Waiting 2 Hours can Prevent a Cesarean?

Julie goes into the hospital with her husband to birth her baby.  Things are going great until she gets “stuck” at 7 cm.  After a little bit the OB comes in and says, “It looks like we are going to need to do a cesarean.”

Sadly most moms in America would just say, “OK.”  They would trust their OB knew what was best.c

If only those other moms had read this study by UCSF which shows that waiting 2 hours in a “stalled labor” can usually prevent a cesarean.”

Luckily Julie reads the Enjoy Birth Blog and knew about this study.  She and her husband asked some good questions:

• Am I OK?
• Is the baby doing OK?
• What are the risks of a cesarean?
• What are some other things we can do to help get things moving along?

After a good discussion with the OB they asked for some time to make a decision.  They decided to wait 2 hours and see if any progress was made. Their OB was a little irritated because it was close to dinner time and he wanted to go home (not that he told them that)  His irritation was evident.  “Well, it could be a waste of time.  The baby is doing fine now, but he might not be in an hour.”

Julie stood strong in her desire to wait!  She even referred him to the UCSF study.

They had internet access and were able to Google for some ideas.  They found this post with 8 Natural and Effective Tips for a “Stalled Labor” and tried some of the tips.

2 hours later she had made progress and went onto have her baby vaginally 2 hours after that.

• Was it hard to ask questions when her OB suggested a cesarean?  No.
• Was it hard to stand up to her OB when he didn’t want to wait?  Yes.
• Is she glad she did?  YES!

(OK, I admit, Julie is a fictional character.  But she could be you!  So educate yourself and know your options, especially that waiting 2 hours if a mom has a stalled labor can prevent a cesarean!)