C-Sections Can Wound The Baby - New Warning

C-Sections Can Wound The Baby - New Warning
If you're a mum-to-be and reckon you might be too posh to push, a new report might make you think twice.

For some women the thought of giving birth – "you want me to get THAT through THAT?" – is just too scary, and they are keen to opt for a caesarean.

Celebrities have led the trend, including Spice Girls Victoria Beckham and Mel G, All Saints star Melanie Blatt, DJ Zoe Ball and actress Patsy Kensit.

C-sections are becoming increasingly common – but an investigation by the Daily Mirror has found that babies are at risk of injury from the operation.

One in 100 babies, according to the report, are wounded during the procedure. That's 1,700 newborns a year.

This may be a bit of a scare story, because of course many of these will receive just little scratches. But others can be scarred. Some parents have received large compensation pay-outs after accidents during C-sections.

Often a C-section is necessary, though. The first mother quoted in the Daily Mirror article says she had an emergency C-section as her labour was failing to progress. Her son has a scar of 3.5in on his head – but at least he is here to tell the tale.

However, reports like this do underline what a serious operation a C-section is. Even if everything goes to plan, it takes a lot longer to recover and often mothers are warned they should not try to get pregnant again for two years.

I was terrified when I thought I might have to have a C-section, partly because I'm a wimp, and partly because I knew, vaguely, that it was more dangerous for me and the baby.

My labour was induced, meaning it was more likely that the operation would be necessary.

But even so, nobody talked to me about C-sections, so if they had had to do one, all the information would have been given to me at the very moment when I was least able to take it in.

Many of the mothers the Mirror spoke to say they were not given enough information beforehand, and not told of the risks.

Did you have a C-section? Did you feel you were told of the risks involved? Did you choose to have one and if so why – and are you glad you did?

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