Vaginal Deliveries

vaginal delivery occurs when your baby is born through your vagina or birth canal. This is the simplest kind of Delivery process compared to other methods of childbirth, such as a Cesarean Delivery and induced labor. Most health experts always recommend vaginal delivery for women whose babies have reached full term, or at least 37 weeks.

A vaginal birth without medication benefits both mother and baby. For a normal vaginal delivery, the woman needs to stay only for 36–48 hours or with a surgical cut to widen the vaginal canal (episiotomy) 48–60 hours, whereas a C-section is 72–108 hours. Different types of vaginal deliveries have different terms:

  • A normal vaginal delivery (NVD) is a term for a vaginal delivery, whether or not assisted or induced.
  • An induced vaginal delivery (also IVD) An induction of labor is when labor is started artificially, usually with a synthetic form of oxytocin
  • A spontaneous vaginal delivery (SVD) is a vaginal delivery that happens on its own without the use of drugs or techniques to induce labor, and delivers her baby in the normal manner, without forceps, vacuum extraction, or a cesarean section
  • An assisted vaginal delivery (AVD) is a type of delivery where a pregnant female undergoes delivery by usage of drugs or techniques to induce labor and using a special type of instruments such as forceps or a vacuum extractor to deliver her baby vaginally.
  • An instrumental vaginal delivery (IVD) IVDis another term used for assisted vaginal delivery.

The commonly used formula is Nagel rule to predict the due date based on the date of the last menstrual period. This rule assumes a menstrual cycle of 28 days and mid-cycle ovulation. An accurate method is ultrasonographic dating if it is done early in pregnancy and is used to substantiate or modify a due date based on the last menstrual period.

Pros of Vaginal Delivery

Vaginal delivery requires a long period of time, which may be very painful for the mother. But one of the benefits of having a vaginal birth is that it has a shorter hospital stay and recovery time compared with a C-section.

Usually, women, who have undergone vaginal delivery need to stay in the hospital for a time span of 24 and 48 hours. A woman may elect to leave the hospital sooner than the allowable time period permitted in her state if she is feeling up to it

Vaginal births help to avoid major surgery and its associated risks, such as infections, scarring, severe bleeding reactions to anesthesia.

Cons of Vaginal Delivery

During a vaginal delivery, there is a risk that the skin and tissues around the vagina can stretch and tear while the fetus moves through the birth canal.

According to some studies, it was found that women who went through C-sections have fewer complications than those with vaginal deliveries. A woman with vaginal delivery may experience more prone to leak urine when they cough, sneeze or laugh.

Ensure you’re aware of the differences, and the risks between different types of deliveries. And avoid making a choice based on convenience.