{HEALTH MATTERS} Caesarian Section: Physician Counsels Against Attaching Spiritual Attacks

 

By FRANCIS EZEDIUNO

Women who are fearful of undergoing Caesarian Section [CS] to give birth to their babies have been advised to as much as possible do away with any fears associated with the procedure, as it is perfectly normal and due to advances in medical and surgical sciences the risks associated with the procedure have been minimally cut.

Dr. Sunday Ojenuwah, a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the LifeLine Specialist Hospital, Ibadan stated this during a telephone interview with this medium recently.

The physician, described CS as a medical procedure through which pregnant women who cannot give birth through the natural process of the baby passing through the birth canal are assisted to deliver through surgical procedure of opening the womb, bringing out the baby and closing up the womb again.

He noted that what professionals encounter in the field has been that when expectant mothers start attending antenatal sessions in the hospital, some issues may arise which propelled that the parents are notified that there was need for a planned birth because the mother may not be able to give birth naturally.

“Many reasons may lead a physician to counsel expectant mothers on the necessity for a CS procedure.

“It may be due to the fact that, the pelvic is too narrow, the baby is too big, the baby is a ‘precious baby’, the mother is too sickly, the mother is anaemic, obesity, as a result of unplanned emergencies, ignorance on the part of the expectant mother and so on.

“The problem here is that we attach too much spirituality to this issue. CS is such a simple procedure now that from conception to birth, the parents of the new baby can plan for the procedure and under one week after the procedure, both mother and child are out of the medical facility for good.

“Parents in our society attach evil attacks and bad luck to this procedure which is supposed to in many ways be an elective procedure, that is parents even willingly plan for it”.

Ojenuwah also revealed that in times past, a woman was counseled to stop all pregnancies after the third CS but advances in the procedure has made it possible to carry out four CS without any complications.

He called on expectant mothers to cast away the fear and ignorance associated with CS and urged them to approach the procedure with optimism as it was one of the advances with which medical science had been able to reduce and defeat maternal and child mortality.

And as per the pain associated with surgery referred to as post operative pains, he advised that once the affected mother take all the pain medication the doctor recommends on schedule, take adequate rest and exercise appropriately, things would be in good shape.

According to him, the exercise should involve walking as soon as possible after the CS as this can prevent blood clot, speed bowel recovery and boost comfort levels.