Is Natural Birth Better for Bonding?by Pattie Hughes | More from this Blogger 20 Sep 2008 07:26 PM Proponents of natural child birth have long maintained that giving birth naturally results in better bonding with baby compared to c section births. In fact, women choosing VBAC often cite this as one of the many reasons for making this choice. Mothers who have had a c section may disagree with these statements, but recent research is adding credibility to this long held belief. Researchers at Yale School of Medicine looked at bonding in mothers and babies with the method of birth. Women were divided into two groups for the study, one group having had vaginal deliveries and the other having c section births. The study involved the women answering questionnaires and submitting to brain scans at two and three weeks after the babies were born. During the brain scan portion of the study, the mothers listened to recordings of their babies crying during a diaper change. The mothers were interviewed after the scan was completed. The mothers who had vaginal births had more activity in the brain scan in the area of the brain that is responsible for emotion and empathy. Researchers at Yale believe that hormonal changes in vaginal birth prepare the brain for bonding with baby. Further research is planned in this area to determine if these results hold consistent. Researchers hope the information can be used to identify and treat women at risk from post partum depression. Although none of the women in the study have this disorder, it has been found to be more prevalent after a c section, leading scientists to wonder about a potential link. This will be studied further by Yale researchers as well. Does this mean you won't bond with your baby after a c section? Of course not. I have had three vaginal births and one c section and bonded fine with all my kids. So have many other women. However, understanding the link and potentially added risk of post partum depression can help you and your health care provider identify potential risk factors in the event you do need a c section. Related Articles: Does Natural Birth Really Matter? Learn more about Pattie Hughes  Pattie Hughes is a freelance writer and mother of four young children. She and her husband have been married since 1992. Pattie holds a degree in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University. Relevantpregnancy tags User Comments  Valorie Delp (49340) 21 Sep 2008 01:59 AMGood article Pattie! I noticed a distinct difference in bonding with my twins but I always tell people that bonding is not a one time event but a process over a long time. One experience doesn't make or break you as a mom.  1stTimeMomOf2 (2460) 21 Sep 2008 11:04 AMI experienced ppd after the birth of my twins via c-section. I wonder if there has been a study about ppd in mothers who have children in the NICU vs. one's who got their babies home right away. My children were in the NICU for 8 and 10 weeks and I think that was a huge contributor to the bonding and ppd issues I had. But good article. Valorie Delp (49340) 21 Sep 2008 06:24 PMThe rates of ppd in twin moms are higher than in singleton moms and I wouldn't be surprised if some of that had to do with the NICU experience. They have started to try to make the NICU more family friendly and such. . . But I meant that one was born naturally and one was born via c/s and I noticed a distinct difference in how I bonded with one over the other. Discuss this article
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