Doctors Pushing C-Sections

RDalton84
RDalton84 Posts: 207
I am so outraged over doctors want to push c-sections so much! I know that c-sections have a time and place ( I had an emergency c-section at 32 weeks with my first child) but they have become so common place today it is ridiculous! The reason I bring this us is become my very best friend is expecting her first baby the first week of July and last week they did an ultrasound and measured the baby at approx. 8 lbs (which most of the time ultrasounds this late in the pregnancy are not very accurate in determining size and weight) and so they have pretty much scared my friend that she is going to have this huge 12 lb baby. Now she herself was a 10 lb baby and her brother was 10 lb baby so they genectics are there that this could be a big baby but my friend is 6'1" , so she is not a petite woman by any means. So basically they have told her she "HAS" to have a c-section on July 2nd and even if she goes into labor naturally before then she will "HAVE" to have a c-section because the baby will just be "too big" Total BS.
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Replies

  • Foxypoo61287
    Foxypoo61287 Posts: 638 Member
    What does your friend say? I had a Vbac & my daughter was 8'3 5 days early. My midwife said if I would have went late, she would have been a 9lber. Her father was 6 lbs. My aunt had 1 10'8 oz and a 10'4 baby. she is 5'3. VERY PETITE! And natural. No meds ANYTHING. it's how your body reacts. I hope she tells them to Eff off, and let her do it her way, or she should get a MW like I had or CHANGE DOCTORS! ASAP
  • RDalton84
    RDalton84 Posts: 207
    The thing that makes me mad is that she doesn't think she has a choice in the matter. She keeps telling me that they can force her to have a c-section because she's on state health insurance. I think she's just really afraid of labor and so this is her way of trying to avoid the discomfort of labor. The whole thing just makes me really irritated.
  • rossi02
    rossi02 Posts: 549 Member
    I'm not a fan of elective c-sections (for myself), but there are times and places for them. Though, it's not just c-sections, there are risk and complications with any intervening you do during the labor & delivery process. If she rather not go that route, just because of a chance her child may be on the larger side, she can say no. Are there other doctor's in the practice she goes to? If that's the case, she can just request to see the other doctors for the rest of her pregnancy. If not, and she feels it's too late to change providers at this point, she will just really need to stand her ground.
  • RDalton84
    RDalton84 Posts: 207
    She is under the impression she "HAS" to have a c-section because she's on state healthcare, which I don't understand and tried to tell her that they cannot legally force her to do anything but she's already got her mind made up but I think she's going to regret her decision afterwards
  • artbkward
    artbkward Posts: 238 Member
    What is the doctor's incentive for doing this? I would guess that the doctor thinks that this is the least risky alternative for your friend and her baby.
  • lukeout007
    lukeout007 Posts: 1,237 Member
    My wifes doc has actually been pushing natural birth despite the fact that our first child was an emergency c-section and there are a lot of risks with natural birth because of the complications she had when our son was born. She finally told her she was electing for a c-section and that was it...

    Now she has placenta previa and pretty much has to have a c-section anyway. Go figure!
  • rossi02
    rossi02 Posts: 549 Member
    She is under the impression she "HAS" to have a c-section because she's on state healthcare, which I don't understand and tried to tell her that they cannot legally force her to do anything but she's already got her mind made up but I think she's going to regret her decision afterwards

    Something doesn't sound right, the type of insurance doesn't dictate the type of delivery you must have. In fact, that route would be the most costly as you are having major abdominal surgery to deliver a baby. Any chance she just wants one, but rather tell everyone she's forced into it to avoid judgement from anyone? Now I had a friend who was suggested to go the c-section route for the size of her baby, but in the end... she had the final say.
  • Foxypoo61287
    Foxypoo61287 Posts: 638 Member
    Labor isn't bad. Especially if you get the epi. I can say the recovery from both are on two different sides of the spectrum. C-sect recovery is WAY WORSE and a harder & longer recovery. Its VERY painful. Normal delivery you just have slight discomfort, and then the itchiness if you have to be cut. I would do normal delivery 10 fold over c-sect.... I hope she gets a second opinion. I would really URGE her to get a second opinion. And she will ALWAYS have a choice. I don't care what insurance she is on! She can sue!


