Normal delivery or cesarean section
As you know, all over the world, there are two ways to get babies out of the womb: natural childbirth and caesarean section.
Due to the risks of unnecessary cesarean section and the recommendation of the World Health Organization, a maximum of 10 to 15% of deliveries should be performed by cesarean section.
However, since 1881, when the world’s first cesarean section was performed in Germany, the popularity of cesarean section among pregnant women has increased significantly.
More than 25% of pregnancies in Asia, Europe and South America now end in cesarean section.
Also, about 40 to 60 percent of deliveries in Iran are performed by cesarean section, which in this regard, our country is ranked second among countries in the world, shortly after Brazil.
Some disadvantages of cesarean section compared to natural childbirth are:
The mortality rate of pregnant women undergoing cesarean section is about 4 times higher. (Ie 13 out of every 100,000 pregnant mothers in developed countries)
Postoperative complications are more common in cesarean section.
• The recovery period of cesarean section is longer.
Postpartum depression is more common in women who have a cesarean section.
Women who have had a pregnancy by cesarean section are at greater risk for their second pregnancy.
Cesarean section before medically 39 weeks of pregnancy can increase the risk of fetal death in cases that are not medically not recommended.
Some of the advantages of cesarean section over natural childbirth are:
• In some special cases (mentioned below) it is better to have a cesarean section on the advice of a doctor, because a normal delivery can be dangerous.
• The pain of a normal birth is much greater.
• In a normal delivery there is a risk of injury to the pelvic floor.
• In a normal birth, sexual issues between the couple are overshadowed for a while.
Consulting a doctor or midwife and attending training classes for pregnant women can greatly reduce the fear of natural childbirth.
However, as mentioned, in some cases, it is better to have a cesarean section.
These conditions are called medical cesarean section and its cases are:
• Multiple pregnancies
• The fetus is macrosomic or very large
• Maternal illness (such as diabetes, heart disease or…)
• Infant diseases
• Breech baby position (conditions in which the baby enters the birth canal with the foot and not with the head) or other types of abnormal baby position in the last days
Defects in the placenta or umbilical cord
• Decreased oxygen delivery to the baby during delivery
• In cases of delayed delivery
• Previous cesarean section (in some cases cesarean section is recommended for the second delivery)