Is it better to have a baby vaginally or by C-section?

You mentioned that you're due in about a month and you have some hesitancies and fears about delivery, both vaginal delivery and C-section. That's very understandable. Even being a labor and delivery nurse I remember thinking when I was pregnant with my first, I don't want to do what it takes to get this out. Of course, at this point it's a little bit too late for that. The mode of delivery largely depends on your circumstances and the situation. A vaginal delivery is usually always the plan unless it's been pre-determined that a C-section is necessary. Sometimes while you're attempting to have a vaginal delivery situations arise and a C-section becomes necessary. The most common reasons for a C-section are your baby is too big for your pelvis or your pelvis is too small for a normal sized baby, that's determined as labor goes on and the baby never comes down in your pelvis or your cervix never dilates. You're in labor forever and then we come to the conclusion that it's not going to fit. Basically it's like trying to fit a square peg through a round hole, it's not going to happen. The second most common reason is the baby isn't tolerating labor. All babies experience stress during labor but there is some stress that's okay and some stress that's not. Of course, we monitor during labor to make sure the baby is doing as well as they can during the process. If it gets to the point where the baby isn't tolerating labor then they need to be born by C-section. Other reasons include breach presentation where the baby's head is in your ribs instead of in the pelvis, they cannot be safely delivered vaginally that way. Sometimes you have bleeding issues like a placenta previa or a placenta abruption that necessitates a C-section. If you have twins or even triplets or quads, basically more than one baby, your chance of C-section is very high for twins and necessary if you have more than two because they just can't all come out vaginally. Again, you can see it's very circumstantial. Let's start with the pros of a vaginal delivery. First of all, healing time is faster and the experience is a little more personal. You get to have family and friends around you and there aren't implications for future pregnancies. There are cons too. You have to labor and of course, labor hurts. It can take a long time especially if it's your baby. It usually takes one to two hours to push your first baby out. That requires a lot of energy. There is a big time and energy investment as well as pain. You may also have tears down in your bottom that have to heal. Pros of a C-section include no labor time, unless you had to labor for a little bit until it was decided you needed a C-section, no pushing time, no tears in your bottom, and of course, in circumstances that I discussed earlier it's the safest thing for a mother and a baby. Cons of a C-section include longer recovery time, it's usually eight weeks instead of six. There is pain after the surgery. There is a greater risk for infection or bleeding that don't exist with a vaginal delivery. Of course, you can bleed and get infections with vaginal delivery but the risk is higher with C-section. The more C-sections you have the greater the implications are for future pregnancies. You could have a uterine rupture or have abnormal placental attachments in the future. What your doctor will do is weigh out all the risks and the benefits. If the time comes that your doctor decides that for this baby and you at this moment in time it would be safest for you to have a C-section, then that's the plan of care they would recommend. All healthcare providers in the labor and delivery field want good outcomes. We want you and your baby to be happy, healthy, and well. Sometimes a C-section is required in order to achieve that goal. We're assuming that's also your goal. It's like taking a detour to get to that end result. Talk with your doctor if you have more specific questions about your situation or more concerns. If you have other questions for me in the future I would love to answer them on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/intermountainmoms and recommend us to your friends and family too.