While Canada is frequently touted as our more progressive and liberal neighbor to the north, things are not perfect for childbirth there either. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada reports that more than 1 in 4 deliveries in Canada are c-sections.
“While the individual risk for a woman having a C-section is very small, the rising rate is certainly a concern,” society president Dr. Guylaine Lefebvre said in a release.
“We fear that there may be an emerging trend towards more scheduled childbirth and routine intervention. We need to be sure that C-sections are not driven by convenience, that interventions are medically indicated and that the safety of a woman and her baby are the driving factors in these decisions.
Between 1993 and 2006, Canada’s C-section rate grew to 26.3 per cent of all deliveries from 17.6 per cent. The increase is attributed an increase in the number of obese mothers, in which more pregnancy complications necessitating a C-section can arise, and older maternal ages.
Canada’s rate is still behind our 1 in 3 rate, but may not be far behind. They are also more supportive of midwives and out-of-hospital births.
Check out RH Reality Check on Monday for my feature on the myth of the elective c-section.
Thanks to Derek for the link!
Radical Doula 
Cesarean section rates in the US and Canada are insane. But what I notice most in the coverage of Canada’s rate is that Canadian physicians and especially physicians’ professional organizations seems a lot more likely (than their colleagues/counterparts in the US) to view the high rate as a problem. It’s refreshing to hear obstetric leaders in mainstream organization describing their “fear” regarding the “risk” of c-sections!