Network Magazine Winter 2021 | Page 34

DO YOU TRAIN CLIENTS THAT HAVE HAD A C-SECTION ?

A caesarean section is far from the ‘ easy ’ childbirth option , and trainers need to be aware of the many recovery and training considerations for this cohort of new mothers , writes trainer and educator Clare Hozack .

1 , but in the Western world the numbers are closer to 25-30 % of births 2 . This is despite WHO research showing no evidence that this additional proportion of caesareans improves mortality rates .

Risk awareness

Almost 20 years ago , the International Caesarean Awareness Network ( ICAN ) created Caesarean Awareness Month 3 to ensure that patients and their families would understand the full risks of caesareans and other uterine surgeries before undergoing their first surgery . Many , if not most , do not hear terms such as ‘ placenta accreta ’ ( a rare but serious pregnancy complication that may be contributed to by previous c-section-related scarring to the uterus ) until they are being diagnosed with it , even though data shows the vast majority of people that have a caesarean will opt to do so again with subsequent pregnancies . This means people are not fully informed on the risks of caesareans before they experience one for the first time .
Without judging individual choices , and a woman ’ s right to choose , it is important for women to understand that a C-section is major abdominal surgery , and carries all the usual risks of such procedures . A woman also needs to understand that , physically , it is just as hard on her body as a vaginal birth – she is not going to miraculously ‘ save ’ her pelvic floor by opting for a caesarean .
There are hundreds of other factors for pelvic dysfunctions , which include being pregnant , overweight , an elite athlete , occupational heavy lifting , chronic constipation , smoking and more . A C-section is also a factor for pelvic dysfunctions , just in a different way to a vaginal birth .

Recovery

You have to recover from a caesarean surgery in the same way you would a bowel resection , appendicostomy or other abdominal surgery . It is definitely not the ‘ easy ’ option that many women appear to perceive it . The trouble with holding this perception is that some
34 | NETWORK WINTER 2021