How To Lower Your Cesarean Risk

Did you know that the cesarean delivery rate in the United States is one of the highest in the developed world? According to a recent article in Scientific American, cesarean delivery rates in the United States are around 32%. This is significantly higher than the recommended rate of 19%. There is a large variation in C-section rates across hospitals, with some hospitals having rates as high as 10 times the national average. We want to help parents find ways to lower their cesarean risk and have smoother births.

This data highlights the importance of having open conversations with your doctor about your birthing options and understanding the potential benefits and risks of both vaginal birth and cesarean delivery.

Reasons why a cesarean birth (C-section) might be medically indicated

Let’s delve deeper into what a cesarean birth is and when it’s truly medically necessary. A cesarean section, often referred to as a c-section, is a surgical procedure where a doctor delivers your baby through an incision made in your abdomen and uterus. While it’s a major surgery and comes with recovery time and potential risks, it plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of both mother and baby in certain situations.

Here are some instances where a cesarean birth might be recommended by your doctor:

• Fetal Distress: This occurs when the baby shows signs of stress or difficulty tolerating labor. An abnormal heart rate, low oxygen levels, or other monitored factors can indicate this during labor.

• Abnormal Fetal Presentation: Breech position (feet-first), transverse position (lying sideways), or a face presentation can all increase the risk of complications during vaginal delivery, making a C-section the safer option.

• Multiple Gestation: Twins, triplets, or other multiples may necessitate a C-section, especially if the babies are in a non-optimal position or there are concerns about space for vaginal delivery.

• Placenta Issues: Placenta previa (placenta covering the cervix) or placental abruption (placenta separating from the uterine wall) can create serious bleeding risks and necessitate a C-section for both mother and baby’s safety.

• Umbilical Cord Complications: If the umbilical cord prolapses (comes out of the cervix before the baby) or is nuchal (wrapped around the baby’s neck), a C-section might be needed to prevent cord compression and oxygen deprivation to the baby.

• Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD): This is a condition where the baby’s head is too large to fit through the mother’s pelvis. Healthcare providers can manage some CPD cases with a vaginal delivery, while others may require a C-section.

• Maternal Health Concerns: In some cases, a mother’s pre-existing health conditions, such as severe heart disease or active infections, might make a C-section the safest option to avoid complications during labor.

How to Lower Your C-Section Risk?

While cesarean deliveries can be lifesaving, many moms desire a vaginal birth. The good news is, there are steps you can take to potentially lower your risk of a cesarean section!

Create a Solid Birth Team

The most important decision you will make for your birth, is who you choose to be your provider. Not all providers are the same. Choose to have a midwife/OBGYN that aligns with your values and is a believer in not intervening in birth unless necesaary.

Do your reseach to find SUPPORTIVE midwives and OBGYN’s that are patient and believe in physiological birth. In the end, they are the ones that deterimine how medical your birth is, so hire a birth provider that does c-sections only when medically necessary. Did you know you can also ask doctors what their cesarean rate is? Do your research!

1. Hire a Midwife

One of the most common misconceptions new parents have is that Midwives are only for home birth. Midwives are skilled healthcare professionals, and work in hospitals and specialize in low-risk pregnancies.

Midwives see birth as normal and intervene when necessary. Their training equips them to identify potential complications and readily transfer you to an OBGYN if needed. However, their philosophy emphasizes a natural, low-intervention birth process. This translates to several potential benefits that can lower your cesarean risk. OBGYN’s are trained in abnormality, they are skilled surgeons, so it makes sense they would go to cesarean births more than midwives.

Here are some other reasons that hiring a midwife can reduce your risk of a cesarean birth.

• Labor at Home Longer: Midwives may be more open to allowing you to labor at home for a longer duration, which can help labor progress naturally. Hospitals often have stricter time limits for labor progression, which can lead to unnecessary interventions.
• Minimizing Inductions: Midwives are more likely to wait for labor to start spontaneously before resorting to induction methods. Inductions can sometimes disrupt the natural birthing process and increase the risk of cesarean delivery.
• Patience During Pushing: Studies suggest midwives might adopt a more patient approach during the pushing stage, allowing your body more time to deliver the baby vaginally. This can reduce the need for interventions like forceps or vacuum extraction, which can lead to cesarean sections.

