A pregnant woman will have many concerns, and one of the most important ones that will keep bothering her is the delivery method. There are different ways to deliver a baby and without much information, it can be quite confusing. Most people know vaginal delivery or normal delivery can be very painful and many assume caesarean section is the easy way out of this pain. Yes, normal delivery is painful, but it can be very beneficial for both mother and baby.
Normal delivery is nothing but vaginal delivery. It is the most natural form of childbirth and requires little interference when all goes well. This is how women gave birth before science and medicine developed and caesarean section became an option to avoid or reduce certain risks associated with childbirth.
When an expecting mother pushes the baby out through her vagina, with or without assistance, it is known as a normal delivery. Not many are aware of the different types of vaginal delivery.
Unlike a caesarean section, where the only method of delivering the child is through surgery, vaginal delivery can happen in different ways. Vaginal delivery can happen in the following ways:
1. Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery - Also known as a natural birth, where the delivery happens without any drugs or inducing techniques.
2. Induced Vaginal Delivery - The cervix is prepared for childbirth using different techniques to induce labour and contractions.
3. Assisted Vaginal Delivery - In this method of vaginal delivery, the doctor or midwife will use medical devices like forceps or vacuum to help the baby out of the birth canal.
4. Bradley Method - This is a medical-free delivery method where there is no use of epidural or other drugs to ease the pain. Breathing techniques and relation methods are used to help the mother through the labour.
5. Water Birth - In this method, the expecting mother sits in a tub of water and delivers the baby in the water.
6. Home Birth – A home birth is nothing but birthing the baby vaginally in your own home instead of going to the hospital. It can be spontaneous, induced, assisted, water birth or the Bradley method. While this method could be one of the most convenient ways to have a child, it involves many risks. Also, an epidural is given only in hospital births.
If you are worried about the pain and possible complications or changes to the body after a normal delivery, here are some benefits you should be aware of:
The mother can benefit the following ways from giving birth vaginally:
● Low Risk - As there is no surgery involved, there is no risk of anaesthesia complications, surgical procedure complications, etc. There is a certain level of risk involved in the use of anaesthesia and other drugs during surgery.
● Quick Recovery - The recovery time is quicker. The mother can start walking and or using the toilet on her own within a few hours of the vaginal delivery. She can start carrying and handling the baby as soon as she feels ready physically.
● Short Hospital Stay - The hospital stay after a vaginal delivery is considerably shorter than a C-section delivery. In some hospitals, the mother can be sent home with the baby as early as the very next day.
● Lactation - The lactation begins sooner in vaginal deliveries as the body goes through the hormonal changes naturally.
● Lesser Risk of Future Complications - There is no risk of any scarring or damage to the uterus, which can happen at times when using surgical instruments during a complicated delivery.
● No Risk Of Sutures Opening - Since there are no sutures in the uterus, there is no risk of the sutures opening up. In some cases, after a caesarean delivery, the sutures can open up during the next pregnancy or delivery if the mother tries for a vaginal delivery.
● Free to Move – The new mother can walk around, carry the baby, or do her work herself rather than asking others for help or even sitting up in bed.
● Can Bathe – She can have a shower or wash herself the very next day. She doesn’t have to wait for any sutures to heal or opt for a sponge bath.
● Exercising – The mother can start exercising a few days after the delivery, unlike in C-section deliveries, where she has to wait for weeks before the doctor approves.
● Father’s Presence – When it is a surgery, most hospitals do not allow the father to accompany the expecting mother. With a normal delivery, she can have her partner with her throughout the entire birthing procedure.
The baby can benefit in the following ways from a vaginal delivery:
● Better Immunity – When the baby passes through the vaginal canal, they are exposed to beneficial bacteria which provides immunity for the first few months. This exposure also helps strengthen their immune system.
● Lesser Respiratory Issues – When the baby is pushed out through the vagina, the pressure exerted helps remove amniotic fluid from the tiny lungs and nose. With no residual fluid and better lung functioning, the baby has a lesser risk of developing any respiratory issues as they grow.
● Lesser Risk of Allergies – With a stronger immune system and lower risk of respiratory issues, babies born vaginally have a lesser risk of developing asthma and other allergies.
● Better Lactose Tolerance – During vaginal delivery, the baby is exposed to vaginal microflora. This helps in the normal development of the intestinal microbiota, which increases the intestine’s tolerance to food and milk. As a result, babies born vaginally have a lesser intolerance to lactose in milk.
● Better Breastfeeding – After a vaginal delivery, the mother will start lactating sooner than the C-section mothers. The normal delivery mothers can also hold their babies and nurse them soon after birth. Since there is no recovery period or waiting for the mother’s complications to settle down, the chances of successful breastfeeding are higher in vaginally delivered babies.
Childbirth has its own set of risks and complications, irrespective of the delivery method. Vaginal delivery does have its risks of vaginal tear, the need for assistance during delivery, the mother being unable to push, the baby not getting enough oxygen, etc.
When you go to a well-experienced obstetrician associated with a state-of-the-art facility, the chances of success, despite all complications, are higher. The doctors will have enough expertise and experience to handle complications without hurting the mother or baby. They will also know when it is time to change over to a caesarean section in case of emergencies and they will have the right facility to do so too.
Normal delivery is the most natural method to deliver a baby. Despite the risks, complications and the pain, vaginal delivery offers ample benefits for both mother and baby. If vaginal delivery is possible and recommended by the doctor, it is best to go with the doctor’s advice.
During normal delivery, the baby absorbs the healthy bacteria from the birthing canal. This can strengthen the baby’s immune system and improve the functioning of the baby’s intestines or gut.
After a normal delivery, the mother can hold and nurse the baby almost immediately. She need not wait for her anaesthesia to wear off or worry about the baby being under observation. When mother and baby are united immediately and spend more time together without any disturbances, the bonding can be smoother and better.
Yes, the recovery time for vaginal delivery is lesser than a caesarean delivery. The new mother can start moving within hours of giving birth and can also take her baby home the very next day. C-sections require the mother to stay in the hospital at least for the next 3 to 5 days, get checked for various complications and wait till the scar heals. It can take about 3 months for her gut to recover from the surgery trauma.
