Caesarean rates are increasing: what does this mean for your birth?

When I first saw this graph circulating online, I literally stopped what I was doing.

My jaw dropped as I zoomed in and saw that 45% of births in England are via c-section.

But it wasn’t only that statistic. It was the steep increase that took me by surprise.

If you’re planning for a vaginal birth, you might be looking at this thinking: What does this mean for me?

So, the first thing you need to know is:

45% isn’t your personal chance of having a caesarean.

The statistics we see in headlines are national averages. They aren’t your number.

Ask your midwife or consultant whether there’s anything about your pregnancy or history that makes a caesarean more likely - and what that actually means for you.

This is where BRAIN can help. What are the Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, what’s your Instinct, and what happens if you do Nothing?

You might also be surprised to know that caesarean rates can vary HUGELY depending on where you give birth.

Caesarean rates vary between hospitals for a mix of reasons. Some come down to who's giving birth there - maternal age, BMI, ethnicity, deprivation, pre-existing conditions. But even after accounting for all that, a lot of the difference remains - and it's generally put down to things like how quickly different hospitals call an emergency, how closely they follow guidelines, and a culture influenced by fear of litigation.**

So it can be useful to speak to your midwife about the rates where you’re planning to give birth - and, more importantly, ask what sits behind it.

The number alone can’t predict your birth, but it can give you more context about the environment you’ll be giving birth in. 

Don’t make avoiding a caesarean the goal

There are many hypnobirthing courses that talk in terms of avoiding a caesarean. But preparing for labour and birth shouldn’t be so strongly attached to a particular outcome. Birth is unpredictable and caesareans save lives. If you’re taught that one type of birth is the goal - or that certain interventions should be avoided - you risk feeling like you’ve failed if your birth takes a different path.

Which is why, even if you’re planning a vaginal birth I think you should...

Plan for a caesarean too.

Because with all knowledge and preparation in the world, sometimes a caesarean becomes the best option for you and your baby.

I received an incredible birth story recently from a woman whose birth didn’t go ‘to plan’, but she said ‘at the point a caesarean felt like a safer option, it didn’t even feel like a decision, because I had already prepared for it in my mind’. She didn’t feel a loss of control or like she had failed at plan A. She just knew that this was the best choice for her.

So prepare for the birth you want. Learn how your body works, practise your tools and think about the environment you want to give birth in.

But leave some space for the possibility that things might change too.

If you haven’t thought about this yet, you can use my free birth planning template here to get started. It's also available in my complete online hypnobirthing course - Birth Box.

*Source: International comparison of caesarean birth rates, 2020 – 2025, National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, June 2006

**Source: Bragg F, et al. "Variation in rates of caesarean section among English NHS trusts after accounting for maternal and clinical risk." BMJ, 2010.