Hanan-Confidence Abdul writes: Vaginal birth vs C-section

Back at nursing college, I learnt in the Midwifery Bible (Myles Textbook) that educated women are more likely to deliver through caesarean section than uneducated women.

Thus, the prevalence of C-Section deliveries is high among educated women as compared to uneducated women.

Not that illiterate women do not deliver through C-Section. The hospital could do it for any woman from any background and education, especially in breech presentation (baby’s head is not the first to come out) or obstructed labour.

However, what is worth noting is that education has doused (or spoiled) our hitherto robust women who could eject babies out of their wombs with a single strong PUSH.

There may be a reason for the inclination of the educated woman to deliver through CS. Considerable set of exercises are encouraged in pregnancy because it makes labour somewhat painless and makes delivery easy vaginally.

Whiles most educated women have significant rest throughout their pregnancy, the illiterate pregnant woman is doing all kind of herculean tasks: going to farm to fetch firewood, carrying heavy loads, climbing trucks to go trading, among others.

The educated (and working) woman, if pregnant, is even by law entitled to three months pay whiles at home (maternity leave). The illiterate woman does not have that. She works throughout the pregnancy and engages in moderate to demanding physical activities. Not long ago, I saw this woman (not educated) carrying a large basin of water in her last trimester of pregnancy. I cringed my teeth for her. The next morning, I heard she delivered at home.

It’s an open secret that no educated man will allow her pregnant wife to carry such a load at that crucial time. I won’t too. Many educated women when pregnant are like a Greek goddess. They dread any form of physical activities.

Physical activities may be unhealthy for first-trimester pregnancy, but it is generally encouraged in the advanced stage of pregnancy, as it portends well for labour and delivery. If you’re an educated man and your wife is too, encourage her to do chores and activities she can or ask her midwife for the prescribed pregnancy exercises. Some educated pregnant women nearing their due day can’t even cook lest boil water. Well, it could be legitimate. Sometimes. Sitting, idling and being indoors are not good for spontaneous vaginal delivery. Get up, do some work, walk!

However, if your wife previously lost her pregnancy or is diagnosed with the incompetent cervix or stands a candidate for abortion, discourage her of both mild and stressful chores and encourage considerable bed rest.

However, some educated women, from the first day they tested positive for pregnancy, make up their minds to deliver through CS. They will request for it even before labour sets in. They want to escape all the stories told around labour. I am 100% for CS, but let’s make it an alternative but not an option. The complications of anaesthesia, surgical operation and wound healing can’t be an option to natural spontaneous vaginal delivery.

There is an academic opinion that babies who fought through labour are resilient and can adapt to their new environment (out-utero) better than CSed babies. Mother-baby bonding is also strong with vaginally birthed babies as oxytocin, nicknamed love hormone, is a crucial player in all the four stages of labour.

Again, research recently conducted at the ‘Savelugu University of Medicine’ showed that vaginally delivered children do not tolerate “nonsense” from their colleagues.

The author is a Nursing Officer at the Tamale West Hospital