So you found out that you are pregnant. After either panicking or celebrating, it comes time to choose between which method of delivery is the best option. Being informed is the only way to successfully decide between the options available. In Safe, Healthy Birth: What Every Pregnant Women Needs to Know it states that, “Childbirth education can simplify pregnancy and birth and help women navigate the maze of modern obstetrics in order to have a safe, healthy birth” (Lothian).  Many expectant mothers and doctors find themselves analyzing the pros and cons of methods of delivery. “…over the course of the pregnancy, childbirth education can help women develop plans for labor so that labor and birth can unfold optimally in the safest, healthiest way possible” (Lothian). For example, before giving birth, it is important for a mother to understand her risks and benefits of delivering by her method of “choice”. I use the word “choice” loosely because some mothers do not have an option, whether that is due to prior health issues or the position of the baby the day of delivery. Expectant mothers want to know what to expect from both forms of delivery and how each delivery effects the baby. There are many different categories that can be psychoanalyzed, however, the two most common methods are cesarean and natural deliveries. However, recently there has been a new discussion on VBAC, which stands for vaginal birth after cesarean. This incorporates both basic methods of delivery into one debatable category that medical officials are intrigued by and do not seem to have enough information on yet. By looking at the birthing methods of delivery such as vaginal, cesarean section, and the newly formulated idea of VBAC, we see that expecting mothers have options to choose from, but vaginal births are the most common and safest method of delivery in order to ensure a healthy birth. 

The most common form of birth is called a vaginal delivery; in fact, it was the first birth performed in history. Many doctors promote this method of delivery because it’s considered to be natural and beneficial to both the mother and the baby in the long run. In the article “My Baby, My Microbiome”, a mother tells her personal account of why she is pro vaginal delivery. There has been many scientific cases and findings to back up this one woman’s experience. A mother’s vaginal canal is full of beneficial bacteria called microbes, which are “passed from a mother’s vagina to an infant’s gut can help an infant face the many challenges of his or her new environment.” (Levy). These microbes “determine how efficiently a person processes nutrients, and help to regulate our metabolism” (Levy). For example, “Within 3 days of birth, babies born by vaginal birth, as compared to cesarean, have better gut colonization with bacteria important to immune system development” (Anderson 216). In relation to a cesarean section, the baby would not receive these nutrients if the fetus did not pass through the vaginal canal (Selvested et al.). 

Also, the healing time is generally much quicker than delivering through a cesarean section. Because the woman is delivering like her body was designed for childbirth, a lot of natural healing follows the birth. Naturally her vaginal walls will shrink back to normal, her period will return within a few weeks, and the human body will accommodate the strenuous effort that she just went through, eventually being able to prepare for another birth in the future.  Natural deliveries allow for induction if necessary. “Statistics suggests that 22% to 34% of women in the United States who are pregnant will have their labors induced” (Anderson 186). There is some form of control over the baby’s due date, however, if you are not fond of the idea of medicine and prefer 100% natural methods, then this option is not ideal for you. Many people have strong feelings about induction, for example, “the induction of labor results in increased health care costs, frequently longer labor, and may increase the potential for morbidity for both the mother and baby, thus contributing to longer hospital stays” (Anderson 185). 

Many women enjoy the empowering feeling of knowing that they just delivered a baby almost all by themselves. The feeling of childbirth is empowering to some women and they find their pride in it. However, there are a couple of disadvantages of delivering vaginally. Tears and rips occur more frequently than not. According to scienceandsensibilty.org, women tear 44-79% of the time during vaginal births (Dekker). Tears and rips can lead to a severe amount of blood loss, which can be life threatening to the mother if not addressed immediately. Also, a lot of first-time moms especially can experience prolonged labor anywhere from 15-24 hours. An excruciating amount of pain comes with childbirth, even with the assistance of an epidural. A lot of times the nurse will have to decrease the epidural fluids in order for the women to feel the pressure to push. 

