Latest Survey results: Percentage of Natural Births Versus C Sections

In my latest Survey I asked the question “What type of Birth did you have?”

I posed this question on my facebook page: Pregnancy Exercise October 2011
I was astounded by the response 2336 votes in 6 days; I was also very surprised by the results, yet they do seem to follow recent global survey results.

It’s a pity I couldn’t go through each individual vote to get an idea on which country everyone gave birth in.

Results Overall:
Vaginal deliveries
50% gave birth naturally (small percentage delivered at home- less than 1%)

A further 3% just required gas

16% had a vaginal delivery with drugs which included epidurals out of these 4.5% were induced.

Total vaginal deliveries 69%

C sections
31% had C sections of which:
24% Emergency Sections included 1.6% determined “failure to progress”
3.6% Elective
3.4% High Risk C sections including 1.5% due to Breech babies

It would be great if we could see the vaginal births rise up to 80% in total. I am sure with further education this is not too great a challenge. I believe far too many women believe that a natural birth is not possible without intervention yet looking at the results 1 in every 2 women do.

We can sometimes have far too many unnecessary interventions prior to labour and birth. We see women who are often rushed during their labours once in hospital and can be given time limits as to how long they have to push their baby out.

Hospitals do not want to see 24 hour + labours they need the rooms.

Women are starting to see and feel the benefits of exercise and staying healthy and strong during their pregnancies. The fitter you are helps you cope much better with the demands of any labour. This in itself can reduce the amount of intervention. With professionals now advising exercise during pregnancy this may help with statistics.

Medical interventions are needed in some cases at the end of the day we want a healthy baby delivered but do women really have to be subjected to endless drugs and machines whilst giving birth which in many cases are unnecessary.

I would love to hear all your views and thoughts on the results of my survey,