Is natural birth or caesarean section better?

Many times, due to some special reasons, pregnant women cannot choose natural birth and have to have a caesarean section. However, there are also many pregnant women who meet the conditions for both natural birth and caesarean section. At this time, they don’t know which one to choose. In fact, natural birth and caesarean section each have their advantages and disadvantages. If the conditions are met, it is recommended to choose natural birth. After all, natural birth will be better for the fetus.

Is natural birth or caesarean section better?

Natural birth and cesarean section are often compared, but based on clinical experience, natural birth is still better than cesarean section. Therefore, if the pregnant woman can give birth naturally, she should try to choose it. However, caesarean section is still recommended in some cases, especially in some critical situations, which can ensure the safety of mother and child. Natural birth and caesarean section each have their advantages, and the specific situation needs to be analyzed.

Caesarean section

1. Advantages

(1) First aid measures. Generally, mothers give birth vaginally, but if there are other special reasons, such as the fetus is too large or in an abnormal fetal position, the mother may be in danger during delivery, which will not only endanger the mother but also the fetus. In this case, a caesarean section is recommended.

(2) Reduce labor pain. If the cervix is ​​not fully opened, natural delivery is not possible and the mother will have to endure constant contractions. A caesarean section can avoid this process.

(3) Combined treatment of other diseases. If the expectant mother has other diseases that require surgical treatment, it can be performed at the same time as the caesarean section to avoid future troubles.

(4) Ligation can be performed. If necessary, the ligation procedure can be done together.

(5) Combined with hysterectomy. This situation is generally rare and is mainly performed on the following women, such as those with severe infection or multiple uterine fibroids. The uterus can be removed at the same time as the cesarean section.

2. Disadvantages

(1) Cesarean section is more dangerous than natural birth, and the accidental mortality rate is higher than natural birth.

(2) The amount of blood loss is greater than that of normal delivery, often >300ml.

(3) Accidents may occur during surgery, such as anesthesia accidents or uterine damage. In addition, wounds are prone to infection.

(4) The mother's recovery time after surgery is longer and she is more likely to develop chronic abdominal pain.

(5) Easy to leave scars. If you get pregnant with a second child or have a miscarriage after giving birth, it can easily be dangerous.

(6) Children born by caesarean section have relatively weaker physiological adaptability.

·Normal delivery

1. Advantages

(1) Accelerate postpartum recovery. Pregnant women who give birth naturally have a relatively short recovery time. They can resume moderate activities on the same day and return home within a week.

(2) It is beneficial for breastfeeding. Mothers who give birth naturally can eat soon after giving birth, which increases their own nutrition and facilitates breastfeeding.

(3) Little damage. Normal childbirth will not cause much damage, the injury is usually in the perineum, but it is easy to recover.

(4) Fewer complications. Vacuum delivery has fewer complications than caesarean section.

(5) Good for newborns. Natural childbirth is beneficial to the development of the fetus. Due to multiple frictions between the fetus and the mother during the process, the development of the fetus's nervous system and sensory system is promoted. In addition, natural childbirth is also good for the fetus's lungs and exercises its lung function. In short, natural birth allows the fetus to develop better physically.

(6) It is beneficial for abdominal recovery. The abdomen of a new mother who has just given birth is still very large, and natural labor can produce oxytocin, which facilitates uterine contraction and makes the abdomen gradually flat.

(7) It is safer without anesthesia. Because cesarean section is a major surgery, a lot of anesthesia will be used during the operation, and the anesthetic may cause harm to the baby's nervous system. There is no such worry with natural childbirth.

2. Disadvantages

(1) Labor pains are intense, especially during prenatal labor.

(2) It can easily cause problems such as vaginal relaxation after childbirth.

(3) It is easy to damage the perineum and vulva, causing infection and hematoma.

(4) Postpartum hemorrhage may occur during normal delivery, which is caused by poor uterine contraction. If postpartum bleeding continues, a cesarean section is required. In severe cases, the uterus may need to be removed, and there may even be a risk to life.

(5) There is a safety hazard of amniotic fluid embolism.

(6) Some expectant mothers have poor physical fitness and are easily exhausted during the delivery process. At this time, the fetus needs external help to leave the mother's body, such as forceps or vacuum extraction, but this method will cause the fetus's head to swell. In addition, shoulder dystocia is closely related to the weight of the fetus. An overweight fetus is more likely to suffer from shoulder dystocia, which in turn may lead to brachial plexus injury or clavicle fracture in the newborn. In addition to the above two situations, the fetus may also encounter accidents in the uterus, such as the umbilical cord around the neck.