YourBabyYourWay.com - Pregnancy & Delivery

Pregnancy & Delivery

Pregnancy has a life of its own, with you at the center of it. We’ve included a wealth of information to help you through pregnancy and delivery.

What you should know about c-sections

While most c-sections occur due to unplanned complications during pregnancy, only a small portion of these is considered "emergency" — that is, are done to save the mother or baby's life. And with 1 in 3 births in the U.S. today by c-section, most expectant mothers agree that now is the time to learn about the procedure. In addition to our recommended books covering the topic, you can educate yourself with the following articles:

C-section overview
Vaginal birth after c-section (VBAC)
Cesarean section: step-by-step (video and illustrations)
Ask the Expert topics including c-sections, and antibiotics and c-section by request

Vaginal birth after c-section (VBAC)

The old phrase "once a C-section always" is no longer true. In the past, the belief was that if a woman had delivered one baby by C-section, all other children had to be delivered the same way. Today many women can have vaginal deliveries after a previous C-section delivery. This is referred to as a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC).

Candidates For VBAC
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the following women are candidates for VBAC … Read the full article >

Ask the Expert

Q: I recently read that there are new guidelines for the use of antibiotics for C-sections. What are they, and how will they impact my C-section delivery?

A:Infection is one of the more common complications of deliveries via cesarean. Nationally, between 10-40% of women who have a c-section are diagnosed with some sort of infection, compared to just 3% of women who deliver vaginally. Our experience at Southwest Washington Medical Center is quite a bit better and infection after c-section are far less than national averages.

Just this month (Sept. 2010), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists announced new recommendations for patients who are about to undergo a cesarean section. ACOG is now telling doctors to give their patients antibiotics to fight off infections within one hour before their c-section. In the past, infection-fighting medicines were not given to women until after delivery because of fears that the medicines might harm the baby as the medicine reached the child’s bloodstream. Read the full answer >

Ask the Expert is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your physician or other qualified health provider because of something you have read here.

Book Review:

The Essential C-Section Guide: Pain Control, Healing at Home, Getting Your Body Back, and Everything Else You Need to Know About a Cesarean Birth

by Maureen Connolly and Dana Sullivan

The rate of c-section births has risen dramatically in the United States, accounting for more than twenty-four percent of deliveries in 2001. Yet there is no up-to-date book on the market dedicated to undergoing and recovering from the most commonly performed surgery in the U.S. Now two veteran journalists in health, parenting, and fitness have teamed up to create a candid and carefully researched guide for the nearly one million mothers facing or recovering from a cesarean.

Covering both the physical and emotional aspects of this surgery, The Essential C-Section Guide offers frank discussions of the special circumstances a C-section delivery presents. Readers will discover a host of important facts, ranging from the effects of a C-section on future deliveries to the risks of anesthesia. The authors also share comforting wisdom about the feelings of inadequacy a C-section can cause and tips on caring for an infant while healing from this major procedure. The latest recommendations regarding exercise, pain, and nursing are addressed in-depth as well. Read the full review >

Buy from Amazon.com
Buy from Powells.com
Get it from the Multnomah County Library

	Share your story
Women (and their partners, for that matter) encounter a whole new world during pregnancy. Why not share your experiences with other mothers? Join the community today to share your stories. Or select a blog from the list below to read other expectant parents’ stories.

BABIES Film (by nikkik on 4-May-10; 0 comments)

Flu, Flu shot, Pregnancy..what's a mom to do?! (by drchang on 17-Nov-09; 3 comments)

Subchorionic hemmoraging (by emmareaghansmommy on 17-Jul-09; 0 comments)

Ok..anytime now! (by emmareaghansmommy on 9-Jul-09; 1 comments)

Prize winning birth videos (by nikkik on 6-Jul-09; 1 comments)

Pregnancy and anxiety/depression (by emmareaghansmommy on 8-Jun-09; 0 comments)

Pregnancy anxiety and depression part 2 (by emmareaghansmommy on 8-Jun-09; 1 comments)

What's your favorite trimester? (by emmareaghansmommy on 26-May-09; 2 comments)

Eco-Friendly Family, Eco-Friendly Baby (by familybirthcenter on 25-May-09; 2 comments)

Pregnancy online (by emmareaghansmommy on 14-May-09; 4 comments)

Learning Labor Young (by nikkik on 22-Apr-09; 0 comments)

Existing Members

Featured Partner

Southwest Medical Group OB/GYN Associates

Dedicated to serving the obstetrical and gynecological needs of women in our community. Learn more about the healthcare providers at Southwest Medical Group. Contact: 360.514.1060, 505 NE 87th Ave, Suite 160, Vancouver, WA 98664. Learn more about the Medical Group >

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Resource Guide for
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(3.5MB Adobe PDF).

Local Angle

Giving birth YOUR way

Roberto_Adriana_Esteban Adriana García and Roberto Jimenez were overjoyed when they discovered they were going to become first-time parents. They wanted to do everything right, which included signing up for Kaiser Permanente’s Preparation for Birth Class and checking out the Family Birth Center at Southwest Washington Medical Center. They even created an online blog so friends and family in Mexico could track the pregnancy and share their good wishes with the couple.

After taking the prenatal class, Adriana and Roberto created their birthing plan; making important decisions about how they wanted to deliver their baby. When the due date neared, they were going to stay at home as long as possible before going to the hospital … listening to music, talking to baby and enjoying the experience. Read the full story >

Download a birth planning form >

Read about false labor and the signs of true labor >

Share your story. Submit your story with a local angle, and you will receive $50 if it is selected for publication.