What are the types of delivery methods?
It’s hard to know exactly what will happen when you give birth. Most people have a plan in mind for how they hope their labor and delivery goes. When it comes to delivering your baby, it’s good to know there are many methods pregnancy care providers use. Types of delivery include:
- vagin*l delivery.
- Assisted vagin*l delivery (vacuum or forceps).
- C-section (Cesarean birth).
- VBAC (vagin*l birth after cesarean).
Advertisem*nt
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
What type of delivery is best?
A vagin*l delivery is the safest and most common type of childbirth. vagin*l deliveries account for about 68% of all births in the United States. Most medical organizations and obstetricians recommend a vagin*l delivery unless there is a medical reason for a C-section.
vagin*l delivery
What is a vagin*l delivery?
In a vagin*l birth, your baby is born through your vagin* or birth canal. It’s the most preferred and most common way to deliver a baby because it carries the lowest risk (in most cases). A vagin*l delivery occurs most often between weeks 37 and 42 of pregnancy. A vagin*l delivery has three stages: labor, birth and delivering the placenta.
Some benefits of a vagin*l delivery include:
- Faster recovery.
- Safest for the pregnant person and the baby.
- Lower rates of infection.
- Babies are at lower risk for respiratory problems and have a stronger immune system.
- Lactation and breastfeeding are usually easier.
A vagin*l delivery can be spontaneous or induced:
- Spontaneous vagin*l delivery: A vagin*l delivery that happens on its own and without labor-inducing drugs. Going into labor naturally at 40 weeks of pregnancy is ideal.
- Induced vagin*l delivery: Drugs or other techniques start labor and soften or open your cervix for delivery. Pregnancy care providers often recommend inducing labor when a pregnant person has a medical condition or is past due. Labor is usually induced with Pitocin®, a synthetic form of the drug oxytocin.
Advertisem*nt
What happens if you don’t push during a vagin*l delivery?
In most cases, once your cervix is fully dilated and your healthcare team is in place, your provider will ask you to push during a contraction. Pregnancy care providers have differing opinions on when to push, how long to push, delayed pushing or waiting until you feel the urge to push.
It’s hard to say what will happen if you don’t or can’t push during a vagin*l delivery, because your birthing experience is so unique. However, studies show that resisting the urge to push or delaying pushing (laboring down) can cause complications like infection, bleeding or damage to your pelvis.
It’s best to discuss pushing with your pregnancy care provider ahead of time so you know what to expect during labor.
Assisted vagin*l delivery
What is an assisted vagin*l delivery?
An assisted vagin*l delivery is when your obstetrician uses forceps or a vacuum device to get your baby out of your vagin*. Assisted deliveries often happen when:
- You’ve been in labor a long time.
- Your labor isn’t progressing.
- You become too fatigued to continue pushing.
- You or your baby are showing signs of distress.
Assisted deliveries only occur when certain conditions are met.
What are examples of assisted deliveries?
The procedure your obstetrician recommends will depend on the conditions that arise while you’re in labor. Assisted delivery procedures can include the following:
- Forceps delivery: Forceps are a tong-like surgical tool obstetricians use to grasp your baby’s head in order to guide them out of the birth canal.
- Vacuum extraction delivery: In a vacuum extraction, your obstetrician places a small suction cup on your baby’s head. The cup is attached to a pump that pulls on your baby while you push.
Vacuum extraction and forceps delivery are similar in their advantages and disadvantages, and often the choice between them comes down to the experience of your obstetrician.
C-section
Advertisem*nt
What is a C-section?
During a C-section birth, your obstetrician delivers your baby through surgical incisions made in your abdomen and uterus. A C-section delivery might be planned in advance if a medical reason calls for it, or it might be unplanned and take place during your labor if certain problems arise. There are about 1.2 million C-section deliveries in the United States each year.
Your provider may recommend a planned cesarean delivery if you:
- Had a previous C-section delivery.
- Are expecting multiples.
- Have placenta previa.
- Have a breech baby.
- Have a baby with fetal macrosomia or a large baby.
