A couple of weeks back, I had posted an article on how pregnant women can use the art of self-healing to minimize visits to hospital and doctors in these uncertain and unsafe times. A lot of feed back was received on sharing views on how to avoid the need for going through a ‘Cesarean’, also known as C-section. Lately, there has been a lot of controversey around certain members of the medical fraternity misusing surgical deliveries as a money making racket by suggesting it irrespective of real need or not.
To be fair, C-sections have been around since ancient times. The word Cesarean is attributed to the Roman Cesar as it is believed he was the first one to be delivered by such means. A C-section is planned for medical reasons that make a vaginal birth too risky. A woman may know in advance that she will need a C-section and schedule it because she is expecting twins or other multiples, or because she may have a medical condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
A C-section may also be scheduled ahead of time because a woman has an infection that she could pass along to her baby during birth, such as HIV or genital herpes, or if she experiences problems with the placenta during her pregnancy.
It mayalso become necessary in certain situations, such as delivering a very large baby in a mother with a small pelvis, or if the baby is not in a heads-down position and efforts to turn the baby into this position before birth have beenunsuccessful. Some C-sections are elective. A woman may choose to have a C-section if she wants to plan when she delivers or if she previously had a complicated vaginal delivery.
Sometimes, the decision to perform a C-section is unplannedand is done for emergency reasons like – if thelabouris happening too slowly or if the baby is not getting enough oxygen.
With the current COVID-19 situation, doctors are reporting a growing trend towards woman gravitating towards non-surgical deliveries – to the point of self-delivering at home if the pregnancy has been non-incidental. There are obvious pros and cons associated with natural birth for both the mother and baby. Going through labourand having a vaginal delivery is a long process that can be physically grueling and is hard work for the mother. But one of the benefits of having a vaginal birth is that it has a shorter hospital stay and recovery time compared with a C-section.
Further, because a mother is less woozy from surgery, she feels more comfortable breastfeeding soon after she delivers. However, there is a small risk that the skin and tissues around the vagina can stretch and tear while the fetus moves through the birth canal. If stretching and tearing is severe, a woman may need stitches, or this could cause weakness or injury to pelvic muscles that control her urine and bowel function.
From a child’s point of view, during a vaginal delivery, muscles involved in the process are more likely to squeeze out fluid found in a newborn’s lungs, Babies born vaginally also receive an early dose of good bacteria as they travel through their mother’s birth canal, which may boost their immune systems and protect their intestinal tracts.
However, there is always a chance of a minor injury to the baby in any natural delivery. While there is no substitute to taking proper medical advice, here are some ways of making the term of pregnancy healthier to ensure a greater chance of experiencing an easier, less painful and a natural delivery.
•Prenatal vitamins: Take these during the first trimester, and then gradually phase them out as diet and appetite improve.
•Magnesium: Start taking these in the second trimester to prevent leg cramps and constipation, as well as to help regulate blood sugar.
•Vitamin C: Since immunity is compromised during pregnancy, this supplement is a must, especially now.
•Probiotics: It is essential to promote good bacteria in the gut to ensure proper digestion of food and expulsion of waste from body.
•DHA Oil: Consume recommended dose of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – it is an omega-3 fatty acid that is a primary structural component of the human brain, cerebral cortex, skin, and retina, therefore important for a healthy developing fetus.
•Dates: Research has shown that women who consume 6 dates per day for 4 weeks prior to their estimated due date are more likely to go into spontaneous labour, have a shorter first stage of labour, and have a higher cervical dilation upon admission to the hospital when compared to women who did not consume any dates.
•Hydrate: It is so important to keep the body hydrated at all times. Water, herbal tisanes (not tea) with honey are strongly recommended.
•Exercise: Light squats and plentiful low impact (slow paced) walking is generally recommended to gradually and naturally push the baby towards the cervix as the pregnancy progresses. Walking may also help to stimulate the release of oxytocin, the hormone that helps trigger and regulate contractions, so many moms nearing or past their due date might want to increase their walking to help naturally move labor along.
According to Ayurvedic acupressure, Mother Nature has provided a simple self-treatment for comfortable way to bring a new soul to this world. I had said in my previous articles that each finger of hand is corresponding to a different element as or organ. The lady preparing for pregnancy, has to twist her thumb, as shown in figure below. After she gets pregnant if she keeps treating her-self as given in the table, she will deliver baby without much discomfort and it will be a normal delivery.
The table below shows the finger number related to different months of pregnancy. During the period of pregnancy the finger of the related month is twisted and effective treatment can be done. For example, during conception if there is any problem then the woman should twist her right thumb. And after conception if the woman is suffering from problems like vomiting, vertigo, nausea etc. then she must twist finger number 1, i.e the little finger of the right hand. The little finger of the right hand is associated to first month of pregnancy for eight to nine minutes and two or three times a day. Similarly, to increase the chances of normal delivery, the pregnant lady in her ninth month should finger number 9, i.e the left thumb.
(From increasing metabolism to overcoming physical problems, Prof Luthria will speaks about the art of self-healing through different healing techniques. For a more tailored advise visit www.artandscienceofhealing.in)
