C-section vs natural birth

"My baby is big. But even if it is not big, I will not go through natural delivery," Zhang says. "I can't even stand the pain of finger pricks during blood tests, not to mention the pain of natural birth."

Zhao Yangyu, the obstetrician, observes that women born in the 1980s and 1990s led better lives compared to their parents, and they have low threshold of pain and suffering, which is the main reason they don't want natural delivery.

Besides, the family planning policy the country has adopted since the late 1970s also indirectly contributes to the increasing demand for C-section. Many women do not intend to have a second baby, thus they are less worried that their uterus would be harmed by C-section.

There are also many who decide to have C-section so they can bring their children into the world on a specific day or time considered auspicious or special.

Zheng Yaya, 28, mother to a 100-day-old boy in Baoji, Shaanxi province, says most young mothers she knows had C-section, and many chose specific dates for the operation.

One of them picked her husband's birthday to have the surgery.

Families with older people give greater importance to choosing an auspicious day or time for their babies to see the world, while young couples may want to give birth before Sept 1, so that the children can go to school a year earlier, according to Yang Ying, director of the obstetrics and gynecology department of Xinqiao Hospital in Chongqing.

"Many people may not be well informed of the risk of C-section, and irresponsible hospitals and doctors take advantage of this," Yang says. "After all, C-section is more profitable than natural birth."

Yang says 46 percent of births in his hospital are through C-section, while the proportion for the city is 50 to 60 percent.

Addressing the concerns by some mothers-to-be that natural birth may damage the vagina, Yang says: "With proper guidance from professionals, natural birth has limited effect on vagina architecture, especially for women having only one or two births."

Zhao Yangyu, the obstetrician with Peking University Third Hospital, agrees, but says there are more factors behind the dynamics for C-section.

An obstetrician may opt for C-section if the would-be mothers insist, just to avoid trouble, especially when there is a chance of risk for natural birth, Zhao explains.

Besides, many Chinese hospitals lack experienced midwives and cannot perform difficult natural delivery, since many experienced midwives have left their profession because of poor wages and high career risk, Zhao adds.

"A doctor should make decision on behalf of patients' interests, but a doctor is also a human being, and has weaknesses and fears," Zhao says. "If the would-be mothers cannot be convinced of the benefits of natural birth, we cannot force them."

Wu Liujia, the hospital staff member in Chongqing, agrees.

"Given another chance, I will definitely choose natural birth," she adds.

To read more:

Chinese mothers urged to keep it real