According to medical statistics, every fifth woman in the world gives birth using cesarean section. The same indicator in the 80s. The 20th century was only one case in ten. What is preferable for modern women in childbirth - natural childbirth or surgical intervention?

Opinions for and against natural childbirth

What is the advantage of a woman’s decision to give birth on her own?

The advantages of the procedure provided by nature itself include:

  1. The naturalness of the process. “Classical” births are studied in more detail and pass at the time of the best preparation for the fetus and mother.
  2. Adaptation of the fetus. Passing through the birth canal, the child’s body is gradually getting used to changing the situation.
  3. The speed of recovery. The mother’s body after natural birth is restored faster than after a cesarean.
  4. Intimacy with a child. In most cases, a woman is able to start caring for a child and breastfeeding immediately after delivery.

However, they have a natural birth and a number of minuses:

  1. Pain during contractions, attempts.
  2. High risk of postpartum injury.
  3. Strong emotional stress on the mother's body.

In general, most women still choose natural childbirth in the absence of contraindications.

Preparation for the process

During pregnancy, it is important for a woman to prepare for delivery only physically and psychologically.

  • Psychological training.For this purpose, it makes sense to attend special courses for expectant mothers. Here a woman will be taught not to be afraid of childbirth and will describe in detail the rules of behavior in them. A woman in labor should pre-configure herself to ensure that everything goes well and not doubt her success. While waiting for childbirth, negative thoughts should not be allowed.
  • Preparing the necessary things. A month before the expected delivery, you should prepare three packages: actually for childbirth, for the first time after them, and for discharge. An exact list of necessary items is given to pregnant women at the antenatal clinic. In general, the delivery kit is standard and includes diapers, a nightdress, diapers for the baby, drinking water, pads for discharge after childbirth, and so on.
  • At home, you should prepare a stroller, bath, crib, first-aid kit, diapers, clothes and other basic necessities in advance. Also, all documents must be in full “combat readiness”.

Expectant mothers should pay attention to the physical aspect of preparation:

  • Perform Kegel exercises
  • take time for walks;
  • take the necessary vitamins;
  • do gymnastics;
  • follow the doctor’s instructions.

Tip. Mothers suffering from varicose veins should stock up on compression stockings.

Harbingers of the Birth

A woman can understand that childbirth is close, in the presence of the following "tips":

  1. Prolapse of the abdomen. It seems to the woman that it is easier to breathe, as her belly sank down, gradually changing shape.
  2. Desires to the toilet. Expectant mothers may increasingly feel that she wants to go "big." However, this is not just an upset stomach, so the body is cleansed before the upcoming delivery.
  3. Decrease in motor activity of the fetus. A pregnant woman should not worry: most likely, everything is fine with the baby. He sank down and fixed his head in the bones of the pelvis. In addition, the baby should save strength - they will need it in childbirth.
  4. Isolation of vaginal mucus. Thus, the uterus is prepared for childbirth. If a woman tracks red or pinkish streaks in the discharge, it is likely that she will have to go to the hospital in a few days.
  5. Training fights. Often appear even before the birth. Such contractions are periodic and almost painless.

In the vast majority of women, the process of delivery begins with labor.

First of all, the aching sensations in the lower abdomen are monitored, over time, the frequency and strength of uterine contractions increases. At this time, lower back pain may be felt. Initial contractions last with an interval of 10 to 20 minutes and do not differ in intensity. Closer to the attempts, contractions occur every 1 - 2 minutes.

Flow stages

There are 3 stages of the course of childbirth:

  1. Contractions. As a rule, painless, rare and almost imperceptible. After some time, the contractions intensify and repeat every 5 minutes, becoming painful. At this point, water may flow, their appearance indicates that a woman needs to gather in the hospital.
  2. Attempts. When the cervix is ​​completely open, the woman feels the urge to try and start pushing. It is important to establish breathing, take a comfortable pose, listen to the doctor and follow his recommendations.
  3. The discharge of the placenta. A few minutes after delivery, the placenta is expelled from the female body. This process is accompanied by mild contractions. The doctor must make sure that the last has left completely. The new person is weighed, measured and given to the mother.

The listed stages are typical for normally proceeding natural childbirth. And yet, at every stage of this process, some difficulties are possible.

How long does it take to have a baby?

If childbirth, including the period from the onset of labor to the release of the placenta, lasted less than 2 hours, they are called swift. A kind of norm is considered to be a birth lasting up to 18 hours. When the process lasts longer, such childbirth is called protracted.

Doctors are guided by some norms. For example, it is generally accepted that the opening of the cervix occurs approximately at a speed of 1 cm in 1 hour.

When the process is inhibited, labor activity is considered insufficient and doctors resort to stimulation of labor or perform a cesarean section.

Note. The disclosure of the cervix in each woman in childbirth is individual in terms of time. For opening in 4 - 5 cm, one woman needs 2 hours, and the other - at least 7.

