You Don’t Always Get What You THINK You Want….

in Childbirth

Ms. S came to see me for an annual exam and a consultation in my recently opened medical office. She was a healthy 34-year-old woman, married a little more than a year, and interested in becoming pregnant. This type of visit was one of my favorite consultations. My focus is preventative care, and the ideal time to assure a woman will have a healthy pregnancy is at a preconception visit. After an exam and Pap smear, Ms. S and I discussed diet, exercise, vitamins, immunizations, and family history, all important topics for a potential healthy pregnancy.

When we were done, I asked my usual question: “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”

Ms. S looked pensive and asked, “Yes, if I come to you for my pregnancy, and if I decide I want to deliver my baby by cesarean section instead of a vaginal delivery, would you do it?”

I thought for a moment. I had rarely come across this request before. Almost all my patients, especially those having their first baby, request, hope, and assume they will have a vaginal delivery. Women requesting a cesarean often had prior traumatic birth experiences, prior cesareans, or some type of poorly positioned baby late in pregnancy. Sometimes women had suffered from sexual or physical abuse, or had cultural or other aversions. These…