Caesarean Birth Rate In Thailand

[GuestHouse]

There's an interesting article in the International Herald Tribune on Caesarean Births (specifically mentions Thailand) Caesarean Births in East Asia

To my mind a good article, but I do wonder why they have not addressed the fears of Thai mothers to be on the impact of natural birth on their marriage. Perhaps the reporter didn't like to ask.

[samran]

my thoughts are that many, but not all, doctors, apart from catering to the wishes of the patient for a C-section, do find reasons to perform them.

I straw poll of many expat friends who have had their babies, particlarly at one BKK hospital shows that they come out c-section, even though the mother wanted a natural birth. I'm no doctor, but at some point the doctor will turn around and say authoritavely that a c-secion is the way to go. It just is all a bit too convineient.

I'm not the only one who shares these suspicions either, but to be fair, the last thing you want to do is protest about these things, especially if the bubs is born safe, and mum and dad are ultimately happy.

[Prakanong]

my thoughts are that many, but not all, doctors, apart from catering to the wishes of the patient for a C-section, do find reasons to perform them.

I straw poll of many expat friends who have had their babies, particlarly at one BKK hospital shows that they come out c-section, even though the mother wanted a natural birth. I'm no doctor, but at some point the doctor will turn around and say authoritavely that a c-secion is the way to go. It just is all a bit too convineient.

I'm not the only one who shares these suspicions either, but to be fair, the last thing you want to do is protest about these things, especially if the bubs is born safe, and mum and dad are ultimately happy.

I have lots of anecdotal evidence regarding this too - mothers being persuaded by the Dr or his staff using all sorts of phoney reasons

Money and convenience???

[samran]

I have lots of anecdotal evidence regarding this too - mothers being persuaded by the Dr or his staff using all sorts of phoney reasons

Money and convenience???

I think so...

[samran]

just also a note, please keep these discussions very general. TV does not support the notion of defaming individuals or businesses here.

[Prakanong]

I have lots of anecdotal evidence regarding this too - mothers being persuaded by the Dr or his staff using all sorts of phoney reasons

Money and convenience???

I think so...

There has also been a rise in some western countries as well I think - convenience and quicker back to work for career women???

[GuestHouse]

There has also been a rise in some western countries as well I think - convenience and quicker back to work for career women???

Natural births are a lot easier for women to recover from - in the vast majority of cases they go without hitch and the mother can be back on her feet the next day. Caesarean births have a longer recovery time.

Also, most countries in the west (certainly EU/US), offer maternity leave that negates any need to rush things along.

[buriramboy]

Speaking from personal experience, at a certain well known infamous hospital in Pattaya, there were about 7 or 8 Thai/farang couples who had a baby within a 2 week period of my daughter being born, that i or my wife got to know, and my wife was the only one who had a natural birth, and that was only because we aggresively insisted on it, plus me continuosly asking the doctor why the c-section rate in this hospital is so high, a question she always avoided answering. And speaking to all the other couples they felt as though they were as good as being blackmailed into having a C-section by the doctor, with comments being made 'it will be a lot safer for the baby', 'if you let me do a C-section now, it could save a lot of problems later'.

Unlike the UK where 8+ hours of labour are normal, the procedure in this hospital seems to be, i am a doctor and would rather be on the golf course, if the baby hasn't popped out within the hour, you are having a C-section (for your best interests of course).

[Shola]

Having just been through a c-section I gotta say I am very surprised at how painless the recovery has been, also my doc gave a 'birth talk' before I delivered and was explaining all the reasons why Thai's prefer C-sections, not only for the auspitious time and day but becuase they truely believe that their hubby's will leave them for 'smaller' women after if they have a natural birth. I defo didn't feel pressured into a c-section it had to be done, but let me tell you I know that my hubby wa quite happy about it! Even though he supported me wanting a natural delivery he would often mention c-sections saying how much easier it would be for me etc..!

