Elective caesarean section and halacha

Abstract

A natural birth is one way that women give birth to a baby. The baby is pushed out through the vaginal canal with labor contractions, leaving the mother with her new baby and time to recover. Through its journey out the baby will gain health benefits, such as an improved immune system, from its mother. A vaginal birth is a tough process for the mother. She must anxiously wait until the contractions occur not knowing when or where she will be at the time, as there is no predicting when the baby will arrive. The contractions pushing the baby out are very painful and rips can occur. •Another way the baby can be born is through a cesarean section. The physician will perform a surgery on the mother thereby removing the baby, and then the doctor will close the mother back up. A cesarean section is usually done when it is medically needed and can be planned in advance, thereby letting the mother choose the date and time, or it can be done when an emergency arises during labor. It requires a long recovery for the mother and can have complications. A cesarean section does not have the added health benefits for the baby like a vaginal birth, however the mother will feel no pain during the actual surgery. It has become a popular trend for mothers to want to do an elective cesarean section for no medical reason. They want to skip over the painful labor and have the chance to plan the date of the birth. •In Judaism there are laws governing every part of our lives, including giving birth, which reflect our value system. This trend poses a complicated question of whether an elective cesarean section is allowed in Judaism. For example, in halacha one is not allowed to unnecessarily put themselves at risk. Deciding whether the benefits of a cesarean section outweigh the risks would be a deciding factor. In addition, one would have to contemplate if an elective cesarean section is going against G-d's will of nature by intervening medically when it is not necessary to save a life. The prohibition of chavalah, wounding oneself, is also a problem that must be dealt with because a cesarean section is a surgery that is not medically prescribed and will cause a wound. There are also future consequences of limiting the amount of children one can have that can make an elective cesarean section questionable.