Understanding Cesarean Section
Anesthesia. Unless there is no time, you are usually given an epidural or spinal as anesthesia for a cesarean. That means you can stay awake for the delivery, although the doctor will screen the surgical field from view. If things are going too fast for an epidural, you may need general anesthesia.
Recovery. A cesarean section is major surgery; expect a longer hospital stay and recovery time.
Blood loss. You lose more blood during a cesarean section than with a vaginal delivery. You may require a transfusion, although the risk that you'll need one is approximately 2 percent. At the very least, the blood loss may leave you tireder than if you'd had a vaginal delivery.
Scar tissue. You may have scar tissue form in the pelvic region from the surgery that may affect future pregnancies and deliveries.
The baby. The baby may have some breathing problems because it did not come through the birth canal. It may also have low APGAR scores (a way of evaluating its health right after birth) because of anesthesia or problems during labor and delivery. But don't worry; the delivery room staff will rub the baby to restore color and movement and/or provide some supplemental oxygen to help it pink up.
