Nancy mentioned that "the increased risk of respiratory problems is negated
by having the woman go into labor spontaneously first, then doing the C-S".
I believe this would only partially reduce the risk. Although there is less
risk of hyaline membrane disease (sorry, I know there's a newer name for this
condition, but I can't think of it tonight), there is increased risk of
fluid in the lungs with a C-section. This is because, during vaginal birth, as
the baby squeezes through the birth canal, the fluid is squeezed out of the
lungs. Babies born by C-section miss this very important advantage to the
health of their lungs.
A close family member had two babies by C-section. Both babies had
fluid in the lungs which necessitated the baby staying in the NICU, one for 36
hrs, one for 48 hrs. Mom didn't get to even see the first baby for 24 hours.
Eventually, she was able to establish good breastfeeding at breast with both
babies, but she had breastfeeding difficulties to work through with each of
the babies that probably wouldn't have been in the picture if separation due
to NICU stays had not been necessary.
One of the local children's hospitals here is even warning mothers who
have had C-section babies to be very watchful with the babies. The hospital
is telling these mothers that their babies have an increased risk in the first
8 years of developing asthma because the excess fluid they were born with
does not all completely leave the lungs after a C-section, even when the babies
have spent time in NICU on oxygen after the birth. This was very surprising
to me.
Dee
Dee Kassing, BS, MLS, IBCLC, RLC
Collinsville, Illinois, in central USA
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