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vaginal delivery
When it comes to imaging labor and delivery, most people think of vaginal birth. While it’s certainly the most common and usually the preferred way to give birth, many people don’t realize that there are actually three types of vaginal delivery.
Vaginal Delivery
vaginal delivery
Before we discuss the three variations of vaginal delivery, it’s important to understand what it actually is!
Most often, vaginal delivery occurs during weeks 37-42 of your pregnancy. During the process, the pregnant woman will experience labor, then birth the baby through the birth canal and vagina, and then deliver the placenta.
Because most pregnancies last 40 weeks, if you deliver through spontaneous vaginal delivery, it will likely start within 2 weeks or up to 2 weeks after your due date.
In this case, labor starts naturally, although that doesn’t always mean it happens quickly! The labor aspect of vaginal delivery, including how long it takes and how physically and emotionally challenging it is, is different for every woman.
spontaneous vaginal delivery
induced vaginal delivery
On the other hand, Dr. Kim may recommend induced vaginal delivery. Most often, induced vaginal delivery is suggested when you are past your due date or those who have a medical condition.
Drugs, such as Pitocin, or various other techniques to open the cervix can be used to open the cervix and jumpstart labor. But after you are induced, the vaginal delivery process should run similarly to a spontaneous delivery.
Finally, although it’s not planned, you may need an assisted vaginal delivery if things don’t quite go to plan during labor.
If you have been in labor for a very long time and you are exhausted, the labor is not progressing, or you or your baby are showing signs of distress, Dr. Kim may decide to use forceps or a vacuum device to help remove the baby from the vagina
assisted vaginal delivery
At the end of the day, there are quite a lot of benefits to vaginal delivery, no matter which type you experience.
Not only is it the lowest risk form of delivery, but it also provides faster recovery for the new mom, lower rates of infection, stronger immune systems in the new babies, and can even make breastfeeding easier.
