C-Sections and The Health of Your Baby

C-Sections and The Health of Your Baby

June 15th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Old Title: Is It True That Having a C-Section May Affect My Baby’s Immune System?

There is a great deal of anticipation when it comes to the birth of your baby. If you take a birthing class, then they tell you to create a birth plan. Even if you have one, there are always the unforeseen circumstances that you can’t quite plan for. Giving birth to a child is a very intense process and involves a great deal of factors to be lined up. If you go in assuming that things will go one way, they will almost certainly go another way. It just goes to show that when it comes to delivering your baby, you should be prepared for anything. There are many moms out there that worry about a C-section, and understandably so. There are however certain times when it can’t be avoided, but you do want to know what it means for your baby.

The Potential Risks

Though there is contradictory evidence, you can find information to support that a C-section could somehow create health problems for your baby down the line. What many believe happen is that the DNA is somehow compromised using a C-section as a method of delivery. When that happens, it can lead to a potentially weakened immune system or may even make them susceptible to health problems such as diabetes or asthma later on. This doesn’t become a certainty, but as you can see that the potential risks are there.

It is believed that babies delivered via C-sections don’t have time to properly prepare for birth. This means that it can put additional stress on the birth and the experience overall. While some may debate this, others believe that this is what can lead to all of the potential problems down the line. It’s important to talk to your doctor to see if this is the best delivery method for you. It is also important to talk to your doctor to understand when it is safe to plan for a C-section if that is deemed necessary. Anything before 39 weeks of pregnancy should be seriously questioned as baby’s full development isn’t complete.

There Are Instances Where It’s Safer

It is important however to remember that there are instances where a C-section may not only be desirable, but actually recommended as well. When the baby is breech and shows no signs of flipping in time for delivery, then the C-section creates a much safer delivery for mother and baby. When the woman has had another C-section in the past, there are many conditions that must be in line to ensure that vaginal delivery is even possible. Therefore a planned C-section may be the best possible option for a woman in this situation. If there is any distress within the baby or anything that could cause potential harm to mother or baby during delivery, then this too is an instance where a C-section is recommended.

The timing of the birth is an important factor, and many will find that the baby will respond much better to a planned C-section over an emergency one. So while there may be potential risks that can be scary to mom, doing whatever is best for the baby is what rules out in the long run. If a C-section is recommended, just ask a lot of questions and be sure that everything is happening as it is meant to so that there is no worry of potential health problems down the road.

Baby’s Preparation for Delivery

Baby’s Preparation for Delivery

June 5th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

You know that the moment is nearing because your due date is just around the corner. You are now at the stage where you go in for weekly appointments, and therefore the time is coming closer and closer. You feel as though you are ready though you have anxiety about the big arrival. It’s an exciting time and you give much thought to what you are ready for and how you will fully prepare.

You’ve probably not given that much thought to what your baby goes through in anticipation for the big arrival. As your body gets ready, you know that things are happening as you can just feel it. There are many stages and things happening that get you ready for the big delivery. Just as you prepare both physically and mentally for the baby’s arrival, the same things are happening with the baby. Though they can’t really prepare emotionally, they are going through some changes at the last minute to ensure that they are ready for the big arrival as well.

Is Baby Really Getting Ready Too?

There are certain things you can feel and certain things that you can’t. You will be made aware of some of the changes that are occurring as you go through the weekly doctor appointments. Your doctor is checking to see if you are dilated at all or if your cervix is thinning in preparation for the big arrival. While all of these things are going on with you and your progress, baby is going through some important stages as well. You may be feeling a bit less movement than you have throughout the second and third trimesters. Not only has baby run out of room to romp about, but she has also begun her descent downwards towards the birth canal.

Your baby has developed all of their organs and body parts by the third trimester. However what they are doing up until the moment that they are born is bulking up, that is adding a whole lot of weight onto their tiny little frame. By week 38, they have fully developed lungs that they are working at until that very week. These are all important sings that they are getting ready for their big debut, though there’s a good chance that you’re not feeling a thing at all. The baby will do everything on their own time schedule and will get themselves ready for the arrival all on their own, often without you knowing a thing.

Getting Into Position

The most important thing that baby does to get ready for the big arrival is to get into position. This is something that you may or may not feel, and the way it works out will determine the type of delivery that you can have. If all goes as it should, then baby will move into the “heads down” position as she prepares for her entry into the big world through the birth canal. This may be felt by mom as a flip or some major movement as they move lower in the uterus and work towards the necessary “heads down” position.

Sometimes baby doesn’t really want to cooperate and may be “bottom down” which presents some problems for a vaginal delivery. If this happens, then the baby is considered to be breech and a C-section may very well be necessary. Remember that baby will do everything that she can to get herself ready for the big arrival, and they will do son their own timeframe.

Understanding a C-Section Delivery

Understanding a C-Section Delivery

May 17th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

There is often much anxiety and ill feelings surrounding a C-section delivery. Most women go into the birthing process expecting to have a natural or vaginal delivery, and sometimes that’s just not possible. Though there are a number of viable reasons why a woman would have a C-section, there is a great deal of worry when it comes up as a topic of conversation.

As it is a major surgery, it’s understandable that moms-to-be would not be necessarily excited to have such a delivery method performed. However it is important to know that a C-section can not only be necessary but preferred in light of a few key circumstances. It’s important to understand what these are and how the process works. Then if the situation ever comes up or you find yourself facing a C-section, it might not be so scary.

Reasons for a C-Section Delivery

The reality is that there are a number of reasons that a woman may find it necessary to have a C-section to deliver her baby. There’s the planned type of C-section and then the emergency C-section.

In an emergency C-section, a woman may be forced into this type of delivery if the baby won’t turn, if the baby’s heart rate is dropping, if the cord is wrapped around the baby, or a number of related factors. This is not an optimal situation as there is potential danger towards the baby, but it can be a real lifesaver to ensure that the baby is healthy and delivered quickly and safely.

In the instance of a planned C-section, there are a number of factors that this may be done. A woman may have had a previous C-section and may be asked to consider this as a method for delivery the second time around for a safe delivery. The baby may be breech and won’t flip the proper way, or the baby may just be too big to deliver the old fashioned way. There may be certain health conditions associated with the pregnancy that may make a vaginal delivery difficult such as placenta previa where the placenta is low and covers the cervix making vaginal delivery virtually impossible. As you can see there are many reasons for a planned C-section. Sometimes a planned C-section gives the woman a bit more time to mentally prepare for this surgery.

Knowing What to Expect

A C-section works like any other surgery in certain respects. The woman will be put under anesthesia so that she can’t feel the incision or any of the pain that may occur during the surgery itself. Her partner will be allowed into the room with her after she has been prepped and they will be able to sit next to them the whole time. What may be different about this type of surgery however is that the woman is likely awake the entire time. She is aware of what’s going on, but feels no pain. She may feel a bit of pressure or pulling as they reach in and grab the baby out, but that’s usually it. She can hear her baby cry for the first time and if all goes well, she can even hold the baby immediately after delivery.

There is a longer recovery associated with a C-section than a vaginal birth since a major surgery has taken place. The woman will need to take it easy for a few weeks and limit driving or physical activity, but nothing that would interfere with her ability to care for her new baby. Though a C-section may not be how a woman envisioned her birth experience, knowing the facts can take a bit of anxiety out of things.