Overall, it is important to remember that “In order to keep labor and birth as safe as possible, and to minimize the risk of complications, it is essential to respect the simple, natural, physiologic process of labor and birth and not interfere in any way, unless there is a clear medical indication” (Lothian), which leads to the next method of delivery, the cesarean section. 

While the second most common form of childbirth is often called the c-section, or cesarean section, it is also traditionally considered the last-resort method. However, this method of delivery has become 60% more common since 1996 (Goodman). While vaginal births (2,864,343) still outrank cesarean sections (1,369,273), C-sections are on the rise (Anderson 191). In Best Practices In Midwifery : Using The Evidence To Implement Change the statistics say that “One mother in three will have a cesarean birth” (Anderson, 191). Often these are scheduled surgeries that result from a complication during the pregnancy or for the sake of timing. Much like the idea of induction during vaginal births, cesarean sections allow for the immediate birth of the baby, assuming that there are not complications during the surgery. 

Also, depending on personal opinions of the medical field, doctors can have complete control over the monitoring of the mother and baby’s bodies. The mother would not have a control over the birthing process, however, if she is concerned that her body cannot tolerate a vaginal delivery, then it can be reassuring to know that the doctors can closely monitor her body for a safe delivery during a cesarean section (Flamm). For example, if the baby is breeched, then a cesarean section is necessary to ensure a safe delivery. It is highly encouraged to perform a cesarean section if the baby is going to be premature (Anderson, 185). Other benefits for the baby include “lower mortality rate, lower infection rate, and reduced risk of intracranial hemorrhage” (Anderson 194). 

After doing research, I am certain that natural deliveries are preferred over cesarean sections. The cons outweigh the pros by a significant extent. For one, “the hospital length of stay…is significantly higher in the elective cesarean group” (Flamm 313). Because of the surgical procedure, the healing process can take up to a week before a mother can be discharged. The healing can take a few months to heal, “one study found that 33% of respondents had chronic pain at the incision site 2 years after their surgery with 8.9% saying the pain interfered with daily activities” (Anderson, 211). New mothers may need additional assistance around the house even for simple task such as making the babies bottle. It can get frustrating being immobile and asking for help. Also, a lot of women are body conscious and do not advocate to wear a scar across their lower abdomen. The incision site leaves a fairly large scar. Another con of a cesarean section is that the mother cannot begin early breastfeeding until the recovery process. The first few moments of a baby’s life are a critical time for skin to skin bonding between the mother and the baby. Statistics show that “Babies kept skin-to-skin stay warmer, are less likely to become hypoglycemic, cry less, have more stable heart rates, and breastfeed for a longer duration than babies who are separated from their mother” (Moore, Anderson, & Bergman, 2007). This is also hindered during a cesarean section because of the surgical procedure. A lot of people do not respond to anesthesia well, this is another complication. Anesthesia is necessary for a cesarean section because it is a surgery. Because of complications from the anesthesia, blood clots, and infections, women are three times more likely to die from a cesarean section that a vaginal birth (Nierenberg). Four out of one hundred thousand women die from vaginal deliveries each year, while thirteen out of one hundred thousand woman die from a cesarean section each year (Goodman). Upon recovery from the initial cesarean section, most mothers are told that once they have a c-section, that’s all they could do for future childbirths to prevent the tearing of the uterus (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC), YouTube). This is where the discussion of VBAC comes into play.

Not many people are familiar with the term VBAC unless they work in the field of medicine or had to deal with the controversy of it. VBAC stands for vaginal birth after cesarean section. VBAC could be the new compromise between the two most common methods of birth. In the future, it could very easily be the next popular route for having multiple children. However, there is a challenging debate currently going on among doctors concerning the allowance of a vaginal birth after undergoing a cesarean section at some point in the woman’s life. In fact, “the ‘VBAC ban’ is currently in effect in approximately 30% of all U.S. hospitals (Anderson, 203).  The concern is that the vaginal walls or scar tissue will tear and promote more complications than needed. 

