Do it naturally: Mantra for would-be moms

Experts say that an increasing number of women in India are opting for Caesarean sections when they want to give birth.

Some estimates even show that the C-section rate has risen from five per cent to almost 65 per cent in some parts of India.

But unlike in some developed countries where the problems arising out of unnecessary C-sections have been well documented, in India, there is little awareness.

And trying to counter this are groups of women and medical experts like Birth India, who are strongly advocating natural methods of giving birth. Some of them even raise questions about delivery practices in some hospitals.

They are spreading a message to do it naturally.

It means there is no need of epidurals or local anaesthesia to numb the pain of childbirth. And no caesareans unless strictly required.

But women in India are increasingly resorting to the C-section method. Like Vinita Contractor, who opted for it when she had her second baby.

''I had a medical birth the first time and it didn't feel right. It did not go with the way I feel inside. I read a few books and realised there were other ways and the only way to go through it is by keeping the doctor out of the picture as much as possible,'' she says.

It's a small movement - one that some women believe is a way of taking charge of their bodies.

The WHO estimates that the C-section rate should not be over 15 per cent but most countries record figures far higher.

In UK, this rate is 25 per cent, in US it's about 30 per cent and in Brazil it's 90 per cent.

No figures are available for India. But a report by the Delhi based Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research suggests there's excessive use of ultrasounds and procedures like enema and episiotomy where the vagina is surgically enlarged.

But while many doctors push for C-sections because of the money involved, many patients opt for surgery because they feel it's safer, especially with more and more older women having babies.

''It's totally wrong to think C-sections are safer and painless which is what most women think because the outcome is not always positive for the woman giving birth,'' says Dr Duru Shah, a gynaecologist.

''A lot of couples have understood about caesarean birth, how its not as cool as its made out to be. So they want to have control over the whole labour process,'' says childbirth instructor Shruti Saxena.

But natural birth experts warn that it is not an option for everyone. If a woman has complications during delivery, it's a huge risk - a situation a traditional midwife is not equipped to handle.

''When the doctor is monitoring the child and the mother throughout it's easier to pick up problems like a weak heartbeat or a very rapid heartbeat so they can step in. It's good not just for the baby but also the patient,'' says Dr Duru.

But, it remains to be seen whether the call of giving natural birth appeals to today's women or not.Egypt bans 92-year-old from marrying teenage bride