Caesarean section without signs of labor: What you need to know

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor I Le Thi Phuong - Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.

An elective cesarean section is a cesarean delivery without labor. Mother's recovery time will be longer than vaginal delivery and surgery can cause many complications for both mother and baby

1. Cases that need a cesarean delivery when there are no signs of labor yet

1.1. Causes of the mother The mother has a serious systemic illness that cannot continue to be pregnant. When there are medical conditions of the mother or the fetus, it is necessary to terminate the pregnancy immediately. The mother has high blood pressure due to severe pregnancy, high blood pressure that cannot be controlled by medication is dangerous for both mother and fetus.. The mother has cardiovascular disease that can be made worse by labor process. An infected mother can infect her baby during normal delivery. Carrying multiple pregnancies at the same time Having multiple previous cesarean births The mother's health is not guaranteed, acute fetal distress... Suffering from diseases caused by the fetus: Preeclampsia, severe allergies due to pregnancy. Previous uterine surgery. Uterus with old cesarean scar: Caesarean section > 2 times, removal of uterine fibroids, hysterectomy. Usually, elective cesarean delivery is indicated in cases where the mother has an abnormal pelvis, the fetal exit is equally obstructed by the placenta previa, tumor in the prostate, and the baby does not turn his head down when it is near to the due date.


1.2. Causes of pregnancy The fetus is too large, the prognosis is > 4 kg in those who give birth, > 3.5 kg in those who give birth to a premature baby. Baby has signs of fetal distress such as fetal heart rate too fast or slow Fetal malnutrition Chronic fetal failure in utero. 1.3. Causes of fetal appendages Central placenta previa Bleeding multiple times Severe fibrosarcoma: grade III - IV End of amniotic fluid: Amniotic index < 30. 1.4. Other reasons The mother has a heavy obstetric history: multiple stillbirths, stillbirths before labor Sometimes problems arise during labor that lead to the decision to have a cesarean section, usually related to: Labor is slow and difficult or stopped altogether. Problems related to the placenta can be the cause of bleeding for women if they give birth vaginally. Usually these cases do not wait for signs of labor, because labor can be dangerous for mother and baby. .

2. The benefits and disadvantages of elective cesarean section

2.1. Benefits for the mother when elective cesarean section If the condition of the fetus is weak, an elective cesarean section will reduce the possibility of asphyxia, trauma due to difficult birth or prolonged labor.
2.2. Disadvantages for the mother when having an elective cesarean section When having an elective cesarean section, the mother can have complications due to anesthesia or surgery (violation of the uterine arteries, bladder, intestines, urinary tract infection). manage...). The mother will lose more blood, prolonged post-operative period affects the recovery of the uterus and health, and the hospital stay is longer. After elective cesarean section, there may be complications of infection in the incision, so it is likely that antibiotics will be needed more and for a longer time. Pregnant women have skin scars, especially, the keloid scars are more aesthetic. The cesarean section on the uterine body may crack in later pregnancies. Incisions on the uterus can also cause intestinal adhesions, intestinal obstruction. With a cesarean section, the mother cannot breastfeed in the first hours after birth. In the long term, it will affect the normal secretion of milk glands. 2.3. Disadvantages for the baby when giving birth by elective cesarean section If elective cesarean section is delivered when the child is not yet full term, the child is likely to have acute respiratory failure due to a lack of surfactant (a substance that is essential for lung function and helps the lungs). dilatation) or wet lung syndrome (Low Absorption Syndrome). Babies born by cesarean section without signs of labor are more susceptible to infections and allergies than babies born vaginally because they are not exposed to bacteria in the vaginal delivery. The beneficial bacteria in the gut did not outgrow and it took 6 months for the colonization rate of this bacteria to catch up with those born vaginally. That may be the reason why babies born by cesarean section without signs of labor are more prone to infections and allergies than babies born vaginally. In addition, if premature, the baby is also prone to hypothermia, cerebral hemorrhage, nuclear jaundice, sepsis...

3. Should elective cesarean section?

The necessary cases of cesarean section must be closely consulted and indicated. One should not, for the subjective reasons of a certain individual, try to arrange for an active cesarean section when the mother has not shown signs of labor to bear unnecessary risks.
Consequences of choosing a good time to give birth there have been cases after birth, babies have severe respiratory failure, have to be treated very difficult and expensive, there have been some cases of death.
Pregnant women who are about to become mothers need to understand this in order to make scientific and reasonable decisions and take responsibility for themselves when making or accepting requests for an active cesarean section on an hourly basis. Do not let outside opinions affect your own birth and for the safety of the baby you are about to give birth.
With the number of cesarean deliveries growing to a record number, the last weeks of pregnancy need to be taken seriously. This leads to pregnancy being divided into separate categories.
Premature birth from 37 weeks 0 days to 38 weeks 6 days Full term: From 39 weeks 0 days to 40 weeks 6 days Premature pregnancy from 41 weeks 0 days to 41 weeks 6 days. Long term pregnancy: from 42 weeks 0 days and more. Pregnancy can be delivered by cesarean section usually from 38-40 weeks if there are no health abnormalities in the mother and fetus, cesarean section helps you to reduce pain but also needs to be extremely careful when taking care of them.
Therefore, you should go to antenatal care regularly according to the schedule to be examined by the doctor and advise on the appropriate time for surgery.
A cesarean section without signs of labor can be planned in advance (this is called "choosing" a cesarean section) when pregnancy complications become more apparent just before the mother goes into labor. the mother had had a cesarean section or had unexpected sequelae during labor and the doctor was forced to give birth by cesarean section. That's why mothers should prepare psychologically and knowledge about cesarean section or unexpected occurrences. Mothers should also receive advice from an experienced obstetrician from pregnancy to labor so that both mother and baby are healthy. At Vinmec International General Hospital, a full maternity service is available at Vinmec International Hospital. as a solution to help pregnant women feel secure because of the companionship of the medical team throughout the pregnancy. When choosing Maternity Package, pregnant women can:
The pregnancy process is monitored by a team of qualified doctors Regular check-up, early detection of abnormalities Maternity package helps to facilitate the process. Birth process Newborns get comprehensive care Thanks to special care and science, pregnancy becomes safe for both mother and fetus.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.