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Senior Medical Officer at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH), Dr Garth McDonald, has described as a "myth" the long-held view that a female is only able to undergo a maximum three C-sections.

McDonald, in an interview with THE STAR, said there are no limits on the number of C-sections a woman can undergo, but warned that the risk of complication increases after each operation.

Caesarean delivery, commonly known as C-section, is a surgical procedure to deliver a baby through incisions in the mother's abdomen and uterus.

"The more C-sections a person does, or the more abdominal surgeries one does, [the person] faces the risks of adhesions with the uterus sticking to the surrounding tissues, the bladder, fallopian tubes and so on, and that increases the risk of trauma to these organs or even potential trauma to the foetus at the time when we are trying to get the baby out," McDonald said.

April is C-Section Awareness Month, a month committed to educating, empowering, and supporting parents regarding Caesarean birth. One of the main aims of Caesarean Awareness Month is to shine a spotlight on the rising number of C-sections and raise awareness among women and healthcare providers about the risks that can come with the procedure.

The warning comes as Jamaica marks C-Section Awareness Month, a time dedicated to educating women about the procedure, its risks, and its rising frequency.

McDonald said the rate of C-section births at VJH has climbed over the last decade - from around 20 per cent to roughly 30 per cent monthly.

"What we will do is to counsel patients in terms of contraception after each pregnancy to lessen the likelihood that persons will just be getting pregnant repeatedly and putting themselves at greater surgical risk of running into problems," he said.

While the hospital doesn't promote elective C-sections due to limited resources, doctors perform the surgery when medically indicated. He added that healthcare workers have never supported the three C-section limit idea, but instead focus on guiding women towards safe family planning options.

"Once a woman has a C-section, the trend is that even if that is an indication, that is one that would not cause her to get a repeat, because of the fear the complication may occur after the first C-section. Then sometimes we are more now compelled to do a second or third or fourth or more," McDonald said.

Even so, the fear of complications after a first C-section often leads both patients and doctors to opt for repeat surgeries.

"It's all about risk management," said McDonald.