Caesareans are likely to be the commonest way of delivering a baby at Auckland City Hospital within five years, a report says.
The 2006 clinical report of the hospital's National Women's service shows that 33.1 per cent of births at the facility were caesareans - nearly twice the rate for 1991. Just over half of all births were spontaneous vaginal deliveries last year, down from 68 per cent in 1991.
Here is the latest selection of Your Views:

  1. 223
    comments
  2. Post
    11:29AM Thursday, 20 Sep 2007
    I don't really have a view on this but I do take offence to the poor use of the English language. There is no such word as "Commonest". Try "Most common".
  3. Smokering.
    11:30AM Thursday, 20 Sep 2007
    One wonders why the doctors in question consent to the elective caesareans? Given the obvious risks to mother and baby, it seems this is contravening the 'first, do no harm' principle in a major way! Do doctors not have the responsibility to take the best, least risky and least invasive measure to protect (in this case) both patients? Maternal age and weight is simply not a good enough reason to opt for a C-section. Surely ante-natal cla**es, or at least hospital policy, should ensure mothers are aware of the risks of C-section and make the statement 'X hospital will not provide Caesareans except in case of emergency'?

    The fact is, doctors have something of a vested interest in C-sections. They're scheduled into neat time-slots, with little risk that the OB will be required to miss his afternoon golf game due to a protracted vaginal birth. The best protection a mother can have from being 'offered' an unnecessary C-section is to hire a doula or use a midwife, who is willing to work with the mother's natural labour schedule, rather than bowing to the whim of hospital timesheets.
  4. Poppy.
    11:49AM Thursday, 20 Sep 2007
    Like everything else, pregnancy is being turned into an illness, there is a pill for every ill. To save the mother to be the ha**le of having her baby naturally we are opting for the American way. If there is no medical reason for the cesarean the patient should have to pay. Next the mums to be will be able to select the birth date for their baby, make the appt and pop in to have their baby, simple, just like booking in to have your nails done. Only the state picks up the tab!
  5. Pete.
    12:29PM Thursday, 20 Sep 2007
    My three children were all delivered by caesarean. My wife was in labour for our first son for over 12 hours with no progress. When his heartbeat began showing he was in distress, an emergency caesarean was performed. Three years later, my wife underwent a trial labour for our second son, with very little progress, so it was another caesarean. For our third child, my daughter, there was no option, as the scarring from the first two operations mean that a labour was unsafe. We have three healthy children and a healthy mother. They are all adults now, having had healthy childhood experiences too.

    For almost all of us, it's nothing to do with being "too posh to push" or not having some mystical spiritual connection with the birth process as pushed by some midwives. The aim at the end of the day is a healthy baby and a healthy mother. I think that almost every mother will agree that this is the bottom line. If a caesarean is needed to ensure that, then that is what must be done.
  6. Mother.
    01:00PM Thursday, 20 Sep 2007
    My son was delivered by emergency caesarean due to foetal distress. I have nothing but praise for the staff at Auckland hospital for the way they handled it. At our AnteNatal cla**es we were made to feel that anyone who had pain relief (other than some natural oil) or a caesarean would regret it later as they would be "cheated of the full birth experience". What rubbish! I am just glad my son is alive and well. As for those who elect to have a caesarean - so what? Why should birth be traumatic for the mother or the child? (and some people are terrified of giving birth). Let people make their own decisions about what is best for them.
  7. Caro.
    01:00PM Thursday, 20 Sep 2007
    All power to the women that can give birth naturally. The only reason the mid-wives get bra**ed off that a baby has to be delivered by C-section - is because they don't get paid. As far as I'm concerned mid-wives are glorified nurses. I've heard horror stories of power nut mid-wives that take full control, out of there depth with obsteric knowledge and the result for mother/ baby in fatal consequences. Qualified obstetrician called in at the last minute to try and clean up their mess.
  8. Peter.
    02:05PM Thursday, 20 Sep 2007
    No! What will women complain about when men are sick and feeling sorry for themselves? "You don't know the true meaning of pain" will be a thing of the past.
  9. Rod.
    05:49PM Thursday, 20 Sep 2007
    There are a lot of comments on emergency c-sections. Definitely if baby is in distress. This is the quickest way to deliver.

    However. As for elective sections. I would like the people that are "for" this to research fetal outcomes and NICU admissions. You will find that Babies do better after a vaginal delivery. Then research subsequent pregnancy complications after c-section(example uterine rupture/placental issues etc)

    And in this day of age of hospital acquired infections. Why would you want to have a wide abdomonal incision if you dont require one?

    All the facts should be known before making decisions or forming opinions.
  10. Andinz4eva.
    05:49PM Thursday, 20 Sep 2007
    Ceasereans should be kept for those with genuine medical reasons only.

    None of this "too posh to push" rubbish. I agree if that you don't want to have a child naturally and there are no genuine medical reasons you should have to pay.