Why vaginal birth?

[SantaSusan]

Inspired by another thread. I'm really interested to understand the reasons for most women opting for a vaginal birth.

Disclaimer: I really, really want this thread to be a nice discussion to share views. I'd hate for this to descend into a judgy or unkind thread! Obviously, however anyone chooses to give birth is their choice alone. And as long as your precious little bundle arrives safely at the end, then who cares how they got there!?

I ended up with an elective. I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd have anything but a vaginal birth. However, for reasons I won't go into, it was decided during my pregnancy that a c section would probably be the best option for me. Everyone I spoke to absolutely loved their c section experience, and 99% of the comments online were so positive, so I wasn't worried about it at all once it was decided upon.

I had absolutely no pain during my c section or during recovery. I breastfed right away. I was up and about pretty much immediately. This seems to be the experience of most women who've had elcs. I would have an elective section again and again. If I'm lucky enough to have another baby, it'll be another section.

As such, I often wonder why more women don't choose to have their babies this way. It's so common in other countries. I think there's a lot of misinformation around c sections. The risks are also lumped in with those of emergency c sections, so electives are often painted to be riskler than they actually are.

You often hear people saying it's major abdominal surgery' in quite a judgemental way, which of course it is. But as far as surgical procedures go, it's generally very straightforward and in most cases, is easy to recover from.

I also repeatedly hear that vaginal is best as it's the most natural. But just because something is the 'natural' way to do something, doesn't necessarily mean it's the best. There's lots of things we do now with technology and with medicine that isn't the 'natural' way, and nobody bats an eyelid.

I can't quite put my finger on why I was so opposed to c sections previously. It's like it was subconsciously ingrained in me for no reason other than popular rhetoric. Which is why I'd be interested to hear why others decided a vaginal birth was best for them? Or why others knew they wanted an elcs? Has your subsequent birthing experience changed your minds at all?

No but it can apparently afford pushing women into having vaginal births that are dangerous or not ideal, and having the mum or baby (or both) die from that.

I suppose dead people are in fact cheaper.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/mar/26/shropshire-maternity-scandal-300-babies-died-or-left-brain-damaged-says-report

Because my Labour progressed and there was no reason to not have a VB. my friend had C section-there are pros and cons to each but I liked to be up and about. I’ve heard a VB seeds the baby’s microbiome bit I’ve no idea if that’s accurate. Tbh, there’s recovery time in different ways from both-so if you’ve got a healthy baby and you e come through unscathed, can’t see the big deal.

@Snowdogsmitten no need for the snippy answer. It was a genuine question and a few of us have asked it, as that was definitely not the case 8-10 years ago.

In the UK not sure there is much choice unless you go private; if not issues you will have a vaginal birth. I had 2 and not epidural for me just gas an air.

I prefer natural and not surgery; also read that kids born through cesarea are less independent and always want a bit more help with everything (probably rubbish) but have met a few ones where is true.

I had an emergency C- section and have had complications despite things going well at the time. From speaking to the Consultants there is a link with sections and back pain/injury which may become chronic. Also I had more down time than a vagina birth.

there is a link with c-sections and not being able to breastfeed as the milk production may not kick in. Being able to breast feed straight after is statistically the less common outcome. But I think if you labour and then end up with a section then your body has more of a chance.

it is major surgery even if it goes well but I think the potential problems you could have during C section are more high risk eg blood loss could be more because you’re being operated on etc.

I think vaginal but with epidural is the way to go. I laboured before my section and ended up having an epidural. It was fab. But if I knew there was a big tear risk I’d have a c section as the recovery from a 3rd or 4th degree tear is worse than a section.

I think what this comes down to is we are all individuals and one decision will be better for one person but not necessarily another. My body cannot deliver vaginally, it just can't contract effectively. Dd is left with life long scarring on her forehead from forceps and I still needed an EMCS. If I'd have been properly informed about the risks of forceps I'd have never agreed. I was told after the surgery that I'd never be able to VB.

I was however able to breastfeed without any issues and did so till DD was nearly 3. I found that experience so rewarding and am so proud of my achievement of never having to use formula once. I even went back to work when DD was 6 months and produced enough milk to pump.

Our bodies are not built the same, I could do something so rewarding that other women will never be able to experience, but equally other women will be able to experience VB which I will never experience. And they should be able to of they want to and gain that positivity from it.

I think you’ll get hundreds of responses from each poster but it depends entirely on your experience. I had 2 easy labours (4hr30 - 2.5 hours contractions and 2 hours pushing - with my first, and 4 hours - 3.75 hours contractions and 15 mins pushing (if that) with my second). Had pethidine with my first and just gas and air with my second. Both times had a second degree tear which didn’t bother me at all, and was at most slightly uncomfortable on about day 5. Was discharged same day with both, up and about straightaway and out for lunch 2 days later. I was very lucky (because let’s face it, that’s all it really boils down to) and so based on my experiences an elective would have been far more faff. Someone with a far more difficult VB would likely think much more different, and IME people who elect because they’re anxious about VB don’t hear many stories like mine (which was typical of my friendship groups experiences) but only hear more traumatic stories

Wanted to see what it felt like!

It's better for the baby as they pick up helpful bacteria in the birth canal as they are born which helps their immune systems.

They now smear babies with vaginal secretions, if they are born by a C-section.

the recovery from my vaginal birth was horrendous. Episiotomy stitches, infections, pelvic floor issues. If I have another I’ll be aiming for an elective c section.