    *Edit*
    She can type up a Birthplan. And they have to follow it. If they don't it is in writing what she wanted and they had a copy of it.
  • lukeout007
    lukeout007 Posts: 1,237 Member
    She is under the impression she "HAS" to have a c-section because she's on state healthcare, which I don't understand and tried to tell her that they cannot legally force her to do anything but she's already got her mind made up but I think she's going to regret her decision afterwards

    Something doesn't sound right, the type of insurance doesn't dictate the type of delivery you must have. In fact, that route would be the most costly as you are having major abdominal surgery to deliver a baby.

    That would make sense actually...insurance companies are going to want to make the most off of the procedure that they can. But I've never heard of one being able to dictate the delivery method.
  • rossi02
    rossi02 Posts: 549 Member
    She is under the impression she "HAS" to have a c-section because she's on state healthcare, which I don't understand and tried to tell her that they cannot legally force her to do anything but she's already got her mind made up but I think she's going to regret her decision afterwards

    Something doesn't sound right, the type of insurance doesn't dictate the type of delivery you must have. In fact, that route would be the most costly as you are having major abdominal surgery to deliver a baby.

    That would make sense actually...insurance companies are going to want to make the most off of the procedure that they can. But I've never heard of one being able to dictate the delivery method.

    the insurance company would lose money.. the doctor / practice, would be the one that makes money off the c-section.
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    Every time I hear somebody say their doctor said they're "too small" to give birth vaginally it makes me want to scream. 12 year olds have babies vaginally. Women's hips spread during labor, we were just engineered that way. There are absolutely many legitimate needs for a c-section, both my sister and I were c-section babies (I was breach and back then when you had 1 c-section, you had to have all your future babies that way just bc of the way the incision was made---yay for modern medicine!) but the baby being too big or the woman being too small is RARELY a legit reason. Note I say rarely because I'm sure there are a few random cases where it's necessary. My boyfriend's mother delivered him and his brother both completely pain-killer free and vaginally---one was 10lbs and one was 11lbs at birth. She's 5 feet tall and was teeny tiny back then, and it all worked out just fine.

    Basically, doctors are doing this because it's convenient. Would you rather be on call at all times and have to leave in the middle of the night to go deliver a baby at random OR schedule out all your deliveries and be home for dinner? It's lazy, to me. Then there are the doctors wanting to make more money, seeing as a c-section is quite a bit more expensive than vaginal delivery. I personally feel like babies will come when they're ready, generally speaking, barring any sort of medical complication.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    The C-Section pushing has been going on for a very long time. Doctors like it because they can simply schedule it into their day. I honestly think that's really what it's all about. There's not much more to it.
  • artbkward
    artbkward Posts: 238 Member
    The C-Section pushing has been going on for a very long time. Doctors like it because they can simply schedule it into their day. I honestly think that's really what it's all about. There's not much more to it.

    They can induce natural labor too. My SIL's doctor wouldn't induce over Easter weekend because of the holiday but did it the following week.
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
    The problem with c-sections is if it is your first baby or you plan to have more you have now weakened an area in your uterus that can rupture with your next pregnancy
  • rossi02
    rossi02 Posts: 549 Member
    The C-Section pushing has been going on for a very long time. Doctors like it because they can simply schedule it into their day. I honestly think that's really what it's all about. There's not much more to it.

    They can induce natural labor too. My SIL's doctor wouldn't induce over Easter weekend because of the holiday but did it the following week.

    Yes, but inducing can take days.. the c-section could be in and out in an hour and you charge a higher rate for the services rendered and the surgical team included.
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    The C-Section pushing has been going on for a very long time. Doctors like it because they can simply schedule it into their day. I honestly think that's really what it's all about. There's not much more to it.

    They can induce natural labor too. My SIL's doctor wouldn't induce over Easter weekend because of the holiday but did it the following week.

