The difference between Caesarian delivery and normal delivery
Babies are born by one of two methods – Caesarian delivery or normal delivery. When an ovum is fertilized by sperm in the Fallopian tube, a baby starts to grow in the womb. The baby continues to grow and develop for the duration of the pregnancy, which is generally 40 weeks (280 days).
Normal delivery occurs when the baby moves through the birth canal in labor and exits the womb through the mother’s vagina. Labor can star at any time after 37 weeks and the baby would be considered full term. Labor before this is usually a sign that there is something wrong and the baby is premature if it is born before this time. During labor, the contractions of the uterus push the baby out and the cervix (the neck of the womb) opens (dilates) to 10cm to permit the baby to pass through.
Some women are unable to deliver a baby by normal delivery. Sometimes the cervix will not dilate or there is a possibility that the baby or the mother will die if labor continues for too long. The doctor then makes a decision to deliver the baby by Caesarian delivery, which is surgery that is often called a section. During the surgery, the surgeon opens the uterus and removes the baby and the placenta. Then the uterus is sutured closed. In most cases the mother knows that she will be delivering the baby in this manner and the date is set in advance.
When the mother or the baby is at risk an emergency Caesarian will be performed. Just because a woman has her first baby in this manner does not mean that she has to have other babies in the same way. It depends on the type of cut the surgeon makes because the second child could be delivered in the normal manner. An emergency Caesarian delivery can be performed for a variety of reasons – separation of the placenta from the fetus, the baby’s head starts to cone or the baby is showing signs of distress.
Summary
- Babies are delivered by both normal delivery and Caesarian delivery.
- Normal delivery is through the birth canal.
- Caesarian delivery is through surgery.
- Normal delivery is the preferred method and Caesarian delivery is used when an emergency arises.
- A Caesarian section can be planned in advance.