Why are doctors obsessed with method of delivery?

[Mushroo]

I might be being oversensitive as I really wanted a ‘natural’ birth and ended up with a c-section from failure to progress.

But, if we see the Doctor for my daughter (now 19 months old) they will ALWAYS ask the method of delivery.

I understood when she was a tiny baby, but when do they stop asking? It makes me feel like I’ve let her down and her medical issues are due to the c section.

What are the reasons they ask and when do they stop? Will I still be being asked when she’s 16?!

It is medically relevant for lots of reasons. Without knowing what sort of medical issues you are referring to it's impossible to say. Why don't you just ask the doctor next time - they will be best placed to explain why they ask.
You feeling like you are letting her down is your reaction to the question and gently, sounds like more of your own issue than anything else. I'm sorry you didn't get the birth you wanted and that can be hard to deal with.

Are you in the UK? I find I get asked this a lot for DS2 but I don't remember it ever coming up for DS1 (who was born in the UK). However I might be misremembering as he is a teenager now.

I know that when there are significant developmental issues etc they often want to know if there was a traumatic birth because things like birth hypoxia can be a cause of certain issues. And I think difficulties giving birth leading to an emergency/non planned c-section can also paint part of a picture for example if there was something going on with the baby which caused birth not to proceed in the usual way.

However I often do feel as though it's just a box on a form for no reason - DS2 is diagnosed with ADHD and clearly has some other things going on but when I mentioned to the psychiatrist about his hypoxia at birth she dismissed it as not being relevant.

Yes they will stop asking, but when a child is young it can be relevant to help them build the background. Not meaning to dismiss or diminish how you feel, but no form of delivery is lesser. Giving birth via a C section is amazing, as is putting the baby's wellbeing above your wants; you did the right thing.

I believe they get paid more for c-section.

They do ask for a good lot of years, ad method of delivery is important for some medical issues, particularly gynae etc.

I have only recently been not asked when DS turned around 7, but I still get asked at gynae appointments or coil fittings etc. I think if you give birth vaginally, you may need different sized speculums, different coils may be more suitable etc.

Also, more risk of prolapse, period issues etc with a vaginal birth, especially if there was some physical trauma.

I also get asked at paedetrician appointments and was relevant to DS autism diagnosis (there could have been brain injury, for example)

Dd is 16 and doctors still ask. That may be because she is ND and has some health problems. Perhaps they don’t ask NT healthy children.

I gave birth in an NHS hospital after living abroad and was given the price list for the paying patient assessment. I was surprised to find vaginal birth with induction and epidural is the most expensive.

This was asked on the home visit with my child when he started reception.. so you have a way to go

They stopped asking me around about when DD had her 2-year check.
They last asked me with DS when he was 4 and being assessed for autism.
So it depends on the situation I think.

What relevance has this statement to OP'S question about why doctors ask about method of birth of her 19 month old child? I'm baffled tbh.

It’s very relevant- vaginal delivery exposes the baby to the mother’s microbiome- so their guts are likely to be healthier. If it was a difficult vaginal delivery - eg with forceps- then they need to know that.

Thanks all, I appreciate the kind words and I do recognise that I am being oversensitive about it.

Some times it makes sense (eg she has eczema and that is higher risk for c sections) but we’ve been asked when I’ve taken her in with a throat injection and lingering cough.

Simiarly, if they asked ‘were there any issues at birth?’ I would understand.

but it just feels a bit like they have a list of things where c section can be a cause or risk factor, and if that’s the case, why isn’t that more well known?!

I didn’t have much choice in the end, but if I was told up front that c section could result in a higher risk of x,y,z (seemingly everything based on how often I get asked) I might have made different decisions.

I haven't been asked since my kids were about 6 months so I'd guess it's a lot to do with particular conditions that are being investigated - mine have no long term health issues so only appointments have been for specific minor issues or febrile convulsions etc.

That's your experience. But, generally speaking, docs are paid more for performing c-sections.

When a child is small its really hard to get the history as there isnt much so anything at all can be useful- doesnt mean its necessarily relevant. If you feel uncomfortable with it then worth asking if they can add any further info.

Maybe in private healthcare but not in the NHS.
NHS consultant pay is predefined such that you could work in a sleepy district general hospital or a centre for referral of the most complex cases in the land and you will be paid exactly the same
(allowing for pay increments related to years as a consultant- which is unrelated to the nature of work).

The baby is born and now 19 months old and she is not seeing the Obstetrician for these meetings. Payment levels or not would be irrelevant. The NHS actively tries to dissuade mothers from opting for a section.

NHS doctors are salaried and paid a specified amount for their job not the number of C-section they perform. We are not in the US or other insurance based system.

I'm sorry the question is triggering.
You brought your beautiful baby into the world that is all that matters.

First time giving birth rarely if ever goes to plan, DD had to be positioned by the doctors hand, before suction, her eye was bleeding, I didn't know how to push with the epidural, my brain wouldn't kick in, I was pushing through my feet.

Later discovered she has a muscle disorder so neither of us had the strength. Her birthing was a factor in the diagnosis as she never kicked either.
Her head stretched beyond normal, she looked like an alien from the suction.

I know sometimes women feel that the section was unnecessary, it is lifesaving for many babies.

Enjoy your baby.

It is relevant for many medical reasons and is not designed to ‘shame’ a woman for having a CS. I have a 10yo and have been asked in the last year is so when he has been having some medical investigations.

It is well known that a baby's immune development and microbiome (therefore their chances of developing infections) can be affected by the mode of birth. No-one is saying that your baby has a sore throat because you had a C-section, but there is a wider relevance (statistically). It's not as simple as them telling you this when you're about to go into the operating theatre - they are the experts and will be thinking about the immediate risks. It's also not as clear cut as that and more research is needed.
I do believe we have to be active in being well-informed around our pregnancies and births. No medical professional told me everything I now know about risks and benefits to mother and baby with different types of births or interventions etc - I learned all of that myself through reading about it (loads of good books out there). I'm not saying it will go on to make a difference to what actually happens (as in your case, a C-section was the safest option for your baby) but it does help make women feel more informed and aware of what's happening to them and their baby, before, during and after birth which I think is only a good thing.

@driftingintheair what are the medical reasons?

This is where I feel like I’m a bit in the dark, and I’m genuinely curious.

I know about the lack of microbiome in c section babies can lead to eczema / allergies, but there must be more as it gets asked so often?

This is very useful thank you. I did know about the microbiome and was part of the reason I really wanted a vaginal birth.

I can’t change anything, but I do wish the long term differences were clearly explained to me.

Eg I give my LO probiotics to try and help, but no one has told me to do that, and I wonder if I’m missing other differences

My eldest is in his 20s and I was asked last week at an appointment about my own health. It never stops.

you need to separate your emotions about the birth from your answers to the question. Think of it in the same league as have you ever had measles, or are you up to date with your tetanus jab.

What does that have to do with the thread, whether it's true or not?

It’s because they want a full picture, they need to take into account any trauma or issues at birth. It’s not a slight on you. For instance you could say “vaginal birth” and the next question would be and was it an unassisted birth? Meaning did they use forceps, ventouse etc. they are not asking to judge.