone is what makes contractions happen. Pitocin is the synthetic form of Oxytocin. Your doctor will order intravenous (IV) administration of the medication Pitocin to make your contractions closer together so that you can move toward a vaginal delivery.
There are natural ways to assist the release of Oxytocin such as movement and ambiance. Talk to your doctor about waiting to start the Pitocin while you try some natural ways. Watch this video / Read this blog for more ideas>>>https://pearently.com/how-to-have-a-faster-labor/
We all want you to have an adequate contraction pattern so that you get the vaginal birth that you desire.
Failure to descend
Fetal descent is an important part of a successful vaginal delivery.
Your baby should be descending in your pelvis as you approach birth.
The doctor will place his or her hand into your vagina to feel the cervix and baby’s station. Your baby’s head should be descending to a certain station into the vagina before birth: -2, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3, and then delivery.
The Fetal Vertex (baby’s head) should not be higher than -2 station.
If the fetal vertex does not descend properly, then you may have failure to descend. Your doctor will talk to you about a possible C-Section.
Most babies that have not engaged in the pelvis by this point will not engage. Talk to your doctor before proceeding with C-Section so that you have peace about the decision.
Failure to dilate
Failure to dilate means that your cervix is not changing like it should (0 – 10 cm), even though you have an adequate contraction pattern (contractions help the cervix open).
If you have failure to dilate and you don’t get to 10 cm, then you cannot deliver vaginally. Full dilatation is essential for a vaginal delivery!
Your doctor will talk to you about a possible C-Section.
However, every doctor is different when if comes to the cervix. Some doctors wait several hours and some doctors decide on C-Section more quickly.
You need to be informed and you need to make sure you know the reason for C-Section. If your baby is safe and you don’t want a C-Section, then you can wait for several hours to see if you cervix will begin to dilate again.
Read this article / watch this video >>> https://pearently.com/how-to-have-a-faster-labor/
You drive the ship. Be informed, talk to your doctor, and make choices that are safe for you and your baby.
I want to mention something that drives C-Sections in America, and that is abnormal fetal heart rate (FHR) tracing. If the tracing is a little abnormal then your C-Section might be driven by the legal aspect.
So, you get to the hospital, and the nurse wraps two bands around your belly. This is a machine that monitors your baby’s heart rate during labor and creates a tracing.
The tracing is placed in 3 different categories.
Category 1
This means that baby is getting enough oxygen throughout labor, and your baby is happy.
Category 2
This category means that the doctor is looking more intently at the tracing. Your baby has a reserve of oxygen and he / she needs a little more observation.
ACOG says that Category 2 does not warrant a C-Section.
Category 3
This is the category you don’t want because a C-Section needs to be performed immediately (within 30 minutes). However, very few babies get to a Category 3.
That was a lot of information to ingest. Take time to read over it again and think about how it will cause you to act in labor. We want you to be informed, confident, and calm in labor. This takes some prep work so that your body can get ready to act.
We have more encouragement for you.
Do you want some help making a plan? Pearently has created a FREE Natural Birth Workbook just for you. This 4 Step Process is a great start if you are considering a med-free birth. Download below…
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