by Marta (UAE)

Please could you provide info from the medical perspective which way is the best and the safest way for the baby to come to this world ? Is is c section or natural birth ?

Thank you
Marta

Answer:

Hi Marta,

There is no doubt about it, a c-section can save lives. But right there is the key. It can save lives – in an emergency situation. In general, birth is not an emergency situation.

A c-section is a major surgery. We won't sugar-coat anything. You save yourself and your baby a few hours of labor – and you experience pain for days or weeks afterwards. Your baby misses out on the important “massage” of the passage through the birth canal, which pushes liquid out of the baby's lungs and populates the baby's gut with the flora needed for digestion.

Breastfeeding is harder and more painful for mothers trying to recover from a c-section, which has a direct negative effect on bonding with the baby.

Having said all of that, I will again re-state that there are times when a c-section can save lives. But I firmly believe that those are emergency situations. Well-nourished, skilled mothers give birth to babies vaginally – and mother and baby are both healthy and happy.

You asked for more references, and I respect that. You can read my article on this subject which goes into more detail and links out to further references C-section vs. Vaginal Birth. You can also this article from csections.org, which has extensive references.

If you are worried about labor the best course of action is to become skilled – when you're skilled you know how to work with your baby's efforts to be born. It doesn't matter if you're a first time mom, if you're scared of labor, or even where you'll be giving birth. Birth skills give you the tools you need to work with your body, and with your labor – no matter what the situation is. I highly recommend the Pink Kit for discovering childbirth skills. It's the best out there.