2. Hire a Doula

Hiring a doula can significantly reduce the risk of cesarean birth by providing continuous emotional, physical, and informational support throughout labor. Studies have shown that the presence of a trained doula decreases the likelihood of cesarean delivery by up to 39%. This is because doulas help create a calm and supportive environment, reducing stress and promoting the natural progression of labor.

Doulas also use techniques such as movement, position changes, massage, and breathing exercises to encourage optimal fetal positioning and effective contractions. Additionally, their reassurance and advocacy empower birthing individuals to make informed decisions, reducing unnecessary medical interventions that can lead to cesarean births.

Beyond physical support, doulas play a crucial role in communication between the birthing person and medical staff, ensuring that preferences are understood and respected. Doulas help clients navigate hospital protocols and offer evidence-based information about labor progress and available options. This guidance allows parents to feel more in control and less fearful, which can lead to a smoother, more efficient labor. Research also suggests that doula support reduces the use of epidurals and labor-inducing medications, both of which can increase the chances of a cesarean birth.

Schedule a FREE DOULA CONSULT Here!

3. Prevent a Breech Position

In the US, breech presentations (when the baby is positioned feet-first) is one of the main causes that leads to cesarean sections. This is not because vaginal breech births are unnatural, but because most doctors may have limited experience with them. Here’s where proactive measures can make a big difference!

Your baby will naturally be moving and changing positions throughout pregnancy, especially in the early stages. However, ideally, by around week 35, we want them to be head-down for a smooth vaginal delivery. The good news is that there are things you can do to help encourage this optimal positioning:

How to prevent breech positioning?

• Daily Walks: Aim for a brisk walk of 20-30 minutes most days of the week. Walking helps improve circulation and may gently nudge your baby into a more favorable position.

• Swimming: The buoyancy of water provides gentle support and allows for a wider range of motion. This can be very beneficial for your baby to explore different positions and potentially find the head-down comfort zone. [Learn about all the Benefits of Swimming in Pregnancy]

• Chiropractic Care: As doulas, we recommend every pregnant person start chiropractic care in their pregnancy to help prevent a breech baby. Chiropractic adjustments make room for baby to become head down and also reduce a lot of pregnancy discomforts.

• Acupuncture: This is a very powerful way to turn breech babies. They use Moxibustion as a technique which is a herb over the big toe. Very gentle and successful to help get your baby head down. [Scared of acupuncture? Read our blog on what to do]

• Spinning Babies is a fantastic resource packed with information and exercises specifically designed to promote optimal fetal positioning. All of our doulas teach these to our clients in our prenatal visits so they can avoid having a breech baby.

Here are a few exercises you can do every day in your pregnancy to help reduce your risk of cesarean. These positions and exercises help give your baby the space it needs to get in a good position for birth. But remember to consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new routine during pregnancy:

1. Pelvic Tilts (Rocks):
   • Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
   • Gently rock your pelvis forward and backward, focusing on tilting your tailbone towards the floor and then back up.
   • Aim for 10-15 repetitions several times a day.
2. Shake the Apple Tree:
   • Get on all fours, with your hands shoulder-width apart and knees hip-width apart.
   • Gently shake your hips in a side-to-side motion, similar to how you would shake an apple tree.
   • Repeat for 10-15 repetitions on each side, several times a day.
3. Scarf Sifting:
   • Kneel on a comfortable surface.
   • Lean forward and drape a scarf over your back, holding one end in each hand.
   • Gently move your hands up and down in a sifting motion, allowing your belly to move with the flow.
   • Repeat for several minutes, a few times a day.

4. Take a Comprehensive Birth Class (Birth Dates)

Not all birth classes are equal. Take a birth class that focuses on prevention, decision making and knowing all your choices. A lot of hospital classes cover the anatomy and the medical sides to labor. But what if you want to avoid unnecessary interventions? You need to take a birth class that educates you on all sides! Birth Dates classes help couples learn when interventions are necessary, but more importantly how to avoid them and stay low risk.

Our Birth Dates class is designed to empower parents on these very topics! We prioritize safe births and ensuring parents know their options at every step of the labor process. By taking Birth Dates, you’ll gain valuable knowledge on:

• Cesarean Awareness: You’ll learn the exact reasons for cesarean sections, when they are truly necessary, and potential strategies for reducing your risk.

• Asking the Right Questions: It can be overwhelming to talk to doctors – we will teach you how! You also learn how to write a birth plan that your nurse will actually read so you have the birth you want!

