Cesarean Section: Why?
December 19, 2008
A Caesarean section (or Cesarean section in American English), also known as C-section or Caesar, is a surgical procedure in which incisions are made through a mother’s abdomen (laparotomy) and uterus (hysterotomy) to deliver one or more babies. It is usually performed when a vaginal delivery would put the baby’s or mother’s life or health at risk, although in recent times it has been also performed upon request for childbirths that would otherwise have been natural.
This is how Wikipedia defines the type of delivery I had for baby Yzzy. Ironically, I was expecting a normal vaginal delivery considering I was negative of all tests that might cause me to be a cesarean candidate. And I didn’t even gain that much weight (just me and my baby-filled-belly). But then again, some things happen when you least expect them.
After having delivered Yzzy, the doctor made it clear to us the reasons why my cervix couldn’t be completely dilated and why it remains thick.
Dilation is the width that the cervix is open. Dilation can begin before labor actually starts, or in early labor, and is measured in centimeters. For most deliveries, the cervix needs to dilate from zero (not dilated at all) to 10 centimeters (fully dilated) before pushing can begin and the baby delivered. This range is based on the fact that a full-term baby’s head is about 10 centimeters across.
Effacement is the shortening, or thinning, of the cervix. Like dilation, it begins before or during early labor. Before effacement takes place, the cervix is like a long bottleneck, usually about 4 centimeters in length. As effacement takes place, the cervix then shortens, or effaces, pulling up into the uterus and becoming part of the lower uterine wall. Effacement may be measured in percentages, from zero percent (not effaced at all) to 100 percent, which describes a paper-thin cervix.
Generally, when the cervix has dilated to 4-5 centimeters, a woman is considered to be in active labor. However, mine seems different. Instead of waiting for progress to take place in a matter of hours, I had to wait for days! There’s what they call a Cephalo-pelvic Disproportion (CPD) which seems to be the very reason why it is impossible for me to have a normal delivery. It is has to do with subtle positioning of the baby so that a larger diameter of the baby’s head is being presented to the pelvis.
Even under the best of circumstances, no one can guarantee that a cesarean won’t be necessary.
I read about it some days ago in another blog and the main things that you mention here are very similar
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