Are women living in the UK’s most exclusive postcodes ‘too posh to push’? Women giving birth in these areas are almost TWICE as likely to have C-sections to avoid the pain of childbirth
- Some 37% of babies born at Chelsea and Westminster Trust are via C-section
- This is compared to just 19.3% delivered by Caesarean at the West Suffolk
- C-sections cost the NHS around £1,000 more than vaginal deliveries
- Call the Midwife star Helen George opted for a Caesarean with her daughter
- C-sections can cause blood clots, excessive bleeding and womb infections
Women giving birth at hospitals in the UK’s most exclusive postcodes are almost twice as likely to have C-sections, new figures have revealed.
Some 37 per cent of all babies born at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital last year were delivered via Caesarean section compared to just 19.3 per cent at the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, data shows.
C-sections cost the NHS around £1,000 more than vaginal deliveries due to the extra staff, equipment and medication that is required.
The data comes after figures in November revealed more Caesareans happened in the UK last year than since records began in the 1980s.
Older mothers have repeatedly been blamed for driving a surge in numbers because their pregnancies are often more complex. Many of these women are advised to have planned C-sections to avoid life-threatening complications during the delivery.
An increasing number of women, like Call The Midwife star Helen George, are also opting for the procedure because they wish to minimise the pain they endure during childbirth.
However, although usually safe, C-sections can cause blood clots, excessive bleeding and womb infections.
Commenting on the latest data, which has been released by NHS Digital, Professor Eugene Declercq, an expert in maternal and child health at Boston University, told MailOnline: ‘Many woman want to avoid the pain of childbirth but studies show women face more difficulties after C-sections. Around 18 per cent of women still feel pain at the site six months later.’
Women giving birth at hospitals in the UK’s most exclusive postcodes are almost twice as likely to have C-sections. Although usually safe, they can cause blood clots (stock)
‘I FAINT WHEN I STUB MY TOE’: CALL THE MIDWIFE STAR HELEN GEORGE ON WHY SHE CHOSE TO HAVE A C-SECTION
Speaking about the birth of her daughter Wren last September, Call The Midwife actress Helene George said: ‘I’m not against natural births.
‘I’m pro whatever you feel is right for you.
‘Some people may not understand why I elected to have a C-section, but it was right for me at the time.
‘Its not because ‘I’m too posh to push’ – it’s about what I think my body is capable of.
‘I’m not good with pain – I faint when I stub my toe.’
Nearly 30% of births are via C-sections
Surgeons at the Chelsea and Westminster carry out around 45 C-sections a week compared to just nine per week at the West Suffolk.
Last year, 27.8 per cent of all births in England’s NHS hospitals were by C-section.
Health experts claim the rate should be closer to 15 per cent, which could save the NHS around £80 million.
Of all the Caesarean deliveries last year, 76,163 were pre-planned while the remaining 98,557 were emergencies.
DOES BREASTFEEDING REDUCE WOMEN’S RISK OF PAIN AFTER A C-SECTION?
Breastfeeding reduces the discomfort of painful Caesarean sections, research suggested in June 2017.
Mothers who breastfeed for at least two months after a C-section are three times less likely to experience persistent pain than those who do so for a shorter period of time, a study found.
Some 23 per cent of women who breastfeed for less than two months report pain at the site of their C-section versus just eight per cent who breastfeed for longer, the research adds.
Anxiety significantly increases a woman’s risk of suffering discomfort after the operation, the study revealed.
The researchers, from Our Lady of Valme hospital in Seville, analysed 185 mothers who underwent a C-section between January 2015 and December 2016.
The mothers were interviewed about their breastfeeding habits and the degree of pain they experienced at their C-section sites 24 and 72 hours after the procedure, as well as four months later.
In the last four years, the number of pre-planned procedures has increased by eight per cent, while the number of emergency C-sections has risen by just two per cent.
Risk factor has increased as the number of older women giving birth soars
Dr Patrick O’Brien, a spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: ‘The reason for this small increase is likely due to the increasing number of complex births, which require a planned Caesarean.
‘In recent years, there has been a higher number of complex births due to older maternal age and obesity, and these are both associated with a number of complications, including a greater risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and a more complicated labour.
‘It is important to know that the term “elective” Caesarean section refers to any Caesarean that is planned and should not to be confused with Caesarean sections for maternal choice.
‘The overwhelming majority of elective Caesareans are carried out for clinical reasons, for example, a baby in a breech position or a very big baby.’
Bicarbonate of soda helps to avoid Caesarean sections
This comes after research released last January suggested bicarbonate of soda helps women avoid Caesarean sections.
When dissolved in water, the kitchen staple enables between 17 and 20 per cent of women having slow or difficult labours to give birth naturally, without harming their babies, a study found.
Speaking on the BBC’s Today show, study author Professor Susan Wray, from the University of Liverpool, explained bicarb neutralises acids in the uterus, which increases women’s likelihood of giving birth vaginally.
The bicarbonate used is the standard type available in supermarkets.
RISING RATES OF OLDER MOTHERS IN THE UK
The proportion of women over 40 giving birth in England and Wales has trebled in the last 30 years, from 4.9 per 1,000 in 1984 to 14.7 per 1,000 in 2014.
The average age for a woman to have her first child in the UK is now 30. A staggering one in 25 of all UK births is now to a mother over the age of 40.
Older mothers, obesity and a fear of childbirth are driving record numbers of Caesareans, according to experts.
Last year almost 28 per cent of women who gave birth had a Caesarean, a three-fold rise since the 1980s.
This included 12 per cent who had a planned Caesarean – one in eight – the remainder had one as an emergency.
The figures from NHS Digital are the highest since records began in 1980.
They also show that only half of women who gave birth last year went into labour naturally, 55 per cent.
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