35. "In My Country"

"In my country women of my age [36] always have Cesarean deliveries. They say it's safer for the baby." I told S that in our experience, women over 35 can delivery vaginally without putting the baby at risk. Then she explained that she is very anxious about labor and "just couldn't handle it."

It is not uncommon to receive and accept requests for scheduled Cesarean deliveries based on physical health issues other than a previous Cesarean, even though I often wonder if an underlying fear of labor may be the unspoken but stronger motivation. It's all out in the open with S: she acknowledges that it is all about anxiety and fear.

So is fear a valid reason for an elective Cesarean? Most of the health risks of Cesarean deliveries are for those performed after a long labor. There is not much evidence that a vaginal birth is safer than a scheduled Cesarean delivery. Easier recovery, yes; less expensive, yes; safer? perhaps not.