Caesarean Delivery

A caesarean section is a surgical procedure to deliver a baby through a cut in the mother’s abdomen (tummy) and uterus (womb). There are several medical reasons why you might plan for a caesarean, or your medical team might decide it’s safest for you to have an emergency caesarean after labour begins.

The most common reasons for needing a caesarean are:

• your baby is in the breech position (bottom first) and your doctor doesn’t recommend a vaginal breech birth
• your baby is transverse (lying sideways) and can’t be turned by the doctor
• you have twins and the first one is in the breech position
• your placenta is partly or completely covering the cervix (opening to the womb)
• you have had a previous caesarean.