Happy Mother's Day! Learn About Becoming a Mother at BJU
Becoming a parent is one of the most significant events of a person's life. While many parts of parenthood come naturally, there are aspects that you may wish to consider in advance, including how you choose to bring your child into this world. Here to explain your birthing options at Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU) are Chair of Obstetrics Dr. Dalice Marriott and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology Dr. Sam Liu.
What are my options for delivery at BJU?
Your options for delivery at BJU are simple: You can either get a C-section (also called a Cesarean section) or have a vaginal birth (also called a natural birth). When it comes to vaginal births, we distinguish between deliveries where the mother has had a C-section for a previous child (this is called VBAC) and deliveries where the mother has never had a C-section.
Tell me more about VBAC
Women who have had a C-section before but want to try having a natural birth this time around can consider VBAC. “VBAC stands for vaginal birth after Cesarean,” explains Dr. Sam Liu. “If you’ve previously delivered with a Cesarean section and wish to give birth again, you have two options: a scheduled delivery with Cesarean section or a vaginal delivery. This vaginal delivery after you’ve previously delivered via Cesarean section is called VBAC.”
TOLAC, he adds, stands for trial of labor after Cesarean. Before a woman gives birth vaginally after having already had a C-section in a previous delivery, doctors will first supervise an attempt at a natural birth. “TOLAC is just the attempt of the vaginal birth; VBAC is when a successful vaginal delivery takes place,” says Dr. Liu.
“In the United States, the VBAC success rate is between 60% and 80%,” explains Dr. Liu. “Here at BJU, over our 20-year history, we have had a VBAC success rate of 72%. Between 2012 and 2013, that success rate was over 90%,” he says.
Tell me more about vaginal births.
During a vaginal birth, the baby passes through the birth canal and out into the world. “There are different types of vaginal deliveries in the sense that you can have a normal vaginal delivery and instrumented delivery,” explains Dr. Marriott.
The instruments your doctor may use to assist your vaginal delivery are forceps or a vacuum. Forceps are like tongs, and they cradle the baby’s head so that your doctor can pull the baby down the birth canal. The vacuum, on the other hand, is placed on the crown of the baby’s head, allowing the doctor the pull the baby with the force of the vacuum’s suction.
“The most common reason for an instrumented delivery is fetal distress,” says Dr. Marriott, though she adds that doctors may use instruments if the mother has pushed for a long time and becomes very tired. While some risks exist with an instrumented delivery, they can be the ideal course of action in certain cases. “Especially in an emergency situation, what I tell moms is that it will take me less time to get the baby out with forceps or a vacuum than it will to go to the operating room, get you comfortable enough for the operation, and then take the baby out if your baby is in distress,” says Dr. Marriott.
Tell me more about C-sections
In a C-section delivery, the doctor makes an incision in the mother’s abdomen and pulls the baby out through this incision. This is considered a major surgery and requires a longer recovery period than a vaginal birth does. C-sections can be a reasonable method of delivery in many situations.
How do I know if I want a C-section or a vaginal birth?
Here at BJU, we pride ourselves on our very low C-section rate, as vaginal births are our OB team’s preferred method of delivery. “We are very tolerant, as an obstetric team, about letting women have the time they need to achieve a vaginal delivery as long as it’s safe,” explains Dr. Marriott. This means that, while many hospitals are quicker to send a mother to the operating room for a C-section, the BJU team prefers to wait to see if a natural delivery is a viable option.
Why? As Dr. Marriott puts it, “Vaginal delivery is safer than a C-section. It’s safer for Mom and it’s safer for Baby. Vaginal delivery has less risk of large amounts of bleeding and infection. In a vaginal delivery, babies have an easier transition from inside world to outside world and the recovery for Mom is faster. They’re, overall, a better way to deliver,” opines Dr. Marriott. “That being said,” she continues, “there are definite indications for C-sections and, if they’re indicated, it is a very reasonable form of delivery and it can, in some senses, be safer if there’s a reason to do it.”
If you have decided that you want to have a C-section, it’s a good idea to talk to your obstetrician to get their advice. “There are definitely some people who come in knowing they want a C-section,” says Dr. Marriott. “Essentially, what I tell people about this is that they really need understand what they’re asking for, because having a major surgery involves potentially long-term consequences for the woman and even her future pregnancy outcomes. So, if they really want a C-section, I really want them to have asked me from the first moment I’ve met them so we can talk about it throughout their pregnancy,” she finishes.
How can I prepare for my child’s birth while I’m pregnant?
BJU holds regular birthing classes for expecting parents in English and Mandarin. The English version is given every month by our lactation consultant. It lasts for a whole weekend – a Saturday and a Sunday. In the class, our lactation consultant goes through different types of deliveries to help you prepare mentally for your child’s birth.
Dr. Dalice Marriott is BJU's Chair of Obstetrics. She is board-certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She speaks English, German, and Spanish. To make an appointment with her, please call the BJU Service Center at 4008-919191.
Dr. Sam Liu is BJU's Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He trained as a gynecologist and obstetrician in the United States. He is a board-certified physician with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Liu speaks English and Mandarin. To make an appointment with him, please call the BJU Service Center at 4008-919191.
To learn more about our birthing packages, click the "Read More" button at the bottom of this page.
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