Different Types of Births

With the continued advancement of medical techniques, childbirth is becoming more and more routine. But when regular delivery is not an option for some reason, other safe methods are available.

Normal Birth

• Most babies are born vaginally, which occurs normally without much help from a doctor or midwife. Many women deliver at home or in birthing centers, as well as in hospitals, especially when it appears that the risk of complications is low. A woman can have a long or short period of labor with a normal birth. Once the baby arrives, the health-care professionals help with the delivery of the afterbirth or placenta and membranes.

Pain Relief

• Some women decide to have a completely natural birth without any pain medication and with only breathing and relaxation exercises. If possible, other mothers-to-be have an epidural, which delivers pain relief to the lower part of their body while they remain fully awake. Other women are given systemic painkillers that reduce but don't eliminate the pain. A tranquilizer by itself or with the painkiller can reduce anxiety and nausea. When the baby is born, there is a chance that the woman will need stitches because of a tear at the location of delivery. This area may be sore for several days after birth.

Vacuum Extraction

• For centuries, doctors have used forceps to encourage the delivery of babies through the birth canal. However, forceps sometimes can cause injury. The obstetric vacuum was invented especially to remedy this concern. The vacuum does not compress the infant's skull, making the procedure for the baby. The vacuum extractor is not used until the woman is fully dilated and the infant's head is seen. The mother must be an active participant as the baby is pushed and pulled out. The baby may have a bump on its head from the procedure, but it will go away in a day or two.

Forceps

• In more difficult situations when the baby's delivery is progressing slowly, it still may be necessary to use forceps, or metal instruments that cradle the head. Sometimes the awkward position of the infant's head causes a problem. The forceps help the physician lead the baby through the birth canal as the mother pushes down with her contractions. When the head comes through, the forceps are removed, and the rest of the body is delivered naturally.

Caesarean Section

• A Caesarean section or C-section is usually performed when there is a medical concern that a normal vaginal birth may not be the safest form of delivery for the mother or the baby. In this surgical procedure, the baby is removed through a cut in the woman's abdominal wall. This incision is most often made at the top of the pubic hairline, so the scar is not seen. The C-section is always done in an operating room. A Caesarean section is done for a variety of reasons, such as the delivery is taking too long, the baby may not be getting enough oxygen, the infant is in an abnormal position, or the mother is having multiple births.