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)