    True, but the opt for c-section because you know exactly how long it's going to take. Inducing natural labor can still take a really long time (or short time), just depending on how the particular person reacts to the pitosin. C-section is pretty simple to plan out, a doctor can schedule several in one day and beat the rush hour traffic home.
  • mamakira
    mamakira Posts: 366
    My fourth child was 10.86 pounds. Everything went smooth.
    I had both, my first children, twin boys, were a C-section, my third child was born in a watertub and my fourth on a bed, all in a hospital.
    Fortunately I live in a country where doctors encourage the natural birth. I didn´t even know that my baby was huge, last screening was in week 24.
    If she feels confident to have a natural birth she should insist, the head is still soft and will just be squeezed together a bit more. The shoulders can be a minor problem but that is not said. AND she will recover so much quicker after a natural birth than after a C-section. She should not let a doctor talk her into something that she doesn´t want.
  • artbkward
    artbkward Posts: 238 Member
    The C-Section pushing has been going on for a very long time. Doctors like it because they can simply schedule it into their day. I honestly think that's really what it's all about. There's not much more to it.

    They can induce natural labor too. My SIL's doctor wouldn't induce over Easter weekend because of the holiday but did it the following week.

    True, but the opt for c-section because you know exactly how long it's going to take. Inducing natural labor can still take a really long time (or short time), just depending on how the particular person reacts to the pitosin. C-section is pretty simple to plan out, a doctor can schedule several in one day and beat the rush hour traffic home.

    That's true but having an awake and alert doctor rather than one that was dragged out of bed at 3am on a Saturday is not a bad thing either.

    Edit: To the OP- Please remember this is her decision, not yours. Finding information is fine, being pushy because of what you believe is not.
  • JPod279
    JPod279 Posts: 722 Member
    Nobody can force her to have a c-section. Especially if she doesn't show up on that day.

    My wife was induced but she had preeclampsia and the girls were measuring out at over 5 lbs each. They were 34 weeks and that is a good time for twins. Plus the doc was the head OB trauma doc at the hospital where my wife (an RN) worked in the ER. She had a great relationship with the doc. They discussed everything and it was a joint decision (I was also involved in the decision.) It should all be about joint communication and what is best for the mom and child. I would bet that doc has 4th of July plans.
  • rossi02
    rossi02 Posts: 549 Member

    That's true but having an awake and alert doctor rather than one that was dragged out of bed at 3am on a Saturday is not a bad thing either.

    HA, that made me laugh.. for the birth of both of my boys the combined total time the doctor was in the room (two different deliveres) may have been 10 minutes. Tops! :laugh:
  • artbkward
    artbkward Posts: 238 Member

    That's true but having an awake and alert doctor rather than one that was dragged out of bed at 3am on a Saturday is not a bad thing either.

    HA, that made me laugh.. for the birth of both of my boys the combined total time the doctor was in the room (two different deliveres) may have been 10 minutes. Tops! :laugh:

    Then you must have been fortunate enough to have two uncomplicated pregnancies, not everyone is so lucky.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    I heard a statistic that about 90% of them are unnecessary. I don't know if that's true, but even if 50% are not necessary, that's a lot of wasted money.

    I have a friend, and she wanted one because she didn't want to d*ck around with her pregnancy. She's a planner, not as a profession, but more as a personality type, and the idea of not really knowing exactly when it would happen is something she can't even fathom. She liked knowing when it was going to happen and done in an hour. I think the doctors like it. It's really a win-win sometimes.

    The problem is the doctors should not sell it as the only option. But, honestly, I'm a guy and I know this. It doesn't take much to search Google and learn a ton about any topic in the world. If people these days just take what the doctor says and run with it, they get what they deserve.
  • yelpat
    yelpat Posts: 414 Member
    I would never elect to have a C-section. Even though having a natural childbirth was painful as fvck, I was happy to be able to be up and around a few hours later. Not having a large incision is a plus too. To each their own, but I can't imagine choosing to have major surgery.
  • rossi02
    rossi02 Posts: 549 Member

    That's true but having an awake and alert doctor rather than one that was dragged out of bed at 3am on a Saturday is not a bad thing either.

