A cesarean section is an operative delivery done by cutting through the mother's abdomen and uterus and delivering the baby through the incision. There are indications for doing a cesarean section before and during labor:

Before Labor

• If you had a previous cesarean and don’t want to go into labor (repeat cesarean)
• If you had a previous cesarean with a vertical (up-and-down) incision in the uterus or another surgery cutting into the uterus
• If you have a placenta previa
• If the baby is breech or transverse
• If the baby is too big
• If the baby shows an abnormal fetal evaluation and/or cannot tolerate labor
• If you have triplets or more babies
• If you have a medical condition and can’t tolerate labor
• Obstruction to the birth canal, such as fibroids or ovarian tumors
• An infection such as herpes or HIV

During Labor

• Presumed fetal compromise: If your baby cannot tolerate labor or shows problems (abnormal fetal tracing)
• If you develop medical or other complications such as abruptio placentae or preeclampsia, and need to be delivered quickly
• When the baby does not fit through the pelvis (cephalopelvic disproportion=CPD)