Each April, we recognize C-Section Awareness Month to educate the public about cesarean sections. Annette van Swaay, DO, an OB/GYN at AdventHealth Medical Group OB/GYN at DTC, shares her insights and provides valuable perspectives on the importance of C-Section Awareness Month and the factors influencing cesarean deliveries.
In the United States, the current C-section rate is approximately 30%, however despite this high rate Dr. van Swaay believes many women still feel unprepared for this type of birth.
“Most of the time, we are doing unplanned C-sections because it is the best way to keep both mom and baby safe,” said Dr. van Swaay. “I think C-section awareness month is important to help address the stigma that having a C-section is a failure.”
In many countries around the world, women regularly choose to have elective C-sections for various reasons, including prior traumatic births, a desire for a more predictable delivery, or medical conditions such as large babies, breech presentation, history of prior C-sections, or babies not tolerating labor.
While C-sections are a valuable tool in ensuring the health and safety of mother and baby, they are not without risks.
“During a C-section the risks include damage to surrounding organs and need for further surgeries, bleeding, post-operative infection, accidentally cutting baby's head when making incision on uterus and more,” said Dr. van Swaay.
Recent statistics show that the C-section delivery rate in Colorado is 20.9%, which is below the national average. All AdventHealth hospitals in Colorado have C-section rates below this average, with AdventHealth Littleton having the fourth lowest in the state at 16.2%.
Dr. van Swaay attributes this lower C-section rate to several factors, including the adoption of the latest research that supports allowing patients more time to progress in labor and push.
“In addition, many providers are trained in operative deliveries like forceps and vacuum that can help prevent some C-sections,” said Dr. van Swaay. “Also, having an OB/GYN hospitalist available 24/7 allows other providers to feel at ease knowing their patients would be well taken care of in an emergency situation.”
From personal experience, Dr. van Swaay has also noticed a drop in the number of C-section patients she sees at her clinic.
“There has been a big push in Colorado to lower the C-section rates. We now know that it is safe to allow women more time to labor/push than previously thought, so this has decreased the number of C-sections,” said Dr. van Swaay.
Achieving a lower C-section rate is something to celebrate. However, Dr. van Swaay and other providers prioritize ensuring the health and well-being of both the mother and baby, regardless of the method used to achieve this outcome.
“It is a positive if we can avoid a C-section while not compromising this, but sometimes a C-section is the best way to ensure a healthy mom and baby and that’s the main goal,” said Dr. van Swaay.
Dr. Van Swaay advises expecting mothers to consider what is best for themselves, their baby, and their future family goals.
“Be open minded that your birth may not look like what you pictured, because there are a lot of variables that are out of your control. A personalized discussion with your doctor about the risks/benefits of various birth plans is important in setting yourself up for success,” said Dr. van Swaay.
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Annette Van Swaay, DO, is an experienced OB/GYN who cares for women of all ages and stages of life. She treats a variety of women's health care needs, including prenatal care, high-risk pregnancies, infertility and pregnancy loss. As part of her practice, she performs cervical cancer screenings, menopause care, endometrial biopsies and saline infusion sonograms among many other treatments.
Dr. Van Swaay is a people person. She was drawn to become an OB/GYN because of the unique relationships it allows her to build with patients, caring for them throughout the many stages of life. It empowers her to provide patients with the most up-to-date information to help them make informed decisions about their health care.
Dr. Van Swaay earned her medical degree at Kansas City University. She completed her OB/GYN residency at Saint Joes Hospital.
Click here to schedule a visit with Dr. van Swaay.
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