NATURAL DELIVERY - Better birth.
Many moms are opting for elective Caesars in the belief that it's a less traumatic
way of bringing baby into the world. Instead of being pushed and squeezed through
her mother's pelvis, baby is simply lifted out. The bonus for mom is that she
knows what date and time baby will arrive, and her pelvic floor muscles are
left intact.
Despite this growing trend, research shows that, provided there are no complications,
giving birth as nature intended is better for baby's physical and emotional
well-being, and mom reaps benefits too.
Baby's first massage. |
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A stress-free, natural birth. |  |
Baby's first massage.
As baby twists and turns down the narrow birth canal she gets his first cardiovascular
workout, which boosts her blood circulation and primes her for birth. During
the birth baby is massaged by the uterus and vaginal muscles and there is increasing
evidence that this has long-term benefits for baby's coordination.
Another important benefit of the birth massage is that amniotic fluid is squeezed
out of baby's lungs, enabling her to take her first breath at birth. Some hospitals
suction out mucus and fluid from the airways after birth to ensure baby is
breathing well, but this can damage baby's delicate membranes and traumatize
her emotionally says Sister Lilian, renowned pregnancy, birth and parenting
expert.
Babies delivered by Caesarean are more at risk of breathing problems that
those born vaginally, says Dr Fathima Paruk, a gynae obstetrician at Nelson
R Mandela School of Medicine. "If an elective Caesarean is performed early,
because the gestation is miscalculated,
there may be problems associated with prematurity", she says.
Most maternity units in South Africa carry out elective Caesars two weeks
before baby's due date, usually at around 38 or 39 weeks. But, says Sister
Lilian, left to their own devices, first babies are often only born at 41 or
42 weeks. "This means that even at 39 weeks baby's lungs may not be mature
and she will be at risk of breathing problems".
However, Sister Lilian cautions that if a baby's oxygen is comprised during
a vaginal birth she could also suffer form respiratory problems after the birth.
To prevent this, caregivers monitor baby's progress down the birth canal (see
Monitoring Baby's Progress).
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A stress-free, natural birth.
It's well documented that an emergency Caesar is generally more emotionally
stressful for mothers than a problem-free vaginal birth because of the high-tech
environment of the hospital theatre and fear of undergoing an operation. Sister
Lilian says that if the mother is pumping adrenaline baby will receive an adrenaline
rush and could become stressed.
"Research shows that Caesar babies are more likely to be restless and
have colic, and less likely to sleep well. This is attributed in part to the
rapid, unnatural change in environment baby experiences during a Caesar birth",
says Sister Lilian.
But birth stress isn't restricted to Caesareans. Many mothers suffer from
stress during a vaginal birth and this can have health implications for the
baby. According to midwife and acclaimed natural childbirth author, Sheila
Kitzinger in Birth Your Way (Dorling Kindersley: R150), "When stress hormones
rise abnormally in a woman in labour, her uterus contracts less efficiently,
contractions become weaker, dilation is slower, and labour takes longer. The
rise in stress hormones will make her more anxious and she'll feel more pain,
which in turn increases her stress levels."
A normal amount of stress, during birth can increase oxygen flow to baby during
the birth, but if a mother's stress levels are too high, oxygen flow can be
restricted. When there's no added stress, though, a mother's excitement energises
her so that she's able to meet the challenge of contractions, as they get stronger,
longer and
closer together.
Sister Lilian believes the ultimate birth experience for both baby and mother
is a vaginal birth where the environment - whether at hospital or home - is
geared towards a natural rather than a clinical experience. "Dim lights, candles,
hushed voices and music will help ensure a good natural birth experience because
the mother's stress levels will be lower and she'll be able to "grow"
into labour", she says.
A birth partner who's tuned into your needs, a gynae or midwife who can inspire
confidence, and a belief in your body'
s ability to give birth naturally will also help you to have a natural delivery
and avoid an episiotomy or a forceps delivery, especially during a long labour.
A positive natural birth experience will make bonding with baby easier and
give her a secure, emotionally confident start to life. Baby is delivered onto
mom's stomach and will immediately benefit from the warm comfort of being held.
Caesar babies on the other hand are usually only with their mothers for a short
while before being whisked away to be warmed up.
Sister Lilian has the final word: "Birth is a natural process and when left
to mother nature she usually gets it right"
.
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