A baby is born either naturally, that is, a normal delivery through the mother’s vagina or through a cesarean section, by cutting open her abdomen. Either of the methods are chosen by the doctor depending on the mother and baby’s health, and to ensure a risk-free delivery.
In hindsight, isn’t it worth mulling over the upside and downside of both the delivery models?
Normal delivery
Positives for the mother: A vaginal delivery plain from a psychological perspective is a more wholesome and fulfilling birthing experience for the mom. She feels more empowered than she would in a C-Section delivery. Also the recovery period post pregnancy is shorter for mothers who go through normal delivery. The longer skin to skin contact between the mother and the baby in a vaginal delivery helps the baby to acclimatize better.
Positives for the baby: With vaginal delivery, the mother has early contact with the baby than a mother who has undergone C-Section. She can begin breastfeeding her baby sooner. Babies born through natural delivery have better immunity and healthy intestines since they receive a healthy dose of good bacteria when they pass through their mother’s birth canal. In addition to this, they are less likely to suffer from asthmatic problems at birth as the muscles involved in a vaginal delivery squeeze out the fluid in a newborn child’s lungs.
Negatives for the mother: Vaginal delivery is extremely painful and can cause a great deal of stress. It can often take very long and a lot of effort to have this kind of a delivery. The mother usually goes through unspeakable pain in such a delivery.
Negatives for the baby: If the mother has long been in labour, and size of the baby is big, he/she may get injured during the delivery process through the mother’s vagina. The baby can end up with a bruised scalp, sometimes even a fractured collarbone.
C-Section delivery
Positives for the mother: A surgical birth can be planned in advance, is far less painful, even less complicated, and far more convenient than the long hours spent in labour in case of vaginal birth.
Positives for the baby: The baby can be delivered without sustaining any injury, particularly if the baby is big.
Credit: Relayhealth.com
Negatives for the mother: The recovery time is longer in C-Section. The mother needs to stay under observation for about two to four days in the hospital compared to a mother who has had a normal delivery. The aftercare post C-Section are also quite a few, such as the stitches and the incisions would hurt for a while and will take sometime to properly heal. In C-Section there is a greater chance of blood loss and infections, besides the bowel can also sustain an injury during the operation. Also mothers with this kind of delivery begin breastfeeding later than a mother with a normal delivery. A French study had found that women are three times more likely to die of complications and infections during a C-Section delivery than in a vaginal delivery.
Negatives for the baby: Some C-Section born babies have respiratory problems or weak immunity because they don’t get a share of the good bacteria they would otherwise have in a normal delivery.
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