Unless a medical emergency requires a C-section delivery, women can choose from a natural, medicated or water birth.
Childbirth requires careful preparation and a number of decisions. One of the most important decisions is choosing a delivery method. If you're an expecting mother, you have a variety of delivery options beyond natural childbirth. Exploring all forms of childbirth helps you make an educated decision about which type is right for you.
Natural Childbirth
In natural childbirth delivery, expecting mothers give birth without the relief of pain medications. According to Family Education, part of the Family Education Network, many women feel an empowering and satisfying sense of accomplishment after a natural birth. However, expecting mothers should carefully consider whether or not to have a natural birth, as the experience may be traumatizing without proper preparation. During pregnancy, expecting mothers usually prepare for a natural birth by attending childbirth classes that teach a variety of coping techniques, such as breathing exercises, visualization and even hypnosis. Women can also hire a midwife or doula who will help reduce anxiety, fear and stress during labor by providing emotional support and by keeping "Mom" as comfortable as possible. During labor, receiving a massage may help an expecting mother relax while soothing muscles and reducing pain.
According to Babycenter.com, some women also find that hot and cold therapy, such as placing a warm or cold compress on any areas of discomfort or alternating between the two, helps them to relax while also reducing labor pain. Finally, without pain medication, expecting mothers can move more freely during labor and delivery, allowing them to find the delivery position that is most comfortable and least painful for them.
Medicated Childbirth
If the pain of a natural childbirth seems too traumatizing, a medicated birth may be the best option. In a medicated birth, women receive pain medication that relieves or eliminates the pain of labor and delivery. Your doctor can help you choose the right kind of pain medication from a variety of analgesics and anesthetics. Analgesics are medications that relieve pain. Doctors administer analgesics, usually Demerol, through an IV drip during labor. Anesthetics, also called nerve blocks, produce a loss of sensation by blocking the nerves that carry feelings of pain to the brain. The most commonly used anesthetics are the epidural, pudendal and spinal.
An epidural numbs the sensory nerves from the waist down while still allowing for muscle movement. Doctors insert an epidural block through a needle between the vertebrae in the lower back after labor begins. However, an epidural takes up to 30 minutes to take effect. The pudendal, inserted through a needle into the vaginal area, numbs only a small vaginal area but does not relieve contraction pain. The spinal block numbs the body from the waist down but does not allow for muscle movement in the legs or abdomen. Doctors administer a spinal block through a needle between the vertebrae in the lower back just before delivery. A spinal block is more commonly used in cesarean deliveries.
Water Childbirth
Water birth delivery, in which the expecting mother gives birth in a tub or small pool of warm water, became increasingly popular in the 1990s and early 2000s because of its numerous benefits for both mother and baby. According to the American Pregnancy Association, a water birth can be less stressful for the mother as the warm water provides a comfortable, relaxed environment, increases her energy and provides a feeling of privacy to help her let go of fear and anxiety. The warm water also relaxes and increases the elasticity of the perineum, reducing tearing and the need for stitches. The buoyancy of the water allows for more movement and reduces pain as it allows for more efficient contractions and improves blood circulation. A water birth can also be gentler and less stressful for babies because the environment is similar to the amniotic sac they have lived in for the past nine months. To prepare for a water birth, see if your doctor has the proper equipment or if he or she can refer you to an equipped facility. You should also find out if the hospital you plan to deliver your baby in allows water births. If necessary, you can rent a birthing tub. While a water birth is safe, this method of delivery is not ideal for all women or situations, such as when the baby is breech or if the mother is expecting multiple babies.
Cesarean Childbirth
In a cesarean childbirth, or C-section, the baby is not delivered vaginally but through an incision in the expecting mother's abdomen or uterus. Expecting mothers cannot plan to deliver their baby by C-section just to avoid the pain of labor, as C-sections are performed only when necessary. As major surgery, a C-section comes with the potential for complications, such as greater blood loss and increased anesthetic risk. C-sections also require a prolonged hospital stay, an increased possibility for blood transfusions and a longer recovery. Thus, a C-section is considered only for the following medical reasons or emergencies: when labor fails to progress; if the baby weighs more than 10 lbs; if the baby is in the breech position, or moving feet first down the birth canal rather than head first; if the baby is born earlier than 35 weeks or if the mother has previously delivered a baby by C-section.