    HA, that made me laugh.. for the birth of both of my boys the combined total time the doctor was in the room (two different deliveres) may have been 10 minutes. Tops! :laugh:

    Then you must have been fortunate enough to have two uncomplicated pregnancies, not everyone is so lucky.

    True.. I was very lucky. No offense meant to anyone who had complicated pregnancies. My response is just from the point of view that the only reason they are suggesting the c-section is because her baby may be large. I can relate to that, I was warned my first was going to be a 10 lber and to start thinking c-section. I was then very clear with my OB, that unless there was a medical reason, I would rather go natural.
  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
    I think it has a lot to do with malpractice insurance rates and the fear of getting sued in countries that are known for being law suit happy. There are many benefits to vaginal births but when thing go wrong they can go very wrong. Surgery (c-sectiosn) does have risks but overall is a more controlled situation (just my opinion)
  • johnlatv
    johnlatv Posts: 654 Member
    my wife is scheduled for a c-section July 2nd, so i won't be logging in. Anyway, our first baby was an emergency c-section. So with this one, they said you could go natural or c-section, so she wanted to go natural. Just a few weeks ago, she went to the doc (same doc who preformed her c-section) said she would suggest another c-section in case you rupture the scar or any thing like that. in fact she said "if i was you i would get a c-section" needless to say my wife is getting the c-section.
  • EBFNP
    EBFNP Posts: 529 Member
    This is total BS! Too bad she can't find another doctor. Unless their is a medical emergency or contraindication to vaginal delivery, then there is no reason she needs a C-section. C-Sections=money. That's what it's all about. Its so much easy to cut someone open rather than have to manage 20+ hours of labor. Plus the reimbursement is higher for C-section. Sadly, I am a medical provider, so I know the culture of medicine. If she has state insurance, they will cover regardless. I pity the Doctor who will deliver my children, since I will refuse a C-section unless its absolutely necessary.
  • RDalton84
    RDalton84 Posts: 207
    my wife is scheduled for a c-section July 2nd, so i won't be logging in. Anyway, our first baby was an emergency c-section. So with this one, they said you could go natural or c-section, so she wanted to go natural. Just a few weeks ago, she went to the doc (same doc who preformed her c-section) said she would suggest another c-section in cause you rupture the scare or any thing like that. in fact she said "if i was you i would get a c-section" needless to say my wife is getting the c-section.

    wow see to me that is an unneccesary scare tactic. Now i don't know the reason for your wife's first c-section but I had a c-section at 32 weeks with my first child because of pre-eclampsia. When I got pregnant with my second I went into my very first appointment adament that I was not going to have another c-section. Luckily I have a very supportive doctor on VBACs and I was able to deliver my second child after 12 hours of labor with no complications with the VBAC. Recovery was SO much easier than the c-section.
  • rossi02
    rossi02 Posts: 549 Member
    my wife is scheduled for a c-section July 2nd, so i won't be logging in. Anyway, our first baby was an emergency c-section. So with this one, they said you could go natural or c-section, so she wanted to go natural. Just a few weeks ago, she went to the doc (same doc who preformed her c-section) said she would suggest another c-section in cause you rupture the scare or any thing like that. in fact she said "if i was you i would get a c-section" needless to say my wife is getting the c-section.

    I don't consider her opting for the c-section this time around as elective at all. In fact, if I were in her shoes, I would more than likely go the same route she is. There are other things you have to factor in once you've had an emergency c-section.

    Congrats on the new baby!
  • Oliviamarie05
    Oliviamarie05 Posts: 528 Member
    My sister had my niece in February and her doctor did everything possible to ensure she didn't have a c-section. My sister was terrified of giving birth and would constantly bring it up, but her doc just kept saying no. It's going to be a difficult recovery and it's not something she wants to do.

    My sister also had an epidural and went from, "I'M DYING, SOMEONE KILL ME, THIS IS PAINFUL" *SOB* to "I think I'm having a contraction and I feel the need to push."

    I think it really depends on the doc.