Why normal delivery is the better than C section? How does it benefit you and your baby?
Recently I came across an article regarding the shocking increase in the number of CDMRs.
Wonder what a CDMR is?
CDMR is Cesarean Delivery on Maternal Request. It is a medically unnecessary elective caesarean section, where the pregnant patient requests the conduct of childbirth via a cesarean section.
The main reason, which makes many women to opt a C-section, is the fear of the excruciating pain and complications that may accompany a normal childbirth.
But are they unaware about the advantages of a normal delivery?
In this article I would like to give a short description on why a normal delivery is the best for you and your baby than a CDMR.
Why Normal Delivery is the Best for You and Your Baby?
For centuries women have given birth vaginally. Today there are still many vaginal birth benefits for both women and their babies, despite changes in birth practices due to modern technology.
Below is a list of benefits that a baby and a mother can get from a normal delivery.
Benefits for the Baby:
- 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.
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:
Babies born vaginally receive protective bacteria as they pass through the birth canal. These bacteria colonize in the intestine and are crucial for developing a balanced immune system.
- Lowered risk of respiratory problems:
The compression of the baby’s thorax expels the amniotic fluid during the birth process and helps to prepare the lungs to breathe air. This considerably decreases the risk of respiratory problems in newborns.
- Baby gets to breastfeed without much delay:
In normal delivery the first breastfeeding is not delayed and this adds to advantage of the fact that the newborn’s sucking urge is strongest in the first couple of hours after birth.
When mothers deliver via C-section, initiation of breastfeeding is often delayed. This is because they need some extra time to recover from the surgery and before they physically feel like holding and nursing their new baby.
Mothers who have had surgical deliveries often find it difficult to find a comfortable position in which to nurse without putting pressure on their incision.
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Benefits for the Mother:
- 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 the birth. This has financial benefits also.
- Lower maternal mortality rates:
Problems can arise in any birthing incident. But compared to C-section, vaginal birth has lower maternal mortality rates.
A C-section is a major abdominal surgery and so complications associated with it are also more.
- No risk of post-operative infections or complications:
Vaginal birth considerably reduces the chances of infections and complications for the mother.
Women having C-section often have infection in the wound, infection in the lining of the uterus and urinary tract infections.
Normal delivery doesn’t involve an anesthesia and so has no risks caused by an anesthesia as in a C-section.
- 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 subsequent births have zero risk of tearing any uterine scars left over from a C-section.
Women having had one cesarean are more likely to have another cesarean in future pregnancies. But there are cases of a normal delivery after C section too popularly known as VBAC.
- Sense of accomplishment:
As they get to go through every stage of labor and delivery, they develop a sense of accomplishment. Women who have normal delivery are extremely empowered and feel much more confidant.
Ongoing scientific research is uncovering more and more benefits of a normal delivery, proving over and over that nature’s way is still the best.
But do keep in mind that if there is a medical condition or obstetrical reason and your doctor chooses delivery via cesarean section, then C-section is safer for you than normal delivery.
If you are healthy and capable of a normal delivery, then it is definitely the most practical and advantageous way for giving birth to your little one.
I hope this article helped you to understand why normal delivery is the best for you and your baby both physically and mentally.
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