The Benefits and Risks of a Normal Delivery vs C-Section

The Benefits and Risks of a Normal Delivery vs C-Section. Most pregnant women choose to give birth naturally, so they are able to feel what it’s like to become a “real mother”.  On the contrary, some choose to give birth by C-section because they do not want to feel the pain during labor or from the pelvic and genital damage after giving birth.  In general, pregnant women must make informed birth choices and to discuss her fears with her doctor (OB/GYN) about the safest birth according to her condition.

Thus, both of these methods have their benefits and risks in respective.

Benefits and Risks of Normal Childbirth

The Benefits and Risks of a Normal Delivery vs C-Section

Normal childbirth is a natural way of giving birth to a baby without surgical procedure http://45.77.247.36.  This method is considered the safest and most recommended for all women in healthy pregnancy conditions.

There are several benefits of giving birth naturally, including:

• A faster recovery and hospitalization process.
• The risk of developing health problems in babies is less.
• The bonding process between the mother and baby will happen immediately. Thus, breastfeeding the baby is required immediately after giving birth.
• If later in labor again for the second time, the normal delivery process will be faster and shorter.

Conversely, the risks of having a normal labor are:

• Unexpected complications can occur during delivery, such as heavy bleeding.
• An episiotomy— a small incision of tissue around the vagina and anus to make an opening allowing the baby’s head to come out easily.
• If the baby’s size is too large, an assisted delivery must be done, such as a vacuum or forceps delivery.
• The feelings of fatigue and lack of energy will occur to the mother due to the long and difficult labor.

Benefits and Risks of Caesarean Birth

The Benefits and Risks of a Normal Delivery vs C-Section

On the contrary, a Caesarean section is performed by making a cross-cut incision in the mother’s abdomen and uterus.  Thus, there are several advantages of C-section, including:

• May request a specific date of delivery once pregnancy has reached 39 weeks.
• To reduce the risk of birth injury, such as shoulder dystocia (the baby’s shoulder is stuck behind the mother’s pubic bone) or fetal fractures.
• It is recommended for pregnant women who have pregnancy complications.

The Benefits and Risks of a Normal Delivery vs C-Section

However, a C-section birth also has a few disadvantages, including:

• Hospitalization takes longer than a normal delivery.
• Surgical wounds cause scars and pain. Thus, the recovery process is relatively long, and can take weeks or even months.
• Limitations in doing activity for at least 6 weeks after surgery.
• The occurrence of complications due to anesthesia, such as nausea, drowsiness, dizziness, severe headaches, to nerve damage.
• Complications due to surgery may cause blockage of blood vessels, infection, bleeding, and adhesion (growth of scar tissue that makes organs in the stomach cling to each other).
• Placenta previa (the placenta covers the mother’s cervix makes the baby unable to be born naturally) in subsequent pregnancies.

 Despite the benefits and risks of a normal delivery vs C-section, the decision will be up to the results of comprehensive consultation and examination by an obstetrician.  From there, a regular pregnancy check up and monitoring the mother’s and baby’s condition until the gestational age is adequate to determine the best delivery method.

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