Not looking forward to a natural birth? Get a caesarean instead – that’s how they do it in Chelsea
The hospital serving residents of the London borough of Chelsea has the highest rate of caesarean sections in England, inevitably beckoning the question – Are some women just too posh to push?
According to figures, a third of births that take place at the Chelsea and Westminster hospital are by caesarean section. The hospital is top of the leader board in terms of the percentage of caesarians for the forth year in a row and has an average rate of caesareans which exceeds the national average by some way.
A spokesman from the hospital has said that much work is being done in a bid to reduce the rate of caesarean sections in their hospital and hospital officials are unsure as to why the rates have remained consistently high.
At the other end of the spectrum at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust where caesarean rates are at their lowest, head of midwifery Cathy Smith explains that she believes part of the reason the rates are so low is thanks to the department-wide ethic of natural childbirth. She goes onto explain that all techniques in maternity care are also explored within the hospital.
The past 20 years has seen the rate of caesareans double with them currently coasting at a level of one in four births. The World Health Organisation previously had a target of a 15 per cent caesarean rate but this is no longer applicable.
Only recently the National Institute for Clinical Excellence established new UK guidelines, stipulating that all women now have the right to have a caesarean if they can’t be dissuaded, even in cases where it is not medically necessary.
If you are pregnant and are concerned about natural birth for whatever reason then you may benefit from hypnotherapy for childbirth. This process is a tool that helps expectant mothers to prepare for the birth by addressing any fears and concerns they may have. In some cases it can also help to reduce the pain and length of labour.
To find out more about hypnotherapy for childbirth, please visit our fact-sheet for further information.
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