Why you should choose a Vaginal Delivery? Know the pros & cons

When one is pregnant, there are many questions that they undergo, one of them being what kind of delivery is better. There are two types of deliveries – one being normal delivery and the other being C – Section. Today, we are going to talk about the benefits of having a normal delivery

Below are the benefits of a normal delivery-

• Babies come when they’re ready -If labor starts naturally, then you know that your child is fully developed and is ready to be born. The baby’s lungs and other major organs have finished maturing and your baby is able to survive without any medical interventions if born naturally. A baby delivered surgically could be at risk for prematurity, especially if there is a miscalculation in the due date.
• Babies born vaginally receive protective bacteria -One of the benefits of normal delivery is that when babies are born vaginally, they pick up the protective bacteria called microbiome from their moms as they pass through the birth canal. These bacteria are helpful in building a strong immune system and help to protect the child from many illnesses.
• Lowered risk of respiratory problems -While passing through the vaginal canal, the compression of the baby’s thorax helps to expel the amniotic fluid. And with a natural delivery, there are various hormones that are released – these help to clear fluids from the baby’s lungs.
• Baby gets to breastfeed without much delay -In a normal delivery, the very first breastfeeding is not delayed much. Breastfeeding at the earliest has its own advantages. Plus the newborn’s urge to suck is the strongest in the first couple of hours after the birth and feeding section at the earliest helps the baby to latch properly.
• Better APGAR score -Babies born vaginally have a better APGAR score. As a C-section lacks natural stimulation and involves anesthesia, it can result in a lower APGAR score. Babies born via cesarean are 50% more likely to have lower APGAR scores than those born naturally.
• Apart from the benefits to the child, the mother also gains some advantages. Read below:
• Quick recovery -The recovery from a natural birth is almost immediate. Generally, a mother can stand up and care for herself and her baby without much assistance.
• Shorter hospital stays - If the natural birth was in a hospital, the mother can be discharged soon after birth. This has financial benefits also.
• Lesser postpartum pain - Postpartum pain is also lesser in a normal delivery, as you don’t have any big incision to be healed.
• Lower maternal mortality rates -Problems can arise in any birthing incident. But compared to C-section, vaginal birth has lower maternal mortality rates
• Natural delivery doesn’t affect future pregnancies -Since you had your child vaginally, there is no scar left over from a C-section. This means your further deliveries will have zero risks of tearing any uterine scars from a previous delivery.
• Sense of accomplishment -There is a sense of accomplishment that develops in women who give birth naturally. They feel that they have undergone all stages of labor and delivery and hence are stronger in their own way. Women who have normal delivery are extremely empowered and feel much more confident and are at a lower risk of having postpartum depression.
• Less blood loss or hemorrhage -Blood loss during C-section is much more compared to that for a vaginal delivery. Often blood transfusion is required during a C-section.
• No anesthesia side effects -Normal delivery doesn’t involve anesthesia and so has no risks caused by anesthesia as in a C-section. Anesthesia given can cause a lowering of blood pressure, nausea, headache, and confusion and in unfortunate cases even nerve damages and aspiration during surgery.

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References:

1. Desai NM, Tsukerman A. (2022). Vaginal Delivery. NCBI