Caesarean or vaginal birth: Perceptions and experience of Thai women in Australian hospitals

Abstract

This paper discusses the perceptions and experience of immigrant Thai women who have had a Caesarean or vaginal birth. The ethnographic study showed that there was a considerably high number of emergency Caesarean births among Thai mothers. All women, except one, had prepared for a vaginal birth. However, most had to accept an emergency Caesarean and were told of the birth process just before the birth had taken place. Many women were, therefore, not well prepared for the birth. Most women prefered a vaginal birth over Caesarean birth. However, some believed that Caesarean was a safe method of birth because of the benefits of medical technology. This paper also examines some explanations for a high incidence of emergency Caesarean among Thai women in this study.