Because I wanted to, it felt natural. Recovery was quick and I didn't want to have major abdominal surgery x

I had am emergency c section with my first and due to a high chance of needing another one I had an elective c section for my second.

of course I looked into all the risks and benefits of both options and the only thing that would have encouraged me to try for a VBAC was that the risks go up the more c sections you have. Lucky for me I was absolutely certain I didn’t want any more children so didn’t consider it an issue,

My elective was shit and the recovery was slowwwwww… it was more predictable than my vaginal though.

I gave birth vaginally the first time because I was naive and didn't realise how painful it would be. The second time I did it because I was stubborn and knew I'd done it before so could do it again. In hindsight these decisions were irrational but they made sense to me at the time!

I was sort of in the mindset that birth is a physiological process that is unnecessarily medicalised. I had to have a c section first time round because I had major placenta previa. I tried last year for a VBAC with my son but he was in the wrong position. After 14 hours of labour I had another c section and had 3 separate infections in my wound, including the stitching bursting open on one side.

This is not typical though and I understand some people really enjoy their c section experience. I hate that my births were so medicalised but who knows, I may have felt differently if I’d had a vaginal birth and complications with that also.

I suppose whatever feels good for the individual is the right choice providing it is safe and that person is well informed!

I had an emergency C section and was blue lighted from a cottage hospital to a general, for my first child. As it was baby distress, I was offered the choice with my 2nd and went for a vaginal delivery as I couldn’t imagine having to recover from a c with a new born and a child under 2. It what works for you and your family.

TTC and its tricky to make this choice though granted there are so many variables which could push me towards one or the other that I just won’t know until nearer the time

It seems vaginal is the best option of all, if it’s straightforward. But you have no way of knowing - it’s the flip of a dice, the first time around especially. It’s whether you want to gamble I guess! Like deal or no deal, a c section is basically accepting the banker’s lower offer of £15k when you might either win 10p or 250k if you continue to play the game… 😂

It’s better for the baby. And I wanted to have the experience of doing what my body was made to do.

I had two amazing vaginal water births that were the most wonderful experiences of my life. I can’t really brag IRL as it sounds so smug but honestly they were what you would dream of - fast labours (3 hrs then 1.5 hrs), manageable contractions, involuntary pushing stage that took few mins, babies born in the water then immediate skin to skin, breastfeeding in the first hour and I was up and about immediately with no issues.

I feel absolutely mad lucky and obviously you can’t know that’s how things will turn out, so I get why people choose ELCs.

lots Of reasons mainly
i wanted to
i wanted to experience natural birth
i I wanted the benefit of the natural hormone shift and the microbiome
i wanted to do the thing that all the women before me in my lineage had done
i wanted to be at home and non medicalised
it felt right
i wanted it to be on my terms/schedule not a list/hospital time.
the stats say it’s safer and less damage if less intervention as possible (in low risk scenarios).

I didn’t want a C-section for the reasons outlined in this 2018 article in the Lancet:

“The prevalence of maternal mortality and maternal morbidity is higher after CS than after vaginal birth. CS is associated with an increased risk of uterine rupture, abnormal placentation, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, and preterm birth, and these risks increase in a dose–response manner. There is emerging evidence that babies born by CS have different hormonal, physical, bacterial, and medical exposures, and that these exposures can subtly alter neonatal physiology. Short-term risks of CS include altered immune development, an increased likelihood of allergy, atopy, and asthma, and reduced intestinal gut microbiome diversity.”

This does NOT invalidate an individual’s informed choice to have a C-section. And it does not mean that any of these things will happen to you. You should be able to choose a CS and be supported in that choice. But you should also be able to make an informed choice knowing the population level risks outlined above.

I ended up with an emergency CS with my second. I know you said you weren’t talking about emergencies but they still matter. I nearly bled out and was within a whisker of a hysterectomy. I had a b lynch suture and can’t remember anything from the point of my baby being placed on my chest until I came to in recovery.

I now have an apron belly that I didn’t have before - it’s not just pregnancy weight, the surgery changed the shape of my lower abdomen slightly. I also have an area of numbness around the scar that itches if anything rubs against it and I’ve been told that may never go away. I now wear granny pants every day!

My first birth was a vaginal delivery, via induction, which was mismanaged and went wrong, with my eldest being born blue. I had to have manual removal of the placenta, and lost a lot of blood, and the birth left me with lifelong issues in my pelvic area- prolapse, nerve pain, as well as other issues. I have had 2 c sections since then, both elective, the first was a dream and a perfect recovery, the second I ended up in the High Dependency Unit for a week, but both babies were healthy and I have had no long term problems from either of those births. I think there is a lot to be said for a straightforward VB, and I know a few women who had striaghtforward B's with no interventions beyond painkillers, however if I knew then what I know now, I would have pushed to have a CS rather than induction with my first. But, hindsight is 50/50!

Goady post is goady. Even with the million doth protest too much disclaimers and posts ripe for an insertion of a head tilt and tinkly laugh. We see you.

This. Very well said. My body was not built to give birth vaginally either. We are not all made the same. I recovered perfectly after all 4 sections and bounced back very fast. That said people can suffer terribly after a section OR a natural delivery as this thread shows. There is no one way better than the other, there is only what’s best for the mother and the child.

@Grinchinlaws That sounds amazing, it’s lovely to hear someone say how positively they feel about their births.

It's the biological norm and also of you have any existing problems like endo or adeno a c section can worsen this