Which is better, caesarean section or natural birth? What is the difference between caesarean section and natural birth?

As soon as expectant mothers find out they are pregnant, they begin to consider how to welcome the arrival of their baby. Natural birth and cesarean section each have their supporters, but which method is most suitable for them and their baby?

Understanding Natural Birth and Caesarean Section

Natural childbirth is the delivery of the fetus through uterine contraction and birth canal squeezing, including auxiliary medical procedures, such as the use of vacuum extraction, forceps, etc., while cesarean section is the delivery of the baby through surgery from the lower abdomen. Xu Shibin, director of Xu Shibin Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, said that natural childbirth is the most suitable way for the human body. It does not require anesthesia and surgery. Although there may be lacerations in the perineum, it recovers quickly and the woman can get out of bed and eat soon.

A cesarean section requires cutting open eight or nine layers of abdominal muscles and then suturing them up, which involves risks of anesthesia and surgery. Currently, both surgical techniques and materials have improved a lot compared to the past. It used to take one or two hours to complete an operation, but now it may only take thirty to forty minutes, which also reduces the risk of complications.

Risks of different production methods

Natural birth

Although natural childbirth has many benefits, many unpredictable situations may occur during the process, such as delayed labor, unstable fetal heartbeat requiring emergency cesarean section, and even placental separation during uterine contraction. If the fetus is large and the mother's pelvis is small, even if the fetus is barely delivered, it is easy to cause serious lacerations. The most serious 4th degree lacerations will tear from the vagina to the anus.

Lacerations may be caused by the following reasons: the fetal head is too large, the mother exerts too much force, the distance from the mother's vagina to the anus is too short, etc. Therefore, the wound will be contaminated by feces, which can easily increase the chance of poor wound healing. Therefore, Dr. Xu Shibin recommends that if a 4th degree laceration really occurs, you must pay attention to wound care.

Caesarean section

During the delivery process, the uterus will slowly contract and squeeze. The fetus is originally soaked in amniotic fluid, relying on the placenta and umbilical cord to transport blood, oxygen, and nutrients. After birth, the remaining amniotic fluid must be vomited out before it can breathe and exchange gases on its own. Director Xu Shibin said that after the compression of the birth canal and the progress of the labor process, the amniotic fluid of the baby born naturally will be vomited out more cleanly, while the fetus must be removed quickly by caesarean section, which may leave more water in its lungs. Therefore, during caesarean section, it is necessary to pay attention to sucking out the baby's amniotic fluid to avoid panting.

In the past, caesarean sections may cause problems such as excessive bleeding and intestinal adhesions. Nowadays, because the operation time is shorter, the amount of bleeding is reduced, and better medical equipment has appeared, such as anti-adhesion patches. Although medicine has advanced, there are still unpredictable risks in surgery and anesthesia. If the mother has experienced multiple caesarean sections, the uterine wall will become thinner, and the operation will be relatively difficult and riskier. However, there are very few people in Taiwan who give birth to more than 5 or 6 children, so the probability of occurrence is not high.