Is cesarean section safer than natural birth? What should you pay attention to after cesarean section?

Although natural birth is the most common way of childbirth, it also has great risks because there are too many irresistible factors in the process of delivering the fetus from the mother's belly. So is a caesarean section safer than a natural birth?

Dystocia is dangerous, but is cesarean section safe?

If a difficult labor occurs during delivery, it will be very dangerous, but a cesarean section will be much smoother.

Doctor’s answer:

The actual situation is not entirely like this. For mothers, normal delivery is the most natural way of childbirth, which causes less trauma to the mother. In addition, the fetus is squeezed through the birth canal, and the amniotic fluid stored in the lungs and stomach can be discharged to the maximum extent. The chances of newborns developing wet lungs and poor breathing are significantly reduced.

From a medical point of view, any surgery is risky. The trauma of the surgery itself and the accidents that may be caused by anesthesia are unavoidable risks in surgery.

Cesarean section may cause damage to the mother's surrounding organs. Since the placenta is removed through an incision in the abdomen, endometriosis may occur at the incision after delivery. The amount of bleeding during cesarean section is also greater than that during vaginal delivery. Some women have thick abdominal fat, which is prone to subcutaneous fat liquefaction, affecting the normal healing of the incision.

For the fetus, if the operation is performed before a trial delivery, the amniotic fluid in the lungs is not fully squeezed out, and the doctor needs to insert a tube into the trachea to absorb the amniotic fluid. The chances of the newborn developing wet lung and poor breathing after delivery are significantly increased. In some cases, such as when the placenta is located on the anterior wall and is located lower, a cesarean section must first remove part of the placenta before the fetus can be taken out, which may cause fetal blood loss.

At present, cesarean sections mostly use epidural anesthesia or spinal anesthesia. After anesthesia, the mother's blood pressure often drops, affecting the placental blood supply and causing some fetuses to be hypoxic.

Therefore, cesarean section has inherent risks. For women of childbearing age, they must face problems such as postpartum contraception and subsequent pregnancy, which are also affected to varying degrees due to the scars on the uterus.

What are the pain stages of cesarean section?

What kind of pain will mothers experience before and after a caesarean section?

Pain point 1: Injection of anesthetics

In fact, the injection of anesthetic is not that painful. Most mothers will feel soreness and coldness in the back, and a few will feel nauseous and want to vomit.

Pain point 2: When pulling out the fetus

Many mothers do not feel much pain when their bellies are cut open because of the effect of anesthetics. However, when the uterus is cut open and the doctor pulls out the fetus with force, they will feel an uncomfortable feeling of being hollowed out and also feel pain.

Pain point 3: Postpartum wound pain

After the effect of the anesthetic slowly fades, the pain at the wound suture begins. Within 24 hours after the operation, the hospital will generally give the mother an analgesic pump to relieve the pain of the wound. Generally speaking, the pain at the wound is more obvious 7 days after delivery, especially when the mother coughs or turns over.

Pain point 4: Catheterization

Catheterization is required throughout the cesarean section. Many mothers feel some pain when the catheter is inserted. There is a feeling of distension when it is first inserted, followed by a little pain. After giving birth, the catheter must be kept in place for 24 hours. If the new mother still cannot urinate on her own, she will have to go through this pain again: reinserting the catheter!

Pain point 5: Postpartum uterine contraction pain

Just like natural birth, cesarean section requires the baby to experience the pain of postpartum contractions after birth. Moreover, the pain of contractions after cesarean section will be more unbearable because of the presence of the incision.

Uterine contraction pain is caused by intermittent contraction of the uterus. The purpose of postpartum uterine contraction is to help the uterus stop bleeding and expel residual blood clots inside the uterus to promote the recovery of the uterus. After the operation, the nurse will generally help massage the uterus, which is the "belly pressure" that many mothers are afraid of. It is the most unbearable pain.

Key points for care in the first 3 days after cesarean section

The day after cesarean section

On the day of cesarean section, the mother must take good rest after returning to the ward, because this is a major surgical experience after all. At this time, there will be irritation from the catheter, discomfort from the oxygen tube, wrapping of the ECG monitoring cuff, and a pain pump on the back.

After the birth of the child, the mother is extremely attracted to the child. The mother will constantly pay attention to the child. It is reminded that at this time, except for feeding the child when needed, the mother must close her eyes and rest at other times to recover her strength as soon as possible. After delivery, the mother should turn over more often to promote early gas discharge, and eat as soon as possible to replenish the physical loss caused by the operation.

Day 2 after cesarean section

After the catheter is removed on the second day after delivery, you should move as soon as possible. You can sit up first, then move around the bed, and then get out of bed. Never lie still in bed, as this will affect blood circulation in the lower limbs and cause deep phlebitis in the lower limbs. When the analgesic pump is removed, the wound will feel painful, and the uterus will contract and hurt when the baby sucks the breast. These pains are very painful for mothers who have not experienced the labor process of a cesarean section, so you must grit your teeth and get through it. The pain of uterine contractions when the baby is breastfeeding is like the mild dysmenorrhea during menstruation, which is tolerable. Only such contractions can cause the uterus to shrink from a spherical organ as big as a ball to its pre-pregnancy size.

There will be puerperal sweat after delivery. This is the water stored in the body during pregnancy that is discharged from the body in the form of puerperal sweat after delivery. Don't think it is a sweat caused by physical weakness. Change clothes every day to ensure body cleanliness. The nurse will help the mother to wash the vulva and keep it clean. Infusion is also required in the first two days after delivery to replenish the loss during the operation and the lack of energy caused by not being able to eat as soon as possible after the operation; the doctor will also give the mother antibiotics to prevent infection.

Day 3 after cesarean section

On the third day, the mother has basically adapted to the pain of uterine contractions. At this time, the doctor will change the dressing on the wound, which may cause minor discomfort. The doctor will check whether the wound has bleeding, redness, swelling or inflammation, and understand the wound healing status. The most important thing is that milk begins to swell at this time (usually 24 to 48 hours after delivery). The mother needs to grit her teeth and get through this stage. Breast massage can be used to dredge the milk ducts to ensure that the baby has enough breast milk.

Generally, you can wash your hair, wipe your body, and blow dry your hair in a warm room on the third day after delivery. You can take a bath in a warm bathroom after one week, but be careful to protect the wound. Brush your teeth every day after delivery to protect your teeth.