- Have a uterine fibroid or other obstruction.
Sometimes, your labor and delivery changes, and a cesarean birth becomes necessary for the health and safety of you or your baby. An unplanned C-section might be needed if any of the following conditions arise during your labor:
- Fetal distress (your baby isn’t tolerating labor).
- Labor isn’t progressing.
- Umbilical cord prolapse.
- Placental abruption.
- Hemorrhage or excessive bleeding.
Risks of C-section deliveries
Like any surgery, a cesarean birth involves some risks. In general, there is more risk associated with a C-section than with a vagin*l delivery.
These might include:
- Infection.
- Loss of blood or need for a blood transfusion.
- A blood clot that may break off and enter the bloodstream (embolism).
- Injury to the bowel or bladder.
- Longer recovery and longer hospital stay.
- Abdominal adhesions.
Benefits of C-section deliveries
Some people prefer a C-section birth because it gives them more control on choosing a due date. This is called an elective C-section. Some providers may allow elective C-sections for nonmedical reasons, however, this is usually discouraged. In most cases, a C-section birth occurs because it’s medically necessary. The American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that scheduled cesareans not be performed before 39 weeks gestation, unless medically indicated.
Some benefits of a C-section as compared to a vagin*l delivery are:
- Lower risk of your baby having trauma from passing through your vagin*.
- Less risk of your baby being oxygen-deprived during delivery.
- Possible lower risk of incontinence or sexual dysfunction.
VBAC (vagin*l birth after cesarean)
What is a VBAC?
If you’ve already had a cesarean birth, you may be able to have your next baby vagin*lly. This is a VBAC, or vagin*l birth after cesarean. Because a surgical cut results in a scar on your uterus, the concern is that the pressure of labor in a vagin*l delivery could cause your uterus to open (rupture) along the previous C-section scar. For this reason, certain criteria must be met in order for your obstetrician to attempt a vagin*l birth after C-section.
Can I have a baby vagin*lly after a C-section?
People who have had a cesarean delivery might be able to deliver vagin*lly in a future pregnancy. If you meet the following criteria, your chances of a successful vagin*l birth after cesarean (VBAC) are high:
- Your obstetrician made a low transverse incision during your cesarean. This is the typical way to perform a C-section, unless they need to deliver your baby in a hurry.
- You don’t have other uterine scars or abnormalities.
- You had a prior vagin*l delivery.
- You haven’t had a previous uterine rupture.
What else should I know about delivery?
There are several other terms you should be familiar with in case your pregnancy care provider discusses them during labor and delivery.
Episiotomy
An episiotomy is a surgical incision that widens the opening of your vagin*. This allows your baby’s head to pass through more easily. Most people will not need an episiotomy.
There are two types of episiotomy incisions: the midline, made directly back toward your anus, and the mediolateral, which slants away from your anus.
Amniotomy (breaking your bag of waters)
An amniotomy is the artificial rupture of the amniotic membranes, or sac, which contains the fluid surrounding your baby. Your pregnancy care provider may artificially rupture your membranes (AROM) to:
- Induce or progress labor.
- Place an internal monitor to assess your contractions.
- Place an internal monitor on your baby’s scalp to assess their well-being.
- Check for meconium (a greenish-brown substance, which is your baby’s first poop).
Your provider will use an amniohook, which looks like a crochet hook, to rupture the sac. Once the procedure is complete, delivery should take place within 24 hours to prevent infection.
Fetal monitoring
Fetal monitoring is the process of watching your baby’s heart rate during labor. This can be external or internal. Knowing how your baby is handling labor helps your pregnancy care provider decide if labor can continue or if delivery is necessary.
- In external fetal monitoring, an ultrasound device is placed on your abdomen to record information about your baby’s heart rate, and the frequency and duration of your contractions.
- Internal monitoring involves the use of a small electrode to record your baby’s heart rate. Your membranes must be ruptured before the electrodes can be attached to your baby’s scalp. A pressure sensor can also be placed near your baby to measure the strength of contractions.
