Pregnancy is undoubtedly the most important and exciting period in every woman's life. However, expectant mothers can be worried about many issues during this period. One of the most common concerns, especially in expectant mothers who will give birth for the first time, is the fear of childbirth. So much so that a study conducted in Sweden reveals that one out of every 10 women has a fear of childbirth. In Australia, this rate was determined as 48 percent. In a study on the anxiety levels of pregnant women in Turkey, it was determined that 58.5 percent of the participants were afraid of childbirth. Due to the fear of childbirth due to various factors, expectant mothers may prefer cesarean delivery even if there is no problem that threatens their health.
Acıbadem Ataşehir Hospital Gynecology and Obstetrics Specialist Dr. Özge Kaymaz Yılmaz pointed out that the fear of vaginal birth is a very common problem among women and said, “Unfortunately, this fear can disrupt the natural cycle of childbirth. In addition to the change in duration in the stages of birth, it can also cause physical complications such as birth injuries and psychological complications such as post-traumatic stress disorder afterwards. Therefore, the main point we advocate is to have a vaginal delivery if there is no problem that will affect the health of the mother and the baby. It should be noted that cesarean delivery is a method of saving, ”says she.
Gynecology and Obstetrics Specialist Dr. Özge Kaymaz Yılmaz talked about the concerns that keep the expectant mothers away from normal birth; made important recommendations and warnings.
Concern that the baby will be injured at birth
Worrying that the baby will be harmed due to some problems that may arise from the birth attempt is among the most common factors that lead expectant mothers to cesarean section. Among the negativities that can be experienced during childbirth; There is a risk of transmission of certain infections due to nerve injuries due to shoulder wear, bone trauma and long stay in the birth canal causing brain damage in the baby. Studies show that, contrary to popular belief, such risks are low in properly managed labor.
Bad birth experiences of the social environment
Birth experiences are undoubtedly one of the topics that women talk about the most today. Even after a positive vaginal delivery, women may remember their birth story as a negative experience due to the emotional burden of puerperium. Therefore, they can describe normal birth as a very painful and troublesome process to their environment. Dr. Özge Kaymaz Yılmaz said, “Contrary to popular belief, these negative stories are in the minority and although it was a difficult process, most mothers do not regret having a normal birth. The most effective way to cope with the fear of childbirth is to get psychological support and to share concerns with the physician as much as possible.
avoiding labor pain
Birth pain is the most severe pain a woman can experience in her life. This fear of pain can turn into a nightmare due to factors such as social media, the experiences of mothers who have experienced childbirth, the cultural structure and the inability of the woman to recognize her own body. Therefore, the anxiety of experiencing labor pain is the most common reason that leads mothers to cesarean section. It is observed that although approximately one out of every two women believes that the ideal delivery method is vaginal delivery, they prefer a cesarean section due to labor pain concerns. Trainings given to expectant mothers, the chance to manage the process together with their physicians, and applicable methods for pain management (such as breathing exercises, yoga, hypnosis, epidural anesthesia) provide a great relief in labor pains and increase the quality of birth. In addition, skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby immediately after birth and breastfeeding at every opportunity is of great importance for the mental and physical health of mother and baby.
urinary incontinence anxiety
Concern that the organs in the pelvic region will sag due to pelvic floor trauma resulting from normal birth and that there will be urinary incontinence as a result may lead expectant mothers to cesarean section. Fear of injury in the vaginal area, problems such as urinary and stool incontinence/difficulty arising from vaginal birth can cause expectant mothers to want a cesarean delivery. In fact, every pregnancy and birth poses a risk for organ prolapse in the pelvic region and it is recommended to do organ protective exercises after birth.
Fear of vaginal incisions
Incisions called episiotomy, which are made to prevent tears that may develop in the last part of the birth canal in vaginal births and sometimes to accelerate the birth, are another important reason for turning to cesarean section. However, in recent years, the rate of episiotomy has decreased significantly thanks to breathing exercises, prenatal training and awareness. In addition, data show that vaginal incision procedures reduce the risk of anus injury during childbirth.
Vacuum delivery / Transition to emergency cesarean section
Although natural vaginal birth goes well at first, sometimes due to various factors, there may be a transition to an operative vaginal delivery with instruments such as forceps or vacuum or to an emergency cesarean delivery. Because, interventional and cesarean delivery is applied as a rescue method during the period that does not go well or when the action stops. Dr. Özge Kaymaz Yılmaz said, “In addition to physical problems such as infection and bleeding, emergency cesarean delivery is often an emotionally traumatic experience for patients. As a result, postpartum depression and post-traumatic stress disorder problems may develop. Therefore, expectant mothers may turn to cesarean section to avoid such traumas. In fact, problems during normal birth are rare. In addition, the risk of complications is very low today, even if it does happen.” says.
What are the risks of cesarean delivery?
The increased risk of abnormal placental attachment in future pregnancies is a major concern because of the potential for life-threatening bleeding.
Risks such as placental adhesion disorders are increasing. These complications may require removal of the uterus during a cesarean section.
Complications of anesthesia such as headache and low back pain can be seen.
Longer hospital stay and recovery time.
Babies are at an increased risk of respiratory problems.