A medical expert explains why vaginal birth is preferable when safe: the baby benefits from labor's movements and exposure to the mother's microbiota, which support immune development. Cesarean sections carry higher surgical risks like bleeding and infection, so they're reserved for cases where vaginal delivery would endanger mother or baby.
I've read a lot of literature around vaginal versus cesarean section delivery. I know there's confusion around this. There's people that fall into both camps. People say it doesn't matter at all. There are OB-GYNs like a big believer on trying to have a vaginal birth to the extent that you can. And a lot of that has to do with how the fetus is inoculated through the vaginal canal. Where do you fall in that conundrum of cesarean versus vaginal birth? And if there was a preference?
The goal is always to try to have a normal delivery. As long as it's safe for the mom and safe for the baby, this is the way to go because there's a lot of benefits from the way the baby moves in the canal, all these cardinal movements of labor, and then eventually the inoculation from the vaginal flora. There's definitely a lot of benefits. Otherwise, I don't think God would have created us to deliver that way. It's way less risky than a C-section. C-section is a surgery. So there is bleeding, infection, you could injure organs. So we keep C-sections when it's needed. Don't abuse it. C-sections are great when needed, but our ultimate goal is to deliver normally in a safe way for the mom and for the baby.
