Are you expecting a baby and trying to decide what is the best method to bring your child into the world? Women’s Care of Bradenton strongly recommends that expectant mothers consider natural childbirth first before turning to a caesarean section, epidural, or other medicated birthing procedure.
So, why is natural birth better, and what are the pros and cons that should be considered? Take a look at the following natural birth benefits to get a better understanding of this topic.
The Benefits of Natural Childbirth Start With the Expectant Mother
First, women who deliver their babies without medication are typically more in tune with their bodies and with the experience. Yes, they feel the pain, but they are also normally more awake and alert throughout the process. As a result, these moms are better able to ensure that this special moment is something that they will never forget.
Women who successfully deliver their baby naturally feel a strong sense of accomplishment afterward. They have endured the pain and challenges of childbirth without the assistance of medication. This experience often increases a mother’s confidence in her own willpower and abilities after the delivery.
Many of our patients who go through natural delivery in Bradenton with us, report that they and their babies are more alert after the labor is over. This state of mindfulness often allows them to get up and move around sooner than those mothers who needed an epidural. Increased movement after birth may help speed up your recovery. Getting up within a few hours of giving birth helps to reduce the edema, or swelling, that many women experience in their thighs, ankles, and feet during their pregnancy.
In contrast, these symptoms are often more severe and continue to linger in women who are unable to achieve natural childbirth. This situation arises because women who take anesthetics also need to receive additional intravenous liquids. It can take several weeks for this fluid to drain and leave your body after giving birth.
Natural Childbirth Is Better for the Baby
As a caring expectant mother, your first question is likely, “Is natural birth better for my baby?” You’ll be glad to know that natural birth benefits the baby, too. When you are injected with an epidural, spinal tap, or other pain-dulling medication, then your baby is typically sleepier after being born. This drowsiness can impact its desire and ability to successfully latch and breastfeed with you.
It is true that babies can successfully learn to breastfeed over the first few days and weeks of life, even if they do not latch after birth. However, the hours immediately after birth are the time when both you and your baby are more likely to achieve a good latch on your nipple.
Natural childbirth is also better because your body is more sensitive to prolactin in the minutes and hours after giving birth. Prolactin is the hormone that tells your body to produce colostrum for your baby. Colostrum, the first liquid that your mammary glands produce, is full of your own antibodies. These antibodies are critical for establishing and supporting your baby’s immune system after leaving your womb.
The oxytocin hormone that your body releases to stimulate contractions may also help protect your baby’s brain during birth and then stimulate its development after the baby is born. These hormones are not produced during a caesarean section delivery, which means that your baby would lose out on this key advantage.
Avoid the Potential Negative Side Effects of Pain Medication by Choosing Natural Childbirth
An epidural or other medicated procedure during labor can cause your blood pressure to decrease. You may need to have additional fluids to counter this effect, which can increase the likelihood that you’ll experience swelling after giving birth. In addition, because the epidural dulls the nerves in the lower half of your body, you can potentially lose control of your bladder.
Similarly, your risk for a perineum tear significantly increases with an epidural. The perineum is the patch of skin between your anus and your vulva. This issue is more likely with an epidural because you are desensitized to your body’s cues while you are medicated and may “overpush” during delivery.
An epidural or spinal block can also have other, less severe, impacts on your body. For instance, you may develop a headache or nausea after receiving the medication. Some women report itchiness after the injection. Doctors often use medical tape to ensure that the epidural remains in place throughout the labor and delivery of the baby. If you have an allergy to adhesives or medical tape, this itchiness could turn into a more significant skin rash that you will have to treat.
One of the main benefits of natural childbirth is that you may be able to avoid all of these potential negative side effects. Even minor issues can affect the birthing process and impact your recovery time, which, ultimately, impacts the early experience with your new baby.
Are There Additional Other Pros and Cons of Natural Birth Methods?
Yes, some of the additional pros are that you may experience shorter total labor with natural childbirth than with other methods. The pain-reducing agents in the epidural can also negatively impact your body’s ability to produce oxytocin, which is the chemical that helps to induce contractions.
Less oxytocin in your blood combined with dulled senses means that you have fewer and/or less intense contractions over time. Without these sensations, you may be less aware of your body’s natural rhythm during labor. Essentially, you could miss critical “push” signals and delay the baby’s arrival as a result.
One potential con of natural childbirth is that many obstetricians only allow women to be in labor for 24 hours. Risks of infection to you and to the baby go up significantly if the total labor time exceeds 24 hours.
Ultimately, your doctor may recommend an emergency caesarean section in the interest of safety for you and the baby. In that case, you would have endured the labor pains while still needing to ultimately take pain medication. This result might be very upsetting and concerning after everything that you would have endured up to that point.
Women’s Care of Bradenton
Choosing the best method of labor and delivery for your precious bundle of joy can be a daunting endeavor. Hopefully, we have helped to answer some of your most critical questions. However, everyone’s situation is unique. The “right” answer for someone else may not be what is best for you and your baby.
Our goal is to ensure that you have all of the information that you need to make the best decision for you and your little one. If you do have additional questions, please feel free to call us. Our team of experienced health care professionals would be happy to meet and talk with you about any other specific concerns you may have.