The idea is that after going under the knife once, the uterus becomes too fragile to tolerate a vaginal birth (Meredith, Hugil 1). “Every pregnant woman needs to know that maternity care that “expects trouble” actually creates trouble” (Lothian). It is important to note that “half of the uterine ruptures and 57% of the perinatal deaths occurred among mothers who had more than one previous cesarean or who were 42 weeks or greater in gestational age” (Anderson, 206). However, there are some pros to VBAC, in fact, most doctors will allow for VBAC to occur as long as there are no serious scarring issues. As surgical procedures have progressed, so has knowledge of the unknown. Doctors have found that cutting the abdomen vertically increases the likelihood for the scar to rupture and cause complications, however, cutting horizontally and lower on the abdomen decreases the chances of the scarring to rupture and also allows the scarring to heal faster (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC), YouTube). It is interesting to note that with each cesarean section, comes more complications with each one following, however, after each vaginal delivery, the birth becomes simpler and simpler. If a mother is trying to deliver vaginally after a cesarean section, but is not progressing and effecting the baby’s condition, then it may result in another cesarean section. Another reason a mother may have to have another cesarean section is if the baby gets stuck or not positioned right because this could lead to the previous scar tearing. Next, VBAC allows for a change in scenery in the woman’s perception of childbirth (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC), YouTube). Not many people enjoy the atmosphere of a surgical operating room, which is why a lot of women opt to deliver vaginally after experiencing childbirth in a cold, sterile, uninviting environment. The women from the YouTube video Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) tells her story about the difference in atmospheres from cesarean section to a vaginal birth. Her first birth was a cesarean section; in which she did not have the opportunity to have skin-to-skin contact with her baby or breastfeed immediately after birth. Although, her natural delivery experience was a full 180-degree pivot. She talks about how it felt more of what she imagined giving birth would be like. Her midwife offered for her to take a bath immediately following birth, which the woman said was a lovely idea. She compares the two with the story of bathing. When she had her cesarean section, her own mother had to bathe her when she returned from the hospital because of her lack of mobility, however, when she delivered vaginally, immediately following birth, she was able to take a water bath with her baby. 

VBAC is still heavy in the research, however, the idea of it is on the rise, “The VBAC rate is between 2.5% and 20.9%” (Anderson 206). A lot of woman are sharing their success stories about their experiences with vaginal birth after cesarean section (much like on Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC), YouTube). Clinics have been formed in efforts to support women who choose to have a VBAC. 

It is surprising how many women do not know their options for childbirth. Many just assume what they have heard from the past and accept it when in reality there could be a better option on the table for them. There is a cost that comes from not being informed. The mother and baby will suffer because of the risk that the mother takes. The mother could damage her own body or risk another tear if she is not informed of her best delivery options regarding her past health records. The baby may not respond to the process of birth properly if the mother decides a method of delivery that could potentially harm the baby during delivery.

 Allowing our world to stay oblivious to the dangers of cesarean sections and VBAC is the most alarming threat to our society’s progression and future. One step that our medical field alone can take is making sure to lay out all of the facts before allowing a pregnant woman to go into labor unaware of her options. Just by taking the time to sit down and inform her of the pros and cons, can save a baby’s life. From my personal experience, I have noticed that a lot of doctors seem to have this impatient urge to flutter from room to room to get their jobs done quickly, but they seem to miss the effectively portion of their career, which is the most crucial part. Informing the mothers of their options for delivery is the most critical part of a OB doctor’s job. It is important to make sure that the patients understand all of the delivery options and medical procedures that they are going to go through, even when they do not ask questions. Chances are, they do not know which questions to ask. Each patient is their own unique case. We have to trust that our medical professionals will interpret case-by-case situations, instead of grouping the general public into three distinct categories. 

It is important to note that just because vaginal delivery and cesarean sections are the two most common and well-known methods of delivery, it does not make it conclusive to any other options. Finding what works best for your case is what matters in the end. Delivering a baby is the end goal, not sticking to the books. If a mother has to change her preferred method of delivery to save her baby’s life, then she needs to be aware of all of her options so she can decide in a moment’s notice. “If a mother cannot control what kind of birth she ultimately will have, she should at least be able voice her desire about her birth experience” (Anderson 212). 
