What is Cesarean Section? 

When the decision of delivery is made by the physician, the delivery under operating room conditions and under anesthesia after a surgical incision first on the abdomen and then on the uterus is called a cesarean delivery.

The mode of delivery can be determined by prenatal examinations and controls. All pregnant women who are unable to have a normal vaginal delivery are delivered by cesarean section.

Cesarean delivery is a form of birth in which the baby is taken out through an operation in which an incision is made in the abdomen and uterus. Cesarean section type; It is applied to women who may have complications related to childbirth, where vaginal delivery is not safe, or who have given birth to a previous child by cesarean section.

The situations in which cesarean delivery is preferred can be listed as follows:

Failure of labor to progress: Cesarean section is preferred in cases where the cervix (cervix) does not dilate enough for delivery despite the strong contractions in the mother continue for hours. Failure to progress in labor is one of the reasons why cesarean section is preferred.

The baby is under stress: A change in the baby's heartbeat can be a sign that the baby is under stress. Again, the baby's lack of oxygen also puts the baby under stress. In such cases, the doctor may decide that a cesarean delivery is a better option.

Baby taking an abnormal position in the womb: As the baby gets closer to birth, the baby moves to the position where the head will be downwards in the womb. However, some babies may have trouble positioning. In these babies; Foot (breech position) or shoulder (transverse position) may come to the lower part of the uterus, that is, the first part of the body that will emerge at birth. Problems in positioning may also cause cesarean delivery to be preferred.

Multiple pregnancy: In multiple pregnancies such as twins and triplets, there may be problems with positioning in babies. Therefore, cesarean delivery may be a safer option in multiple pregnancies.

Placenta diseases: Cesarean delivery is preferred in cases such as placenta previa, where the placenta is located in the cervix.

Umbilical cord problems: Cesarean section may be a safer method of delivery when faced with problems such as entanglement in the umbilical cord.

Health problems of the mother: If the mother has a serious disorder in vital organs such as the heart and brain, a cesarean delivery can be performed. Again, active genital herpes infection in the mother during delivery may also require cesarean delivery.

Narrow birth canal: In cases such as hip fracture, large fibroid tissue that will cause narrowing of the birth canal; vaginal delivery can be difficult. Again, if the baby's head or itself is larger than normal, it also makes vaginal delivery difficult. In such cases, cesarean delivery may be considered a better option.

Previous cesarean delivery operation: In women who had a previous cesarean delivery; Depending on the incision made for the cesarean section and other factors, cesarean delivery may be repeated. Although cesarean section is not a necessity for mothers who gave their first birth by cesarean section, cesarean section is usually repeated in practice.

How is it performed?

Cesarean delivery can be planned in advance or it can be done under emergency conditions. Planned cesarean sections are usually done at 39 weeks of pregnancy. Before cesarean delivery, the mother's suitability for anesthesia is evaluated. Various blood tests are performed to evaluate the mother's blood group and hemoglobin status. Thanks to these tests, we are prepared for complications that may occur during cesarean delivery.

Before the cesarean section, the mother's abdomen is cleaned. Vascular access is opened to the mother and the drugs necessary for the surgery are given to the body. Again, a catheter is inserted to the mother, which allows the bladder to be emptied during the surgery. In cesarean delivery, the epidural anesthesia is usually given to the mother. In this type of anesthesia, anesthetic drugs are injected into the cavity of the membrane surrounding the spinal cord by entering from the back of the waist. Thanks to this anesthesia, the mother does not feel pain or pain during delivery.

After the drugs necessary for the operation are given to the mother and the anesthetic effect begins, an incision is made just above the line where pubic hair begins. This incision is usually made parallel to the pubic hairline. However, in some cases, the doctor may choose to make a vertical incision. After this incision in the abdomen, the uterus is reached. After an incision made in the uterus, the baby in the uterus is taken out. Thus, the baby is born after two incisions. In this whole process, the mother's lower back is covered, so that the mother is prevented from seeing these stages.

After the baby is born, his mouth and nose are cleaned and his breathing is provided, and the umbilical cord is cut. While the baby is given to health workers to check his vital signs, the incisions on the mother's body are closed with stitches. The baby is then given to its mother.

After delivery, the mother and baby need to stay in the hospital for a few days.

With the disappearance of the effect of postpartum anesthetic, the pain of the mother increases. In order to prevent this situation, strong painkillers are given to the mother after the birth. It is recommended that the mother consume plenty of fluids and take a walk in order to avoid problems such as thrombosis (clot formation) and constipation due to surgery. Again, the urinary catheter inserted in the mother should be removed as soon as possible. Both the mother and healthcare professionals should be careful to avoid infection of the surgical site.

When you are discharged from the hospital, the advice of the doctor should be followed. Each mother may need to pay attention to a number of different issues. However the postpartum recommendations that apply to most mothers are:

• Getting plenty of rest for a few weeks

• Drinking plenty of fluids

• Avoiding sexual intercourse for 4-6 weeks

• Taking appropriate painkillers when necessary

• Standing in the right positions to support the abdomen

How long does Cesarean Section last?

All the process is written above takes around 40 or 50 minutes.

What are the risks of Cesarean Delivery?

Today, although cesarean delivery has become more preferred because it causes less pain, it brings some risks for the mother and the baby.

The Complications of the cesarean delivery may cause;

• Bleeding

• Clot formation

• Breathing problems in the baby, especially when done before 39 weeks

• Infection

• Injury to the baby during birth

• Longer recovery time compared to vaginal delivery

• Damage to other organs during surgery

• Increased risk for various problems in subsequent pregnancies

• It can be counted as the appearance of problems such as adhesion (adhesion), hernia (hernia) after surgery in the abdomen.

Recovery Time after Cesarean Section

Cesarean section is a surgical operation performed on the lower abdomen, so the recovery process is slightly different than normal spontaneous vaginal delivery. Pain in the lower abdomen may cause a certain limitation in the patient's standing up and movements for a few days.

The need for pain medication may be a little more.The mother can take a standing shower for first 24 hours by using special wound care products,3 days after operation she can take shower without them. After about 1 week, she can return to daily life and can start driving in the following days.