Cesarean Sections

Elective cesarean delivery

What if you simply prefer the idea of a cesarean delivery over a vaginal birth? Can you choose an elective cesarean delivery? It's not a great idea, and your doctor may not agree to it anyway.

A cesarean poses more potential risks to a woman and her baby than a vaginal delivery does. These risks are worth taking when mother or baby has a health problem or complication, but they are not worth taking in an otherwise normal pregnancy in a healthy woman. Most doctors consider it unethical to choose the higher-risk cesarean procedure without medical cause, and so does the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). "If the physician believes that performing a cesarean would be detrimental to the overall health and welfare of the woman and her fetus, he or she is ethically obliged to refrain from performing the surgery," says an ACOG opinion statement.