Baby has been on the way for a few months now and you are looking forward to his arrival. You go to your 7th month gynecological appointment. Everything is going well until your gynecologist tells you, for various reasons, that it is best to schedule a cesarean section for your baby’s arrival.
If your deepest desire is to deliver your child by natural means, the announcement of the C-section can be worse than a blow. The fear of the procedure, the risks to baby and to you, the aftermath of the procedure. Even though everything points to a C-section being the worst ending to a pregnancy, there are advantages to having a scheduled C-section.
The date of arrival is known
You’ve probably spent hours packing your maternity suitcase. Wondering what you’re going to put in the bag(s). Knowing what you’ll still be using before you leave, but which absolutely must be in the bag as well. Knowing the date of the procedure will give you clarity.
The room will have time to be ready before you leave and you will only have to close your suitcase just before you leave. No rush, you can take your time.
The risks are controlled
If your doctor has scheduled a C-section, it is because he or she feels that the risks of a natural birth are too high. The baby may be in an awkward position, with the cord around the neck, which could interfere with a successful delivery.
It is also important to know that in a large proportion of cases, children born by cesarean section have less trauma. They are not affected by the utensils (spatulas, forceps, etc.), by the narrow size of the pelvis, so babies born by scheduled C-section are less marked.
Duration
While vaginal deliveries are often felt to be interminable, scheduled cesarean deliveries are very quick. In fact, unlike a vaginal delivery, which can take many hours or even days, you know when the operation is going to take place, it takes half an hour to an hour and you have your baby in your arms.
Care
Even if you will have a small scar on your lower abdomen (about ten centimeters), they are much less visible than before. From now on, cesarean section scars will be found on the elastic of a pair of low-rise panties.
And, even if the intestinal transit resumes normally between 24 hours and 48 hours after the operation, you will not have any pain or burning in your vagina. And yes, by doing a C-section, you will avoid possible tears, episiotomies or others, not to mention internal and external stitches.
The important role of the father
What about the father in all this? Often, the father does not find his place during childbirth. The mother-to-be does all the work and the father is there, passive. He often feels useless even if it is not the case. When baby arrives by vaginal delivery, he is put in skin to skin with mom.
But during a caesarean delivery, dad is much more often involved in skin-to-skin contact while mom is being cared for. Moreover, dad will have a more important role later on. Mom will need his help more to hold the baby, to bend over, etc. The father then has an extremely important role.
Now that we have seen together the advantages of a scheduled C-section, there is no need to worry. In any case, you will be in good hands.
