C-sections

A Cesarean-section (c-section) is major abdominal surgery in which seven layers of your stomach tissue, muscle, and fat are sliced through exposing your intestines and uterus.

If you do end up having a C-section, opt for an epidural rather than being fully knocked out via general anesthetic, as this'll allow you to breastfeed immediately after delivery.

C-sections can be a life-saver for both mother and baby in a small number of cases, but for most women and babies at the end of pregnancy, the risks of surgical birth far outweigh any benefit - as listed below.

With no additional risk factors, a baby born via C-section is three times more likely to die in the first year, which may be partially due to the fact that passage through the birth canal presses your child's lungs and respiratory tract clean in a way the doctor's suction device just can't.

C-section recovery takes longer and hurts more than normal birth recovery because you lose more blood during surgery and your anesthetic interferes with your natural postpartum release of hormones and endorphins which fuel the healing process.

Cool blood fact: birth vaginally and you'll lose the equivalent of nine period's worth of blood.

C-sections are also more likely to result in:

• Difficulty breastfeeding and/or bonding

• Postpartum depression

• Postpartum infection

• Newborn breathing problems

• Asthma developing in childhood

• Newborn cuts (hopefully minor!) from the surgery.

Elective c-sections are a disturbing new trend on the rise, which reflect a gross lack of understanding and respect for the delicate and intricate process of labor and birth.

Short of extreme medical conditions, C-sections should not be considered a viable option for a healthy pregnancy.