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Over four years ago: swollen, wires everywhere and having gotten sick during surgery, I finally got to hold my oldest son for the first time.

So my eye happened to catch the feature story in the Life section of today's USA Today.  It's titled, "Answers elusive as C-section rate rises."  The article discusses how the rate for the number of C-sections is soaring.  (It was 26.1% in 2002 and was 31.1% in 2006.)  It discusses all sorts of reasons as to why the numbers are rising - how so many doctors have the mentality that "once a c-section, always a c-section."  Beyond that, there's a growing number of women who are asking and opting for c-sections for first time pregnancies for no other reason than the fact that they think it's easier.  Which blows my mind - I feel like these women can't possibly fully understand what's involved with a c-section.

Even more appalling, the maternal mortality rate has also risen.  Can we say, scary?!  Of course the article is quick to say there isn't a proven correlation between c-sections and the deaths, not yet anyway, but it's enough to make you stop and take a moment to wonder (especially if they've taken the time to make this a lead story in the paper today). 

I have two kids and I've had two c-section surgeries.  The first was totally unplanned.  After 22 hours of labor, and my son's massively large head that was lodged in my pelvis (and positioned sunny-side up), my baby's heart rate started to plummet.  I was given little choice and I ended up having a c-section.

It wasn't a good experience.  I had never planned or thought about a c-section being an option.  I didn't recover well; I was depressed about it for a long time after his birth.  But you do what you have to do as a mother, and my son was born a big, healthy baby and I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat if the same situation arose.

When my second pregnancy came along, I was determined to have a VBAC.  (vaginal birth after delivery)  Many OBs don't give you a choice and once you have that first C, you are only allowed to have a C with subsequent pregnancies. 

My OB practice happens to be very open to VBACs, they feel it's up to the mother to decide as long as there are favorable conditions with the pregnancy.  My OB was frank with me, I had "okay" odds of succeeding.  My first son hadn't been breech (the best outcome with a VBAC, because the original reason for a C is a freak thing about the baby's positioning), but he had been sunny-side up and labor didn't seem to progress all that quickly for me.  But I didn't have a specific reason not to try.  I had risks either way - a VBAC is a risk because your uterus can rupture where you have the incision scar, but a C is always a risk because it's major surgery.

In the end, I changed my mind and had a planned C.  The bottom line was that I was too scared of the risks and what could happen.  I envy those women who go for the VBAC, and am so happy for the women who have good outcomes with it.  For me, the planned C was a wonderful experience and turned out to be the right choice as I had some complications that my OB told me later would have effected my VBAC attempt.

And even though I had a better experience the second time around, it's still a surgery - and I didn't make the decision lightly.  I made many provisions ahead of time for the weeks after my surgery, since I knew it was a big deal and I'd need lots of help depending on how I recovered.  A c-section is major abdominal surgery and it takes time to heal and recover from something like that.  And although no one wants to hear or say it, there are risks.

What I can't imagine is that people think it's no big deal and think it's so much more appealing than a vaginal delivery. Even scarier, this article suggests that many doctors are encouraging women to have c-sections as first time Moms because they are less likely to be sued from complications. 

The bottom line is that Moms today need to educate themselves to all their birthing options.  A c-section can certainly save a life, or lives, when there are situations that warrant one being done, but the growing trend of Moms electing to have them when they aren't necessary, or doctors pushing them on first-time-Moms is frightening.