In a C-section birth, the mother's abdomen is surgically opened and the baby is lifted out of the uterus. Although it has become very common practice, it is still a major operation that usually requires longer recovery time than vaginal birth.
Caesarean sections are categorized as
planned (or elective) and unplanned. The latter also includes
emergency C-sections, which take place when the life of the mother or child is in danger.
In rare cases, the mother is put under general anesthesia, but most C-sections are performed under regional anesthesia. The advantages of this are that the mother can hold the baby in her arms shortly after the birth and that it’s possible for the father or partner to be present.
General anesthesia poses the risk of aspiration pneumonia, when the contents of the stomach get trapped in the lungs. This is more common in pregnant women undergoing general anesthesia and therefore it's usually avoided unless the emergency is severe and life-threatening.
In non-emergency C-sections epidurals or spinal anesthesia are used. These both fall under the umbrella term neuraxial regional anesthesia.
There’s no reason a mother can’t breast feed after a C-section, and most hospitals will allow you to keep the baby with you in the recovery room right after the surgery. It may be a little more difficult at first than with a vaginal delivery, but only until you heal.