• Mitigating Risks: Terms like “failure to progress” and “cephalopelvic disproportion” can sound scary, but our class equips you with knowledge on how these situations might be addressed and potentially avoided through informed choices.

In your first Birth Date, you and your partner will learn DAILY MOVEMENTS to get your baby into the exact right position for birth! This one session alone helps you reduce your risk of a cesarean. Taking a comprehensive birth class will allow you and your partner to feel confident to labor at home longer as well, which will reduce your risk of a cesarean section.

Not being in the hospital for as long, in itself buys your baby more time to make its way through your pelvis without pressure. You will be more confident to know when it’s safe to labor at home when you have a full education on the labor stages from our Birth Dates class.

Go on 5 Birth-Centered Dates at home with your partner and feel FULLY prepared for birth….or your money back!

5. Prepare your uterus to be strong

A strong uterus has the ability to contract for hours and in the end push out your baby. If your uterus is weak, it can not be strong enough and a cesarean section might be required. Did you know you can strengthen your uterus in pregnancy for birth? Science backs it up, that eating and drinking these following things strengthens your uterus and reduces your risk of cesarean birth.

Drink Red Raspberry Leaf Tea:

Pregnancy tea based in Red Raspberry Leaf is considered likely safe by the American Pregnancy Association, this iron-rich herb has a long history of use in pregnancy for its potential benefits:

BUY the BEST-TASTING Pregnancy Power Tea HERE to reduce your risk of a Cesarean birth.

• Tones the Uterus: Red raspberry leaf te helps tone and strengthen the uterine muscle, potentially leading to more efficient contractions during labor and shortening labor time.
• Reduces risk of Hemorrhage: One of the best benefits of drinking Pregnancy Tea is that it makes your uterus strong and reactive. A strong and alert uterine muscle is less likely to hemorrhage after the baby is born.
• Increased Milk Production: Some studies suggest red raspberry leaf tea might also support healthy milk production after birth.
• Decreased Nausea: Feeling nauseous during pregnancy? Red raspberry leaf tea, like ginger, may help alleviate morning sickness.
• Eased Labor Pains: Traditionally, red raspberry leaf tea has been used to ease labor pains, although more research is needed to confirm this benefit definitively.

Get this Best-Tasting Pregnancy Tea HERE!

Eating Dates:

Dates are more than just a delicious treat – they’re a natural powerhouse for your uterus! Packed with essential nutrients like fiber, potassium, and magnesium, these sweet gems offer a multitude of benefits for pregnant individuals. Check out these delicious date recipes here.

A study published in the National Institutes of Health analyzed multiple studies on the effects of dates during pregnancy. It supports the claim that consuming dates in the last 4-6 weeks may:

• Reduce the need for medical induction of labor
• Shorten the length of labor
• Improve cervical dilation

Tips for a Smooth Recovery after a Cesarean Birth

Sometimes, you do all the right things and still a cesarean birth is needed. We are grateful for modern medicine which can birth our babies in safe ways when needed. In these situations, moms need more support and recovery as they heal from this major surgery. Here’s what new moms need in thier postpartum to heal after a cesarean section.

• Physical Support: Your abdomen will be sore and tender, so wear comfortable maternity clothes and abdominal binders for support. Don’t suffer through the pain, but use appropriate pain medication to get through that first week.

• Reduce Activity: Don’t climb stairs, don’t lift anything heavier than your baby. No need to do the dishes! Your job after a cesarean section is to heal and bond with your baby. All the other tasks can be done by someone else. Being too active, is a sure way to prolong the pain.

• Rest and Sleep: Prioritize rest and sleep whenever possible. With a newborn, get help from your partner, family, or a Postpartum Doula for tasks like laundry or cooking. Focus on skin-to-skin contact with your baby to promote bonding and breastfeeding, and let others handle the rest.

• Postpartum Care Providers: Make sure you stay connected and diligent in your provider appointments and reporting your healing progess. You might also experience vaginal discharge and some swelling, which are normal postpartum occurrences. Moms who have cesarean births often need pelvic floor recovery or lactation support as well. So be sure to ruse your resources and get the care you need to heal.

• Emotional Support: Remember, recovery is not just physical. Some moms experience emotional swings or “baby blues” after childbirth. Share with your doula your real feelings about your cesarean birth. Hire a counselor beforehand to have them in your corner to bolster your emotional support. Talk to your doctor if these feelings persist or become overwhelming. Having a strong support system and seeking help when needed is essential for a smooth emotional recovery.