Cesearean Births maybe linked to parenting problems.

MOTHERS of babies delivered by caesarean section and those who conceived through IVF treatment may be at risk of early parenting difficulties, research suggests.

The University of Melbourne study of mothers admitted to an early parenting centre found 44 per cent had given birth by caesarean section or forceps delivery.

Up to 10 per cent had conceived through IVF or another form of fertility treatment, the researchers found.
Study authors Jane Fisher and Heather Rowe, of the university's Key Centre for Women's Health in Society, said they were particularly surprised by the relatively high numbers of women having early parenting problems who had undergone assisted conception.

Dr Fisher, a clinical psychologist, said about 1.7 per cent of babies in the general community were born with reproductive assistance, yet the proportion of mothers with IVF babies entering early parenting centres was about six times higher than that.

Dr Fisher also suggested women who had successfully undergone IVF treatment may receive inadequate help once the baby is born.

I think what often happens after an IVF conception is that everyone is excited and elated . . . and we wonder whether women in fact receive insufficient support because people assume this is the much-desired baby so they underestimate the need.

The researchers looked at international studies of early parenting interventions and also assessed 79 mothers admitted to Melbourne's Tweddle Child and Family Health Service with babies under 12 months old.

They found almost half did not give birth naturally – much higher than in the general population.

This suggests that the prolonged physical recovery, greater post-partum pain and higher likelihood of being separated from the baby at birth (after a caesarean or forceps delivery), may be contributing to early parenting difficulties, research suggested.

They followed up the women a month after they had spent five nights at Tweddle and then six months later and found in most cases, the babies' crying time had been halved.

Dr Fisher suggested the research may contain lessons for many general practitioners and maternal and child health care nurses.

The main emphasis during the maternity admission and in the follow-up maternal and child health care in Australia tends to be nipples and breast and milk and weight gain.

All the emphasis is on nutrition and physical growth and there's almost no education about sleep, soothing, how you establish a regulated habit for a baby.

Interesting. I wonder how many mothers would agree? I must say, i was surprised at how many women were "ordering "C" sections" when i was giving birth. I had a 30 hour labor, "A"s head was stuck on my spine and she had to be "sucked" out by vacum.......all 9lbs 23 inches of her!! I had more stiches than a quilt. However, the next day i was up again walking round the hospital ready to tell my horror stories to mums to be, whilst those who had a c section were still laid up in bed in agony not being able to drive the car hang out washing etc for weeks.