Who wants a caesarean section? A study of women's personal experience of vaginal and caesarean delivery

Abstract

The Changing Childbirth report, 1999, explicitly endorsed the right of women to be involved in childbirth decisions and to have a choice in childbirth and it has been suggested that maternal requests for a caesarean birth has been a significant factor in the recently observed increases in caesarean section rates. There have been reports of both obstetrician's views and midwives' views regarding the mode of delivery. However, there is a lack of literature reporting the views of women who have experienced personally both a caesarean section and a vaginal delivery. Fifty women in Milton Keynes who had had at least one vaginal delivery and at least one caesarean section were asked for their opinion.