Normal pregnancy or normal childbirth is the process of giving birth to the child through the vagina without any surgical intervention. This natural way is undoubtedly the best way to give birth to a child, but as the Cesarean is introduced to the world, people often choose it without any valid reason. While it’s also a way to give birth to a child, choosing the natural method is best in most cases. And to concrete this statement, let’s discover the nine advantages of vaginal delivery in this article.
1) Absorption of Necessary Bacteria
You may have heard a lot about good bacteria. Usually, this term is used for the bacteria present in our gut, which helps in healthy digestion and absorption of food. Similarly, when a baby has to come to this new world, many bacteria are essential for the baby’s health and survival. These bacteria are mostly present in the birth canal. So when a mother gives birth to the baby through natural delivery, the baby comes out while absorbing these bacteria. They help strengthen the offspring’s immune system, which is much needed for a newborn baby.
2) Reduced Risk of Breathing Issues
One of the main benefits of natural birth is that it significantly reduces the risk of breathing issues in a newborn. Breathing issues have become quite common nowadays in C-section delivery. The reason is that a necessary step gets eliminated in the C section, which is the natural clearance of amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid is present in the lungs of the newborn, which can cause respiratory problems if not extracted. In natural delivery, the baby travels out from a very narrow canal, which naturally squeezes the amniotic fluid out of the baby’s lungs.
3) Early Breastfeeding
What should be the first meal for a newborn baby? Of course, the mother’s breast milk. However, with the C-section delivery, mostly it takes a longer time before the mother gets to hold her baby and breastfeed. But it is one of the pros of natural birth that the mother can instantly get her baby in her hands and breastfeed. Not only does it strengthen the emotional bond between the mother and the child, but it also helps the baby get the diet that is naturally made for it.
4) Non-Surgical Process
No matter what, going through surgery is not a natural process at all. There’s no doubt that surgeries are being used to save many lives daily, but in the case of childbirth, going with surgery can be complicated. So, when a natural way already exists to give birth to your baby, choosing surgery may not be a wiser option until suggested by the doctor. It requires creating a way out for the baby, which is not natural and leads to missing out on many important steps. Also, it can be risky for the mother if she chooses natural birth for the second child after giving birth to the first one through cesarean.
5) Facilitates Faster Recovery
Now, as we just mentioned, recovery on C-section takes more time, which is obvious because the mother has to go through the recovery of cuts made to get the baby out. On the other hand, vaginal birth doesn’t require making any manual cuts by the doctor as the baby comes out through the naturally existing passage. Hence, recovery takes less time and remains less painful. The mother can also resume her regular lifestyle sooner.
6) Psychological Upliftment
Women who are able to deliver babies through vaginal birth feel a sense of accomplishment. This as a result boosts their self-esteem and reduces anxiety. On the other hand, anxiety and depression normally develop in women giving birth through C-section, as they are concerned about their body form and related repercussions of the operation, in the longer run. Such mental disorders can also lead to the requirement of individual psychotherapy for a woman.
7) Eliminates Risk for the Next Delivery
Planning for another baby in India is not uncommon. Most parents plan for their next child soon. But it’s really important that the mother’s womb remains risk-free for the child. Natural birth is best if you do not want to pose any potential risk for your next baby. On the other hand, cesarean sections can be harmful to the next baby. In simple words, natural birth leaves no potential risk for the next pregnancy, while a C-section can cause complications during future pregnancy and childbirth.
8) Reduced Risk of Infertility
One of the main reasons why couples often try to conceive their second or third child early is the fear of infertility. However, infertility has its own set of reasons that can cause it. But you can absolutely decrease the risk of infertility by choosing natural birth over c-section. It helps to keep the reproductive health of the mother good even after childbirth. That’s why natural birth is one of the long-term benefits. So, if you want to conceive a second child, then choosing natural birth is the best option.
Consult Dr Swati Attam an infertility specialist in Noida for personalized guidance and support.
9) Feeling of Achievement
Many moms feel a deep sense of accomplishment and empowerment after giving birth naturally. Giving birth naturally is like completing a marathon. It’s a challenging journey that requires strength, endurance, and determination. When moms go through labor and delivery without medical interventions, they often feel proud of what their bodies have accomplished.
In simple terms, a cesarean can leave the mother with many doubts that can affect her mental health apart from the other complications.
10) Financial Benefit
Apart from these benefits of vaginal birth, there’s another type of benefit, which is the financial benefit. Planning for childbirth also requires funds for hospitalization, regular checkups, delivery of the baby and beyond. However, with vaginal birth, you can significantly reduce the cost of childbirth. There are actually two financial advantages of natural birth. Firstly, the cost of a natural birth is less than a cesarean. Secondly, the other related costs are also reduced or eliminated in the case of natural birth. For example, the post-delivery recovery takes a longer time in the case of cesarean, hence requiring more money to be spent. Similarly, if the child or mother requires extra attention due to any complications, the chances of which are higher in cesarean, it also increases the cost.
We have written a detailed guide on the normal delivery where we covered the Prenatal care role, Superfoods, Exercises, Cost, etc. Feel free to checkout.
Final Verdict
In conclusion, these are the benefits or the pros of natural childbirth that make it the best option to choose. However, that doesn’t mean that cesarean is not a good way to give birth. The better statement would be that you should choose cesarean only if the doctor recommends it. The reason is that cesarean is used to eliminate the risk during delivery in some cases. So, normalizing it is not good. Also, to reduce the chances of cesarean, you should do exercises and take a good pregnancy diet. It will help in maintaining the baby’s health and comfort in the womb