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 ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- The need for control. Scheduling issues. Sexual dysfunction. Fear of pain.
They're all reasons women choose to have a Cesarean section when they don't medically need one. The pain of pushing may be too much for some pregnant women. In fact, Cesareans are at an all time high in the United States at 30 percent.
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Are they safe for mom? Do they put the baby at risk?
Twenty-four-year-old Katia Varela chose C-section over natural childbirth. "I didn't want to have a regular natural birth because of the pain," she says.
OB/GYN Ashley Hill, M.D., delivered seven babies today at Florida Hospital in Orlando, Fla. -- three of them by C-section. But he doesn't believe a fear of pain should be a deciding factor. "You can get an epidural at the snap of a finger," he says.
It's the pain after a C-section that OB/GYN Diane Hughes, M.D., says some women don't consider.
 "Some women have residual pelvic pain for the rest of their lives," Dr. Hughes, of UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, tells Ivanhoe.
New mom Hillary Jones' pain is gone, but she knows first hand, it's not easy to recover from a Cesarean. "It was painful," she says. "I think it was hard, and fortunately I had a lot of help."
Jones believes the pain was worth it for peace of mind. She didn't want to risk more serious problems that can happen during natural childbirth.
"A lot of ladies are very afraid of having urinary incontinence or probably what's worse, fecal incontinence," Dr. Hill tells Ivanhoe.
 Another concern is sexual dysfunction. But women who choose a C-section put themselves at higher risk of infection, anesthesia complications, and an increased risk of dangerous bleeding during future pregnancies. These risks make C-sections more expensive. On average, they cost $10,000 to $15,000.
A natural birth costs roughly $2,000 to $4,000.
But what about the risks to the baby with C-section? Some doctors believe there is less risk of brain injury, but babies may suffer breathing problems. C-sections are more popular in the United States than in Europe, where the rate is about 30 percent. But in many Latin American countries, more than 50 percent of women choose to have a C-section.
One thing both doctors agree on is C-section is a major operation and a decision that should not be made lightly.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Florida Hospital's Loch Haven OB/GYN Group
235 East Princeton St.
Suite 200
Orlando, FL 32804
(407) 303-1444
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