Vaginal Birth Vs Caesarean Section- Pros and Cons

There are only two ways a woman can successfully deliver her baby. One is nature's way of giving birth vaginally and the other is an elective caesarean section where the mother's abdomen is cut open and the baby is brought out. Though vaginal births are more common everywhere, c-sections are performed only when the mother or the baby appears to be at risk. But what all medical practitioners, mothers and fathers want is safe and healthy delivery of the baby. To achieve this goal, it is important for the expecting parents to research their options carefully and know about vaginal births and surgeries. That helps them in making last-minute decisions and avoiding emergencies.

With the help of Gynaecologists, we have compiled the pros and cons of vaginal deliveries and caesarean sections. Hope this helps!

Pros Of Vaginal Births

Since times immemorial, women have always given birth to babies vaginally. Earlier, medical help was zero and they solely relied on midwives and family members. But now, pregnant women have got tremendous support in hospitals and in the form of midwives. Though it is very gruelling for the mother, natural delivery is quite safe without any complications. Scientists revealed that a baby passing through the vagina of the mother benefits from the good bacteria present in the birth canal. It boosts the baby's immunity and prevents skin diseases. Moreover, immediately after vaginal birth, the mother can have skin-to-skin contact with the baby and also breastfeed soon after birth.

Cons Of Vaginal Births

The biggest drawback in any vaginal birth is the fear of an episiotomy. If the baby is a large one or if the mother's cervix hasn't dilated well, the cervical wall is usually slit open to facilitate birth. This can cause stitches on the cervix which can make the passage of urine and stools a painful process for the mother. Longer vaginal births can cut off oxygen levels to the baby and also cause severe stress reducing the heartbeat and activity levels of the baby. Since a vaginal birth takes time and is highly unexpected, it is difficult for the mother to arrange to leave at work and make arrangements at home for the little one's arrival.

Pros of C-Sections

One of the safest surgeries ever is a caesarean section delivery that doesn't cause any harm to the mother and the baby. High-risk pregnancies, placental defects, low birth weight babies, twins or triplets usually end up in surgery. The process is usually painless because anaesthesia is administered to the mother and she doesn't have the sensation of being cut open. It takes hardly an hour for the surgery to finish, reducing the long hours of waiting and labour pain. Scheduling a surgery and knowing when the baby comes has a positive impact on the mother and will relieve her of unnecessary tension.

Cons of C-Sections

A mother who undergoes a c-section needs to stay longer at the hospital until she can sit and feed her baby all by herself. Women who had undergone such surgeries in the past complain of lower backache and frequent tummy cramps. A regular c-section takes three months to heal and pain at the incision site is extremely common. Since the mother takes time to recover from the dizzy effects of anaesthesia, breastfeeding is delayed for the baby and there's no immediate skin-to-skin contact too. If a woman delivers her first baby via a c-section, chances are that she will deliver her rest of the babies too surgically.