Vaginal Delivery and Cesarean Section

Childbirth is the process that logically concludes pregnancy. The birth of a child is perceived by parents as one of the most important events in life, which is why there is such a strong desire to experience this moment in an environment that meets all the mother’s needs.

Each woman choosing foreign obstetric care pursues her own goals: obtaining citizenship, giving birth in well-equipped medical centers with higher quality of care, and the desire to have childbirth conditions that cannot be offered in their country. In addition, expectant mothers are guided by climatic features: it is possible to spend part of the pregnancy and the postpartum period in a warm place, enjoying sea landscapes and attractions.

Vaginal delivery

In uncomplicated pregnancy and unburdened obstetric history, natural delivery is indicated. This method of delivery is physiological, however, it is impossible to fully predict the process of labor. Therefore, it is important that specialists possessing all the skills of modern obstetrics are present near the woman.

Features of managing vaginal delivery in world clinics

• The entire agreed list of services is provided to the patient in full. She is informed in advance about all changes and adjustments made and her voluntary consent is obtained.
• The qualification level of medical personnel (both senior and mid-level) meets high international standards. At the same time, doctors and midwives regularly undergo certification activities to work with ultramodern equipment with which top hospitals are equipped.

Leading obstetric institutions are equipped with wireless fetal monitors, which are devices for visualization and analysis of fetal heart rate and uterine tone. In the delivery ward, the wireless device for performing CTG allows the expectant mother to take any comfortable position. Most childbirth protocols are aimed at ensuring that women maintain a free active position during labor, which allows for easier advancement of the baby through the birth canal.

• Natural childbirth occurs with a minimal number of interventions, while the woman can choose alternative options for delivering the baby: vertically or in water.
• In accordance with WHO recommendations, after birth the baby is placed on the mother’s abdomen for skin-to-skin contact and then latched to the breast.
• The period of experiencing contractions during natural delivery takes place in VIP rooms resembling comfortable home conditions.
• The possibility for several family members to be present during childbirth: the woman in labor can be in the maternity ward not only with the baby’s father but also at the same time with her mother, a friend, or any other close person. The presence of a doula is also encouraged — a birth assistant who helps psychologically and physically cope with pain using non-drug techniques (massage, acupuncture, aromatherapy).
• The best world clinics provide the opportunity for women with a history of cesarean section to deliver naturally, provided the uterine scar is intact.
• Absence of nosocomial infection and early discharge if the mother and newborn are in satisfactory condition (usually within 24-48 hours). The earliest discharge is possible 12 hours after natural childbirth.

Cesarean section

Cesarean section is a surgical procedure in which childbirth occurs through an incision in the abdominal wall and the uterus of the mother. The duration of such delivery is about 40 minutes, after which the mother is transferred to the intensive care unit, where she is monitored for 6 hours. As soon as the woman in labor begins to feel better, she is transferred to a room for joint stay with the baby.

Cesarean section is performed with the participation of an entire team of doctors, including an anesthesiologist, a resuscitator, and several obstetrician-gynecologists. In foreign clinics, actions during the surgery are brought as close as possible to natural childbirth.

Features of cesarean section in world clinics

• Delivery by cesarean section is performed both for medical indications and at the mother’s request, after explaining all the risks and benefits to her.
• As with natural childbirth, the husband or another partner whom the mother wishes to see during this process is allowed to be present at the CS.
• After the baby is extracted, it is placed on the mother’s chest to ensure skin-to-skin contact and colonization with maternal microflora.
• In case of a cesarean section before 37 weeks (that is, in the birth of premature babies), foreign maternity hospitals have specialized departments where special care is provided for low-weight and premature newborns.

Experts from the World Health Organization have provided statistics on operative delivery: annually, 21% of babies worldwide are born by cesarean section. The figures tend to increase, and according to forecasts, by 2030 the number of children born through the “upper route” will amount to 30% of the total number of all births. Obstetrician-gynecologists in maternity hospitals have enormous experience in performing cesarean sections in the lower uterine segment, reducing postoperative risks to a minimum.