Vaginal Birth Vs C Section

If you re pregnant again and your last baby arrived via cesarean section you may wonder if a vaginal birth could be an option for you this time around.

Vaginal birth vs c section. This is referred to as a vaginal birth after c section or vbac. Birth is a normal physiological process. According to the centers for disease control and prevention cdc only 13 percent of women who have had a previous c section will attempt a vbac.

Cesarean births can be scheduled in advance. Since they avoid major surgery the potential effects that can occur with a surgery such as severe bleeding scarring infection reactions and pain are not an issue. Compared with having another c section a vaginal delivery involves no surgery none of the possible complications of surgery a shorter hospital stay and a quicker return to normal daily activities.

An advantage to a vaginal delivery is that the recovery and the hospital stay after a vaginal birth is typically shorter than after a c section. There are certainly times when a cesarean birth can promote the safest outcomes for mom and baby yet research suggests that it s use is not always medically indicated 2. With that in mind it s important to step back and evaluate the impact that a c section vs vaginal birth can have on moms and babies.

You lose a lot more blood during a c section than during a vaginal delivery so the chances of hemorrhage are higher. In general a c section is a surgical procedure that takes about 45 minutes whereas a vaginal birth can take hours. The child will feel less pain in c sections as compared to vaginal deliveries.

A vaginal birth after c section vbac is. In such cases where there is any danger for the mother or the baby due to any medical condition c section is a safer option than the vaginal delivery. Vbac might also be appealing if you want to experience vaginal childbirth.

For a vaginal birth the hospital stay is typically 24 to 48 hours. And as with any surgery there s a risk of infection and blood clots. Cesarean birth is quite different from a vaginal delivery.