Vaginal Birth Vs. C-Section

20 Sep

Vaginal Birth Vs. C-Section: Which to Choose?

Vaginal birth or a surgical delivery by C-section (cesarean section) are the two options for bringing a baby into the world. Both treatments have the same end goal: to keep the baby and mother healthy.

Vaginal Birth
 
Instead of being delivered medically, the infant is pushed out of the mother's uterus through the vaginal canal. This type of birth is called Vaginal birth or natural birth.
 
The mother will feel labor pain as her cervix dilates during vaginal birth. The baby's head is moved toward the vaginal opening by uterine contractions, which feel like super-strong menstruation pains. It emerges after pushing.
 
Some women choose medications such as an epidural, while others choose not to take any medication at all. You'll most likely be able to hold your newborn just after birth. For first-time mothers, labor and delivery can take 12 to 14 hours, but subsequent births are frequently shorter.
 
Pros of Vaginal Birth
 
  • When compared to C-sections, vaginal births usually result in shorter hospital stays and recuperation durations. The average length of stay in the hospital after vaginal delivery is 24 to 48 hours.
  • Vaginal deliveries often avoid the hazards of significant surgery, such as serious bleeding, scars, infections, anesthetic responses, and long-term pain. Because no significant surgery is required, a mother may be able to start breastfeeding her baby sooner.
  • A baby born vaginally will have greater early interaction with its mother, who will be able to start breastfeeding sooner than if the infant is born via C-section.
  • Muscles engaged in a vaginal delivery are more likely to press out fluid in a newborn's lungs. This is advantageous since it reduces the risk of respiratory difficulties in newborns.
  • Vaginal birth babies are less likely to require time in the special care nursery. Vaginal birth babies have a better immune system and are less likely to have allergies than cesarean birth kids. This is assumed to be due to hormones generated after vaginal birth and the crucial microorganisms that newborns acquire throughout this process.
  • Mothers will be less likely to have life-threatening complications in future pregnancies.
  • Baby’s risk of asthma and obesity is reduced.
  • Vaginal delivery is less costly as compared to cesarean section delivery.
  • Mothers will have very few chances of suffering from subsequent fertility problems.

Cons of Vaginal Birth
 
  • Laboring and delivering a baby vaginally is a long and physically demanding process. First-time mothers often spend four to eight hours in active labor when their cervix is fully dilated, and their bodies want them to push.
  • The skin and tissues around the vagina might stretch and rip during a vaginal delivery as the fetus passes through the birth canal. Severe tearing and stretching may necessitate sutures. The pelvic muscles that control urine and bowel motions may become weak or injured due to straining and tearing.
  • Compared to women who delivered via C-section, women who delivered vaginally were more likely to suffer urinary incontinence (where they leak urine when they cough, snort, or laugh) and pelvic organ prolapse (when one or more organs drop into the pelvis).
  • Vaginal birth can also produce pain in the perineum, which is the area between the vagina and the anus.
 
C-section Birth
 
A cesarean section is a surgical procedure used to deliver your baby. A cesarean section is often known as a c-section or a cesarean.
 
A C-section normally takes about 45 minutes (the baby is born in the first 10 to 15 minutes). The majority of C-sections occur while the woman is conscious, and she is frequently given an epidural or a spinal block to numb the lower part of her body.
 
Because of the anesthetics, the procedure will be painless. However, you may feel pressure during your C-section, and a tugging feeling as the baby is extracted.
 
Pros of C-section Birth
 
  • If a woman feels severe anxiety about giving birth vaginally, she may choose for a C-section delivery.
  • Compared to women who deliver vaginally, women who have C-sections are less likely to experience urine incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.
  • A surgical delivery is more convenient and predictable than a vaginal birth and labor because it may be planned ahead of time.
  • A C-section can save the lives of the baby or the mother if they are in danger.
  • A scheduled c-section may lower the chance of pain during labour, vaginal damage, and bladder control loss.


Cons of C-section Birth
 
  • C-sections, on average, need two to four days in the hospital, compared to one to two days for vaginal births. Because the skin and nerves surrounding the surgical scar require time to heal, the recovery period is also lengthier, and there may be greater pain and discomfort in the abdomen.
  • Post-delivery complications such as pain or infection at the incision site, as well as longer-lasting soreness, are more likely after a C-section.
  • Because the colon or bladder may be harmed or a blood clot may form during the procedure, a C-section has a higher risk of blood loss.
  • Compared to women who had a vaginal delivery, women who had a C-section are less likely to start nursing early.
  • A woman is three times more likely to die during a caesarean birth than with a vaginal birth, owing to blood clots, infections, and anesthetic difficulties.
  • Furthermore, women were more likely to die or get an infection during a C-section than during a vaginal delivery, despite being less likely to bleed out.
  • Future pregnancy issues, such as placental abnormalities and uterine rupture, which occurs when the uterus splits along the scar line from a previous C-section, may also be increased. Every C-section a woman has increased her chances of developing placental issues.
  • C-section babies are more likely to suffer respiratory issues at birth and even later in life, such as asthma.
  • During a C-section, there is a slight chance that the baby will be nicked by the scalpel and will be damaged. C-section babies have a higher risk of growing obese as teenagers and adults and acquiring type 2 diabetes.