[MsFigure]

I also had a c-section and I didn't think it was painful or took me long to recover (I was able to move around the next day). I've heard so many stories about natural childbirth (stretching and tearing) that I would never want to do it myself - And i was so happy that I actually had the option of a c-section because in Australia, they are very against it and I can know how stressed I would've been had I had to go through with it, which would've also been not so good for my child.

I told my doctor that I wanted a c-section because 1. The thought of a natural birth scares me like you wouldn't believe, 2. I believe that it is less stressful on the baby, 3. My due date was around the time of my mothers birthday and I thought it would be nice for her to share her birthday with her first grandchild so had the c-section scheduled for a set date AND 4. No way would I have let my husband in the delivery room to watch his daughter born if I had to have a vaginal birth.

[Prakanong]

There has also been a rise in some western countries as well I think - convenience and quicker back to work for career women???

Natural births are a lot easier for women to recover from - in the vast majority of cases they go without hitch and the mother can be back on her feet the next day. Caesarean births have a longer recovery time.

Also, most countries in the west (certainly EU/US), offer maternity leave that negates any need to rush things along.

Well whatever the reason's behind it there has been a large rise in the UK - many commentators were putting it down to convenience and other factors?

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q...earch&meta=

[chanchao]

> No way would I have let my husband in the delivery room to watch his daughter born if I had to have a vaginal birth.

Huh?

Also, who would take the video then?

[JimsKnight]

My Ex Thai Gf told me that 'having the cut', as she put it in English, was absolutely important for her. The unwritten rule being that, like the previous poster said, thai husbands/men may find it difficult to enjoy sex with women who've had a natural birth.

This is an incredibly sensitive subject, in Western mainstream literature it is rarely broached but I think its extremely important for a woman to be able to choose her method of child-birth.

[dman]

Three children (two born in the US, different states and doctors, and one in Thailand) all c-sections. Ages range from 3-20 years. This is nothing new in the US. C-sections were dramatically on the rise over 20 years ago. My take on the rise in this form of birth is that sections are so routine and much easier for the doctors (schedule and procedure). Many believe it is a safer method of birth, at least this is what has been touted in the US. Your in and out of the hospital in 2 days. Thailand is just following what has been an going practice for years in America. Only difference is $$$$ and time spent in the hospital. In Thailand it was 30k Baht and 5 days in the hospital (private room and hospital.) Cant rememer how much $$$$ it was in the US as insurance paid the tab. Fairly certain it was alot more than 30k Baht, even 20 years ago. In any case having lived with the woman from conception to birth and witnessing all the births, except in Thailand, am very glad I am a man.

[PeaceBlondie]

My (ex) wife, her sisters, and my sisters had a total of 29 births, all of them vaginally. Our three daughters have had 7 babies, all c-sections. It ain't hereditary. The operation is as old as Julius Caesar, and it went on the rise about 20 years ago in the West.

I won't comment on whether natural births cause a certain looseness.

[bina]

looseness????

everyone i know has had vaginals, including women who have twins, unless there was an extreme medical reason for c section....

as for looseness, well, hvent the ladies ever heard of kegeling, and other exercises???

i can hang on to my man no problem, no looseness there... and most of my friends, when discussing (and yes men, we do discuss, not size, but perfomance maybe and problems with...) these things, we all have learned methods for making our men feel that everything is as snug as an eel in a cave (as the 'geisha' says in that book)...

and if any of us has 'ripped' a bit, well, the doc always sewed us up snuggily again anyway...

bina

[Gary A]

It's interesting that a friend of mine and I just had this discussion. His wife's doctor had told her that any baby that is likely to weigh over four kilograms should be delivered via "C" section. He told them that there is just too much risk for a small girl trying to deliver via the natural route. That baby was delivered via "C" section and the cost was a whopping 30 baht at her home town hospital. It should be pretty obvious that the cost had nothing to do with that decision.

