Yes, Lulu is right true CPD (small outlet/big baby) is incredibly, incredibly rare. And "prolonged labour" can be a dodgy one too - i know a woman who was sectioned for failure to progress because she was "stuck" at 6cm for 3 hours! Her total labour up to the section was only 5 hours!

There are some genuine emergencies or situations where nothing can be done which warrant immediate surgical intervention. Cord prolapse, placental abruption, placenta praevia (you would know about that though, praevia is visible on scans, so you'd have a planned section). The others depend on the situation.

For example i wouldn't let anyone diagnose me with CPD unlss i'd been fully dilated and pushing for 3+ hours with no progress at all (baby still high, not descending into pelvis). In True CPD babies don't fit into the pelvis at all and after many hours of pushing are taken out by c-section with a completely unmoulded head (because it didn't ft into the bones at ALL). Prolonged labour is subjective - how long is too long? 24 hours is normal for a first time mum, yet so many women i know say "oh i was in labour for SEVEN hours!" as if it was a month! Realistic expectations really help one to deal with a longer labour. Deep Transverse Arrest is when the baby becomes stuck in the pelvis but usually a little time allows the head to slowly mould and the baby will come out. If there is no marked foetal distress it is ok to give that a chance to happen if you wish - the bones of a baby's head can take a week or more to re-shape after birth, so why do obs think they should mould in an hour inside? There are some doctors who will do breech and twin deliveries vaginally, and with determination you can seek them out. You may decide to OPT for a section in that circumstance, and that is absolutely fine, but it'sbetter to opt than feel forced by circumstance.

Avoiding induction and epidural will minimise the chances of any complications brought on by interention. Unintervened-with birth usually works fine.

Bx