For women of childbearing age who are healthy, have a full-term pregnancy, and have normal prenatal checkups, natural childbirth is the most natural thing. This is a normal physiological process of human reproduction. A mother should believe that she and her fetus have the innate ability to fulfill this sacred mission! The World Health Organization (WHO) proposed the goal of reducing the cesarean section rate to less than 15% in the 1980s, but the cesarean section rate in various provinces and cities in my country has shown a significant upward trend year by year. In addition to pathological factors, more than half of pregnant women require surgery, and social factors account for the vast majority of surgeries. Using elective cesarean section instead of natural delivery will inevitably shorten the time for the fetus to truly mature in the mother\’s body, making premature birth of the child itself tantamount to a \”congenital defect.\” The increase in the cesarean section rate as a proportion of the overall population will lead to an overall decline in the quality of the population.
Benefits of natural childbirth for babies
During the natural delivery process, bursts of uterine contractions will bring a thrilling journey to the fetus, but this squeeze is essential for the learning of touch and proprioception, which directly affects the child\’s agility, Coordination and attention. Concentration, emotional stability, etc. During this process, the fetal thorax rhythmically compresses and expands during uterine contractions, expelling amniotic fluid and mucus from the airways and lungs. Therefore, the incidence of wet lung and aspiration pneumonia in newborns is higher than that of babies born by caesarean section. Shrinking by 1/3, the squeezing of the thorax also increases the alveolar surfactant produced by the fetal lungs, making the alveoli elastic and easy to expand after birth, allowing the fetus to establish spontaneous breathing in time.
The birth canal squeezes the fetal brain. After the squeeze, the blood circulation in the fetal brain is strengthened, which stimulates brain cells and enhances the stress ability of hypoxia after birth, which is beneficial to brain development. After this exercise, the fetal respiratory center is stimulated, which is beneficial to the newborn\’s rapid establishment of normal respiratory reflexes after delivery. In addition, the stimulation of the delivery process causes the mother and fetus to produce a large number of immune antibodies. Therefore, newborns are born with stronger resistance and infection resistance, while babies born by cesarean section lack this process of acquiring antibodies.
Benefits of natural childbirth for mothers
In natural childbirth, the pain of uterine contractions will cause physical and mental tension and pain to pregnant women, but these are temporary and bearable. The labor pain caused by the oxytocin produced by the pituitary gland of pregnant women causes the muscle fibers of the uterus to gradually contract. After the fetus is expelled, the uterine contraction caused by its own production of oxytocin is still strong, which is beneficial to the discharge of postpartum lochia and uterine recovery. Postpartum bleeding is reduced, all aspects of the body recover faster after delivery, and you can have more energy to take care of your baby. Selective cesarean section is due to the relative lack of oxytocin in the body, resulting in poor uterine contraction during and after the operation, and has to rely on exogenous drugs to promote uterine contraction.
As we all know, breast milk is a truly safe and nutritious food for children. Natural childbirth and simultaneous and coordinated changes in prolactin levels in the body are necessary conditions for rapid lactation after delivery. However, due to the asynchrony of hormone levels and postoperative irritation and pain, cesarean surgeryThe lactation time of women after uterine delivery will be delayed by nearly 10 hours. and low prolactin levels. After a period of time after natural delivery, the elasticity of the mother\’s vagina can be restored without affecting her sexual life. The endocrine system is relatively balanced. After menopause, vaginal atrophy will be milder. Postmenopausal vaginal atrophy is more severe in women who have given birth or had a cesarean section; the quality of sexual life will be lower than that of natural childbirth. In addition, the pain of natural childbirth can also cause the brain of pregnant women to produce endorphins, which can bring pleasure and satisfaction to pregnant women and help deepen the relationship between mother and child, which is unmatched by caesarean section.
What are the risks of cesarean section?
After all, a cesarean section is a mid-sized surgery. The average maternal blood loss is generally more than 300 ml, which is far more than normal vaginal delivery (100-150 ml). Complications such as anesthesia accidents, organ injuries, postoperative incisional infections, intestinal adhesions, endometriosis, etc. are 10 to 30 times more likely than natural childbirth. There will be a large scar on the uterus after the surgery. If you become pregnant again, the fetus will develop in an incomplete uterine environment, and there may be a risk of fetal malformation or uterine rupture. In the past, domestic and foreign medical experts only focused on the short-term effects of cesarean section, but now studies have found that cesarean section also has great adverse effects on children as adults, such as being more susceptible to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Steps to help with natural childbirth
In order to achieve natural childbirth, pregnant women should build up their self-confidence, view natural childbirth correctly, and understand the process of natural childbirth. During pregnancy, follow the advice of professional doctors, receive regular check-ups, eat scientifically, and pay attention to exercise to ensure the health of pregnant women and fetuses.