[mpdkorat]

My son was born in the Thai Military hospital in Korat, 17 months ago. It was a natural birth. He was 3.5kg. Bill 3200 baht. Very good service indeed. Food for thought

[Heng]

That baby was delivered via "C" section and the cost was a whopping 30 baht at her home town hospital. It should be pretty obvious that the cost had nothing to do with that decision.

Well, there's a certain "cost" to having a doctor do a 5-10 hour delivery... or perhaps randomly (natural) unscheduled deliveries at 2-5am. C-sections take 10-20 minutes of delivery and maybe 30-60 minutes of "sewing."

[bina]

funnily enough there was an article yesterday (in hebrew) about c sections and the dangers etc, as a woman died three days ago due to complications from a c section. something to do with blood clots, blood thinners and the fact that c sections are still an operation which of course can cause bleeding/clotting. supposedly according to the article the incidence rate for this is higher with c sections than vaginal births even among healthy women with no previous background or reason to suspect that there would be a problem with clots. (here, women are given aspirin or similar during pregnancy when over certain age or with potential blood clotting problems. before an operation of course this is stopped to prevent unwanted bleeding). here as i mentioned before, vaginal births are pushed as healthier in the long run, unless needed. even if u have had a c section previously, the rule seems to be that they will go for a vaginal again second time round but will intervene very quickly unless the previous c section was for specific health reasons that are reoccurring. two c sections means the third time will be c section for sure.

didnt have patience to translate word for word, and it was an internet news article so cant find it to double check.

btw, smallness in stature does not mean smallness in hips or vaginal passage. i'm 42 kilo and petite, and all three of mine were vaginals and as the midwife put it: you are very 'roomy' (what we say about a good doe -female goat). and many friends gave good vaginal births to babies that were practically the size of first graders! 5 kilo!!!

i think it is ignorance, fear, and lack of preparation that make many women choose c sections. here, birth conversations are everyday conversations. our girls hear blow by blow decscriptions at the lunch table of labour, openings, heads up or down, presentations, birth weights and apgar scores, epidurals or w/o. every other woman is pregnant if u glance around. its always in style. its just part of life. one thing i noticed (actually daughter nocticed) is that i didnt see that many pregnant women walking around when i was in thailand. where are they? also in the states.

i think all thsi discussion dissapates the fear. women going in to give birth call eachother up on the cell phones giving blow by blow descriptions (i kid u not, i heard three of these converstaions while at my park, girlfriends asking nu? how many fingers now? does the epidural work? who's with u? etc).

i think that c sections that are unneccessary are rather like buying frozen food. instant. nowadays people want instant. they want to skip the painful developmenatl parts and get to the product right away. i'm not saying that shouldnt be done but nto for convenience. after all, raising a child is a long term thing and pretty painful /difficult also with interludes of happiness and easygoingness also.

in the end however, most important is that mother and baby are healthy.

bina]

forgot to add: i know many many women who have at least 6 or more children and many many with 9 or more (religious orthodox). they all say the same thing. by the time they are pregnant again (two months after the birth of the previous, usually) they have forgotten how painful, long, difficult etc the previous birth was when they swore that would be the last one. and there are rabbinical edicts about when c sections can be done, in this country religioun interferes with medical also)

Edited May 15, 2007 by bina

[highchol]

caesarian recollections

Both our children were delivered via c-section. My wife wanted it this way, no pressure from the obstetrician. The children were also born on the day that nature intended so no pre planning to suit the doctor or hospital administrators 9am & 5am.

Our first child was born at PIH, our second child at Bangkok Pat, we followed the obstetrician who had moved from PIH to Bangkok Pat. We also liked the Pediatrician at PIH so both of our kids went to see him over the following 5 years. Both deliveries were fine and out of hospital in 2 days. Both hospitals costs were similar in cost baht 35K back in 93/94. I think the costs are comparable today in baht allowing for inflaton. If you take prices in sterling costs then no increase.