I came across an instagram post earlier where someone had shared data indicating the UK’s c-section rates have increased significantly in the last five or so years. The commenters almost universally consider this to be ‘tragic’ and think it is ‘so so sad’ that some women are electing to deliver via section. There are also a whole bunch of commenters who think if only women were properly informed they would push for a natural birth even if drs are recommending inductions etc.
I accept the UK’s maternity system is under strain and needs improvement, but really isn’t the point that we have healthy mothers and babies not that women give birth via one method or another.
There are downsides of attempted vaginal births, because of course not all of them go to plan! There is an increased risk of severe birth trauma or hypoxic brain injury to baby vs choosing a c section. For women, tears and pelvic floor injury are very common. While C-sections come with their own risks, these are well known and often presented without acknowledgement that vaginal births have downsides too.
For the NHS I understand planned c sections are cheaper than other births, given so many of them end in emergency sections anyway and because of payouts when things go horribly wrong.
Are we not looking at this all wrong? The goal should be healthy mothers and babies irrespective of how those babies get out. Why are people so fixated on reducing the c section rate?