Sutter’s team of experienced obstetricians, labor and delivery nurses, anesthesiologists and neonatal specialists offer expert care during high-risk childbirth, working as a coordinated team to keep you and your baby healthy.

Cesarean Birth

A cesarean birth, C-section, is an abdominal operation performed to deliver a baby when a vaginal delivery is not possible or safe. During a cesarean, you’ll be given anesthesia (usually a spinal or epidural), and your doctor will make an incision in your abdomen and uterus to deliver the baby.

Your doctor may recommend a scheduled cesarean if you develop pregnancy complications that could put you or the baby at risk. Women who’ve had previous cesareans may also plan to have another.

During labor, a variety of situations can occur that may require an unplanned cesarean, including:

• Prolonged labor
• Abnormal positioning of the baby
• Umbilical cord problems
• Placenta problems
• Decreased oxygen to the baby
• High blood pressure, infection or other health problem

When needed, neonatal specialists attend high-risk deliveries and provide care to newborns immediately after birth.