Anesthesia during childbirth - the pros and cons

Epidural anesthesia is considered the most common pain relief during delivery. During this procedure, the doctor injects pain medication into an area in the lumbar region. After this intervention, the nerve roots responsible for sensitivity to pain are blocked. Under the influence of medicines, a woman does not feel discomfort or pain. In this case, the woman in labor remains conscious.

The main advantages of epidural anesthesia include:

  1. The ability to shorten the period of opening of the neck, making the baby's movements through the birth canal smoother.
  2. The absence of pain with simultaneous full consciousness of the woman in childbirth.
  3. The procedure helps the woman to relax and build up strength during the period of labor.
  4. Anesthetics administered through epidural anesthesia reduce blood pressure, which is especially true for women in labor with hypertension.

However, there is a flip side to the coin, and epidural anesthesia also has a number of disadvantages:

  1. Such manipulation may be contraindicated for women hypotensive with indicators of pressure below 100 mm RT. Art.
  2. It is not recommended to do similar anesthetics also to women in labor with impaired blood coagulation, spinal deformity and other problems.
  3. Like any other medical intervention, an epidural can cause complications.

It should be noted that the most serious complications (neurological disorders and allergic reactions) are very rare. However, women in labor should be informed about them.

Absolute and relative contraindications

There are a number of situations where natural childbirth is impossible.

Absolute contraindications to them are:

  • threat of uterine rupture;
  • premature discharge of water;
  • placental presentation;
  • incorrect position of the fetal head, hypoxia;

Relative contraindications to natural childbirth are:

  • ECO;
  • pelvic presentation;
  • parturient age exceeding 36 years;
  • large fruit;
  • childbirth twins.

With absolute contraindications, the opinion of the woman in childbirth is not taken into account, and the child is born with the help of a cesarean section.

Relative contraindications leave a woman free choice. Usually, the responsibility for childbirth lies with her. For example, natural childbirth after cesarean section is acceptable with the consent of the woman in labor, however, subject to the approval of the doctor.

Caesarean or natural birth: which is better

Which is better - cesarean or natural birth? To understand and compare both procedures, the advantages and disadvantages of a medical procedure should be examined.

Caesarean section and cons:

  1. Attachment to the child. Many psychologists are sure that women giving birth with the help of Caesarean will later begin to feel all the joys of motherhood. This is due to the fact that all quivering feelings in relation to his baby arise in the first moments and hours after natural birth. Moms who have had a Caesarean section are separated from their children for a longer period.
  2. Feeling of inferiority. To the question of the same psychology. Different women have different attitudes to childbirth with the help of cesarean. Some of them perceive this procedure as necessary and even in a sense, useful. But many mothers do not feel such because the child did not go all the way through the birth canal. Cesarean thus becomes for some women a kind of proof that they are not able to give birth to a child on their own.
  3. The attitude of the medical staff.A woman who decided to give birth in a natural way, as a rule, is surrounded by doctors and midwives who instruct the woman in childbirth and, in general, maintain all kinds of feedback with her. Many mothers who survived cesarean noted that in the process the medical staff did everything in silence, not explaining their actions, not reassuring, and generally not addressing the woman directly. The baby is shown to the mother literally for a moment, and then they are carried away and the woman in labor again remains alone in the silence of the operating room.
  4. Possible difficulties with lactation. It is proved that in women undergoing cesarean milk comes later than in the case of conventional births. After all, the body simply does not have time to launch the hormones necessary for lactation.
  5. Postpartum depression. This is a real disaster for modern mothers. Of course, this problem also affects women who have given birth naturally. It has been proved, however, that women at risk who are having a cesarean are at risk, especially if the operation was difficult.
  6. The duration of the recovery period. Caesarean section is an intracavitary operation, and, therefore, a woman's body needs much more time to recover.
  7. The need for long bed rest. This aspect usually complicates the process of caring for the newborn.
  8. Refusal of pregnancy for the next few years. A scar on the uterus takes time to drag on and not provoke a rupture of the organ in the future.

However, of course, it would be foolish to discount all the advantages of the Caesarean section, and there are many of them:

  1. Often, cesarean is the only right decision in the presence of a number of special circumstances or diseases of the woman in labor. A large fetus, a narrow pelvis, pathologies of the kidneys and heart, placental presentation, and other problems often act as an indication for Caesarean section.
  2. Lack of pain during contractions and attempts. This point is especially important for women in labor with a low pain threshold.
  3. Reducing the risk of injury to the child and mother. In a woman, the threat of rupture of the perineum is reduced, and in the baby, deformities of the head.
  4. Intervention lasts 25 to 40 minutes.
  5. An operation can be scheduled by setting a specific date in advance.

In general, the outcome of Caesarean is more predictable than the result of natural childbirth.

The eternal "rivalry" between the natural genera and Caesarean section is understandable. Both the process and the medical procedure have several advantages. In a number of cases allowed by doctors, a woman is given the right to choose between medical intervention and the natural course of delivery.

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