UPDATED: Young women urged to balance professional development against childbearing years

Young Jamaican females are being urged to balance professional development against their childbearing years, as fertility becomes more complicated with age, increasing the probability of a Caesarean (C-section) delivery.

In addition to facing the still-lingering discrimination in Jamaica against women who give birth via C-section, the operation is also risky and takes far more time to recover from than normal vaginal pregnancy, explained Dr Michelle Campbell Mitchell, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist.

Campbell Mitchell, who is also an associate lecturer at The University of the West Indies, issued the caveat, noting that globally, the number of C-sections performed yearly has been on the increase, mainly due to women opting to have children later in life, leading to complications that make C-section their only option for delivery.

The doctor’s sentiments were in keeping with International Caesarean Awareness Month, which is recognised from April 1 to April 30. Organised by the United States-based International Caesarean Awareness Network, the month features a host of activities dedicated to increasing awareness and advocacy for women faced with C-sections and improving maternal-child health by reducing preventable Caesareans through education and support.

CAREER VS FAMILY TRADE-OFF

“The antenatal population has changed. The average age for a woman to start her family is now something like 34 years, when previously, it was in a whole other decade, she would have been in her 20s,” noted Campbell Mitchell, outlining the trade-offs between pursuing a career versus a family.

“The consequence of that, though, is that the older a mother embarks upon pregnancy, the more likely she is to have comorbidities, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity. These lead to increased pregnancy complications, and these will invariably increase the likelihood of a Caesarean, and that is the short of the story,” charged Campbell Mitchell.

According to Campbell Mitchell, what is even more painful for women is when they undergo C-section surgery and then their newborns end up dying afterwards. These women, she explained, have to live with the scar and the memories of that disappointment for the rest of their lives. For many, it leads to mental turmoil, she underscored.

Campbell Mitchell said that while she, too, waited to secure her career before having a child, women must understand the risk that they may face. A mother who undergoes a C-section runs the risk of excessive bleeding, injury to surrounding organs, and anaesthetic risks, etc. Additionally, while a woman who gives birth vaginally may be able to get up and walk in a matter of hours; on average, it takes more than 24 hours for a C-section patient to even sit up, she said, noting that recovery can take up to six weeks.

C-sections are also more costly on hospital resources and staff members, requiring surgeons, their assistants, anaesthetists, among other trained, experienced professionals. Consequently, an increase in C-sections will inevitably mean an increase in hospital operating costs, she explained.

“There is also a general perception that a mother who has a Caesarean section takes the easy way out, and that is not so, because it is a major abdominal surgery, and within hours you are expected to now attend to somebody (child),” she said. “So there isn’t a chance to focus on your recovery. It is not the easy way out, and there shouldn’t be a stigma attached to it.”

The theme for this month’s celebrations is ‘Educated, Support, Advocate’.

corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com

(EDITOR'S NOTE: The headline of a previous version of this article might have given the impressionn that Dr Campbell Mitchell is advising young women to have children early. That is however not the position Dr Campbell Mitchell takes. We regret any inconvenience caused)