Vaginal Birth

In most cases, vaginal births are the best choice for the baby and mother. However, with cesarean rates over 25%, more women have to work for their vaginal births.

How do I Ensure a Vaginal Birth?

You cannot absolutely ensure a vaginal birth. Childbirth is complicated and you cannot plan your birth perfectly. You also need to remember cesarean births have saved the lives of countless mothers and babies. However, there are some things you can do to increase your chances of having a vaginal birth.

Avoid Pain Medicine

Many birthing experts feel that epidurals lead to cesareans. Once numb, mothers cannot get into positions that facilitate the downard movement of the baby. In addition, epidurals can slow labor. For many women, this is not a problem unless their membranes have ruptured. Many facilities require you to deliver within 12 to 24 hours after membranes are ruptured.

Epidurals also can lengthen the pushing time. If mothers are numb, they may have difficulty pushing effectively. Mothers having difficulty delivering their babies may need a cesarean.

With comfort techniques and a knowledgeable birthing team, it is very possible to have a drug-free birth.

Minimize Interventions

Try to minimize the need for interventions like an amniotomy (artificially rupturing the bag of waters), continuous fetal monitoring, and internal monitoring. Interventions can end in needing a cesarean.

Avoid Unnecessary Inductions

Inductions can be very necessary if you or your baby is sick. However, inductions force your body to do something it is not ready to do. If your body is not ready for birth, you may not have a successful induction and need a cesarean. In addition, many experts feel inductions are harder than regular labor. With inductions, you may need pain medicine and other interventions to help you through it.

Because of the possible risk, inductions should never be performed for convenience.

Hire a Doula

Statistics show that hiring a doula decreases the need for cesareans. Having a knowledgeable woman who can offer birthing knowledge, position options, and comfort techniques as well as emotional and physical support decreases the need for the interventions that can lead to c-sections.

Talk to your Care Provider

If you have a midwife or are aiming for a home birth, your chances of needing a cesarean are less. However, if you are delivering in a hospital, you should ask your doctor the following questions:

• Are you classified as a high risk birth?
• At what point does your doctor perform a cesarean?
• How long will your doctor let you push?
• How long will your doctor let you labor with your membranes ruptured?
• What are your doctor’s cesarean rates?
• What are the hospital’s cesarean rates?
• What are your doctor’s views on minimizing interventions? Are there interventions your doctor feels are necessary?

What if I Want a Cesarean?

You should be allowed to have the birth that you want, even if it is a cesarean. However, you should be fully aware of what to expect from a cesarean. Learn as much as you can about the recovery time and risks to you and your baby before making this decision.

You should also look at why you want a cesarean. If you are afraid of labor and childbirth, you may want to explore these feelings. Ask yourself the following:

• What is it about childbirth that frightens you?
• Are you afraid of the potential pain?
• What stories have you heard about childbirth?
• Have you ever heard a positive story about childbirth? About a birth that was not painful, but empowering?
• Are you afraid of damage to your vagina and perineum?
• Are you afraid of losing control?
• Are you afraid of your partner seeing your loss of control?
• Are you afraid of the hospital, doctors, nurses, or medical technology?

Every woman is nervous and afraid when going into childbirth. Talk your feelings over with your doctor, midwife, doula, a supportive friend, or a close family member. Finally, try to read books about positive birth experiences such as Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin or Birthing from Within by Pam England.

• Winter Maternity Clothing
• Maternity Polo Shirts
• Summer Maternity Fashion
• Gender Selection and Conception
• Conception Myths

• How Soon Can I Take a Pregnancy Test
• Natural Ways to Induce Labor
• How to Conceive a Boy
• How to Conceive a Girl
• Early Pregnancy Symptoms

• Birth Plan
• Things to Ask Your Doctor about VBAC
• C-sections (Cesarean sections)
• Home Birth
• Giving Birth