Caesarean birth vs natural birth

Fear seems to be overriding instinctive wisdom when it comes to child birth.

More and more women are electing for Caesarean births with recent data from The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare* showing that one in three mums are choosing to have their babies this way.

This choice generally comes way before the time of labour or any sign of an actual need for a Caesarean birth is identified. Many women are choosing to go Caesarean because they want to have the baby on a certain date, or don’t want to be pregnant for any longer than is needed.

One recent report I read on this topic was that women are choosing Caesarean births because they are fearful: of the pain, of losing their pelvic floor strength, of affecting their sex life.

I believe that this fear factor has a lot to do with the internet and the broad range of information available. It is not difficult to find labour and post-labour horror stories written uncensored on the world wide web. People seem to find it easier to write about the negative birth stories than the positive ones, or we seem to be drawn to the negative more so than the positive and easily believe that the same tragedy will happen to us.

This growing fear of child birth needs to be addressed. Women need to get more in touch with themselves and to trust more in the natural process. And then these women need to share their positive birth stories with others, especially future mums who fear what is a completely natural and instinctive process. Fear will only further complicate a natural birth as the stress hormones which are secreted when we are fearful inhibit the hormones needed for an easy labour.

The benefits of a natural birth far outweigh those of a Caesarean birth. These include a reduced risk of postoperative infections, better and faster recovery, and exposure of the baby to healthy flora for a strong immune system as they pass through the birth canal.

I invite women who have delivered naturally to share their birth stories and encourage women to trust in their woman power and maternal instincts. If you are pregnant, stop reading anonymous stories on the internet (which may not even be written completely truthfully), and instead ask the women around you about their experiences. Replace fear with trust. You may find that it really isn’t all that scary after all.

*Australian Institute of Health & Welfare Media Release: Baby boom slows but more births to older mothers.  Media Release 24 November 2010 http://www.aihw.gov.au/mediacentre/2010/mr20101124.cfm (Accessed 22 February 2011)