The benefits of planned caesarean birth will depend on your circumstances, concerns, priorities and plans for future pregnancies. • You may feel more in control. Compared to planned vaginal birth, there is less chance of: • Instrumental vaginal or emergency caesarean birth. • Vaginal tears. • Urine/bowel incontinence. • Pelvic organ prolapse requiring treatment in hospital. • Your baby’s shoulders becoming stuck during birth​ (shoulder dystocia). • Your baby developing an infection during labour. There are also contraceptive options during the operation e.g. fitting a coil or tube tying/removal (sterilisation). Unplanned caesarean birth is usually offered for the health of you and/or your baby, or because you request one. Emergency caesarean birth is advised because of a risk to the life of you or your baby. Your doctors will discuss the benefits at the time.

There are some risks at time of operation for the mother: Bleeding: • Losing more than 500mls of blood during caesarean birth is very common (31 in 100 women/birthing people). • Needing a blood transfusion is common (3 in 100 women/birthing people). • Emergency removal of the womb (hysterectomy) in order to stop bleeding and save your life is uncommon (about 2 in 1000 women/birthing people). Chance of injury to nearby organs, such as your bladder, the tubes connecting your kidney to your bladder (ureters) or bowel is uncommon (1 in 1000 women/birthing people). Maternal death is rare (25 in 100,000 women/birthing people). Mother’s risks after birth: short term • Going back to theatre: sometimes because of bleeding, infections or other problems. Another procedure may be needed. • Admission to critical care unit: admission to critical care is uncommon (3 in 1000 women/birthing people). • Wound Infection - Wound infection is common (2-7 in 100 women/birthing people). • Mental health - Psychological complications such as postnatal depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common (3 in 100 women/birthing people). • Developing blood clots in legs and lungs is uncommon (1-2 in 1000 women/birthing people). Mother’s risks after birth: long term • Incontinence (leaking urine or faeces/wind): Leaking urine (wee) more than a year after birth is common (7-20 in 100 women/birthing people). • The risk of leaking faeces (poo) or flatus (wind) more than a year after birth is common (8 in 100 women/birthing people). • Pelvic organ prolapse (bulging bladder, womb or back passage (rectum)) requiring hospital treatment after a year is uncommon (2 in 1000 women/birthing people).

Every type of birth comes with some risks for the baby, for caesarean this includes: • A scratch/cut your baby which usually heals well (1-2 in 100 babies). • It may be difficult to deliver your baby. This happens in 10 in 100 unplanned/emergency caesarean births, but also happens in planned caesareans. Extra things like forceps may be needed during the operation. • Sometimes when babies are born they need some help to move from receiving the oxygen from your placenta to breathing on their own, 4 in 100 babies need extra help breathing when they're born. • Severe injury to the baby during birth is uncommon (1 in 1000 caesaeran births). • Death of baby is rare (58 in 100,000 babies). Baby’s risks after birth: short term • Admission to Neonatal Care Unit - Sometimes when baby’s are born they will need to go to the neonatal unit for specialist care. This could be for breathing difficulties, infection, low blood sugars or other reasons. 4-12 in 100 babies are admitted to the neonatal care unit after a caesarean birth. • Risk of brain injury due to lack of oxygen during birth (hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy) is very rare. Baby’s risks after birth: Long term For women/birthing people that have a caesarean birth, 18 in 1000 children will develop childhood asthma.

Having a caesarean birth might have the following effects on future pregnancies: • 9 in 1000 women/birthing people have a low lying placenta (placenta praevia), this is where the placenta blocks the exit of the womb. This chance increases with the number of caesarean births you have. • 1 in 1000 women/birthing people have an invasive placenta, this is where the placenta invades the wall of the womb. This chance increases with the number of caesarean births you have. • Stillbirth after 39 weeks is uncommon, but may be increased in pregnancies after caesarean birth. The evidence is unclear. • 2 in 1000 women/birthing people have a womb (uterine) rupture, which is when a hole forms in the womb. Choosing between a repeat caesarean birth or a vaginal birth after a caesarean birth (VBAC) may be an option. This will depend on the reason for your previous caesarean birth and your next pregnancy.

Risks such as hospital stay, third or fourth-degree perineal tears, and urinary tract injury vary between vaginal birth and a planned caesarean. Click 'Read more' for a comparison of a variety of risks for caesarean and vaginal birth.