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Hoping for Vaginal Birth
How to Avoid Having a Cesarean Section
By Laura Cone
In addition to choosing the right provider, there are other ways women may avoid unnecessary Cesarean sections. Research in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology finds women who average less than six hours of sleep a night during their pregnancies were more than four times as likely to have a Cesarean section than those who had gotten more sleep. Conversely, although studies in 2005 show epidurals lessen the pain without increased risk of Cesarean section, labor induction may increase the risk of Cesarean section, experts say.
Linda Jenkins, a childbirth educator in the San Francisco Bay area who has produced childbirth videos in English and Spanish, encourages women to have confidence in themselves. "Be aware your body can produce a child," Jenkins says. "That's what your body was built for, to have babies. The body really is made for having babies and it really is the exception rather than the rule where they [the baby] won't fit and one doesn't have the ability."
Jenkins recommends using a breathing style such as Lamaze for labor and delivery. "The more rested, the more well nourished a woman goes into labor, the more prepared both mentally and physically [she is], the more positive her birth experience will be and the more quickly she will recover no matter what kind of delivery she has," she says.
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Re: Hoping for Vaginal Birth by Shelley on 09/23/2008 11:42AM
I had a vaginal birth after a c-section, and I think having a doula was key. She encouraged me throughout my pregnancy and during the birth. I highly recommend a certified doula!