Caesarean Section And Natural Childbirth, Which Is Better? – Being Parents

As the birth approaches, you wonder what to choose between cesarean section and natural childbirth. Many women prefer, sometimes out of fear, to perform a Caesarean section.

However,  childbirth should be seen as a physiological process in which intervention is only necessary to correct a situation that is deviating from normal. 

A cesarean is an operation and, like any surgery, it requires a recovery phase and special care. You will therefore need attention after the operation and the wound will be painful.

On the contrary, giving birth naturally will allow you to have an immediate recovery and be ready for your baby.

In all cases, make sure that the people attending your birth foster a climate of trust, security and intimacy,  while respecting your privacy, dignity and confidentiality. This will help you get through this stage in the best possible way.

Information is essential to choose between cesarean section and childbirth

It is essential that you and your family are aware of the particular period you are going through, that  they are involved in the care you receive and participate actively during the birth.

Ideally, early in pregnancy, you and your partner should have information about the physiological process of motherhood  and the natural capacity that women develop to give birth.

To do this, it is necessary to contact health centers  and consult the advice of several doctors.

This will help you avoid uncertainties and fears and will promote a satisfying pregnancy experience  and a referral to a traditional childbirth.

Stay awake and be ready

There is another important point:  during childbirth you will be aware of what is going on around you because you will be awake and not anesthetized as normally happens with cesarean sections. 

You will be able to see your baby when he comes out of your tummy and hold him in your arms right away.

During labor, you have the opportunity to have people support you throughout the process without interruption. Ideally, this person you have chosen freely should be with you from the early stages of this process.

Cesarean section as an option

The idea is not to demonize Caesarean sections. You should only think of it as an alternative  used to correct  circumstances or conditions that are unfavorable to natural childbirth or that endanger your health or that of your baby.

The World Health Organization (WHO) includes the cesarean section rate  as an indicator of the quality of maternal and perinatal care. In its 1985 recommendations, it reported a 15% caesarean section rate for all deliveries as a quality criterion, based on the number of women expected to have life-threatening complications during childbirth .

The incidence of cesarean sections in Spain and other European countries is above these values  and is gradually increasing.

New factors could be linked to this increase, such as the increase in the age of mothers,  multiple births, claims by women and claims of suspected malpractice.

All of these reasons are valid and  the ideal is that, like any event in your life, the choice between cesarean section and childbirth and therefore how you are going to deliver your child is a conscious decision,  tailored to your needs and taken with the utmost care.

The information will shatter unfounded myths and fears. Here are some tips from a manual called Mindfulness Strategies in Normal Childbirth. These recommendations apply to everyone:

• Learn to recognize the signs of real labor in childbirth to reduce the number of visits.
• Give the pregnant woman the opportunity to wander and choose to adopt her position according to her needs and preferences.
• Allow the ingestion of food, mainly liquid, according to the needs of the woman.
• Promote a friendly environment (natural, architectural and psychosocial) that promotes a childbirth experience in the best conditions.
• Monitor and control the well-being of the fetus in accordance with WHO recommendations.