The Different Types Of Childbirth And Their Risks

When you are about to give birth to your child and you are preparing for labor, you must know about the different methods and types of childbirth that your doctor might recommend for you according to your condition. Before you are preparing yourself for childbirth, it is very crucial for you to know in vivid detail each method of child birth along with its pros and cons, so that you can properly decide whether or not you should plan to adopt a particular process of your childbirth. At the end of the day, all that matters is the goodness of your health and the health of your newborn. So, in order to remain safe and healthy, know which type of delivery is good for you- what are the benefits and risk factors involved with them, and most importantly, which one is the appropriate method for your delivery process. You should also discuss the different types of delivery and which one suits you with your concerned health care expert so that you can obtain the right method.

There are various types of delivery methods. The most used methods are discussed here as follows:

Natural Delivery or Unassisted Vaginal Delivery:

This is the most used process of childbirth that is advised by most physicians for a safe and healthy childbirth process. Natural childbirth, also known as ‘normal delivery’ is a method that includes the birth of the child as it is dragged out through the vagina. This type of delivery does not involve any application of medication so that the mother can feel the pain which can help to make the labor process faster and easier. Natural delivery, by far, is considered the safest form of delivery that does not involve any kind of side effect after labor or childbirth.

Assisted Vaginal Delivery:

Assisted vaginal delivery is a type of delivery that includes the use of a tool to help make the process of labor and childbirth easier and safer. Instruments like Forceps and vacuums are used for assisted vaginal delivery.

Forceps delivery: Forceps are clinical instruments that are often used by physicians to hold on to the baby’s head and help to pull out the baby gently and very carefully through the birth canal just like a spoon scoops out food. These medical instruments are used for childbirth when the mother is pushing the baby to make it come out through the birth canal.

When Is A Forcep Used For Delivery?

In the case of assisted vaginal delivery, forceps are used in complicated situations, such as if the baby has difficulty coming out naturally through the opening of its mother’s birth canal, if it is stuck in the midway, or if the mother’s health starts to get complicated and the mother is in a complicated situation, so the baby needs to come out quickly.

Risks Related to This Method:

Though this process might be easier for childbirth and most babies and new mothers remain almost safe after following the forceps method of delivery, it also involves some potential risk factors such as follows:

• Mild to heavy fracture in the baby’s skull, can cause bleeding from its skull leading to further brain injuries.
• Mild to severe pain is felt in the vaginal and anal tissues of the mother after delivery.
• Application of forceps may cause injuries in the mother’s bladder or wall of the urethra and can also affect the lower genitals, causing rupture or tearing of the wall of the uterus.
• Facial palsy- a condition characterized by injuries and weakness of the facial muscles of the baby due to pressure or friction of the forceps.
• Seizures or epilepsies in the baby.
• Minor marks on their faces just after the delivery, but these marks are temporary.

Delivery through Vacuum extraction: Another assisted vaginal delivery, the Vacuum delivery method is just like the forceps delivery. The only difference is that in this method of childbirth, a vacuum or suction pressure is used as a tool by the health care expert that contains a cap that sticks to the baby’s head. As vacuum pressure is applied gently within the threshold limit, the baby is pulled out, even if the mother cannot push it now.

Episiotomy: A part of the assisted vaginal delivery, episiotomy is a surgical process that involves a cut in a place between the vaginal and anal opening of the mother known as the perineum. Though this method is not so commonly followed today, it is done if the physician feels a quick vaginal delivery is required.

Vacuum or forceps delivery: what should you choose?

According to recent studies and experiments, it has been revealed by scientists and physicians that if we compare the use of vacuum and forceps for an assisted vaginal delivery, it is the vacuum that is considered the safest method of childbirth because it has been found that application of vacuum to pull out the baby from its birth canal does not harm the baby in any way than that happens with forceps. Forceps can cause adverse effects to both the mother and the baby, but vacuum does not. But, on the other hand, forceps have a higher success rate when it comes to spooning out the baby that is stuck in the birth canal. But according to most doctors, it is advisable to use a vacuum first, and then use forceps to ensure the safety of the mother and the child and to reduce the risks and complications of delivery. If neither vacuum nor forceps work to pull out the child, your doctor might think of C- section surgery.

Amniotomy : Amniotomy is a method of assisted vaginal delivery that is often commonly termed as “breaking your water” during labor. This breaking of water is the tearing of the amniotic sac that surrounds your baby and provides nutrition to it during pregnancy. In the process, your physician will use a plastic tool that resembles a hook-like structure to make a small hole in your amniotic sac and help the baby to come out.

But how would you know that your water is breaking? Here are the most common symptoms:

• A fluid-like substance that leaks constantly; this leakage can also start and stop abruptly.
• A rapid flow of fluids through your vagina looks like you are urinating.
• A slow drip of fluid leakage.

Labor Induction: Labor induction is a process that is used to make your labor, and thus your childbirth speed up so that no complication can arise during the delivery and both the mother and the baby remains safe and secured. Talk to your health care expert about labor induction who would like to do the process, either naturally or artificially, with the application of medicines.

Cesarean Or A C- Section Surgery:

Sometimes it might cause several types of complications and abnormalities of either the mother or the baby or both during the time of delivery that might get even more damaging due to vaginal delivery. So, in those emergency situations, the doctor will prescribe a C- section method for childbirth. A-C- section or Cesarean childbirth is a type of delivery that includes surgery, through which, the mother is made numb (using anesthetics), and the doctor makes a cut in the abdominal and uterine tissues with surgical instruments and pulls out the baby easily. Cesarean childbirth is often planned, but most of the time, it occurs during emergency childbirth. Some such emergency situations might be the abnormal position of the baby inside the mother’s womb, the abnormal size of the baby that cannot come out through the mother’s cervical region, if you are having twins or triplets, if you have complications like placenta previa or placental abruption, and many other distresses.

Risks Of C- Section Surgery:

Though a C- section surgery is often used to save the mother and the baby from emergency situations, there are some potential risks of a Cesarean surgery, such as chances of thrombosis, mild to heavy vaginal bleeding, and allergic reactions to anesthetics, and some adversities to the baby also.

Vaginal Birth After C- Section (Vabc):

Commonly, those who have had a C-section surgery in their previous childbirths can easily go for a VABC or a vaginal birth that results after a C- section surgery. But there are certain factors that are important for you to undergo a VABC. Some of those factors are as follows:

• You had a low transverse incision in your previous C- section surgery.
• You are not having twins or triplets
• Your prior C- section occurred due to breech labor
• Your baby can comfortably fit 9into your pelvis

Potential Risks Related Vabc:

The process of VABC might not be safe for everyone because in some cases of delivery, the uterus might get ruptured or may be complications that result from a failed C- section surgery. Though when the uterus ruptures, a Cesarean surgery is required for delivery to save the lives of both the mother and the child, this can lead to other side effects in the future.

Do I Need A Vabc?

If you have had two or more prior C- section deliveries and once you are past your expected due date of delivery, the chance of you having a VABC slows down gradually. Moreover, in some cases, VABC might not be safe and appropriate for everyone, mostly for those who had prior uterine ruptures, a vertical incision, or any uterus- related surgery.