C-Section or Natural birth? Safety, not stigma, should guide birth decisions

Experts urge expectant parents to prioritize medical guidance over societal pressure when choosing between cesarean and vaginal delivery

New Delhi, 2 June 2025

C-Section or Natural birth: A recent comment by actor Suniel Shetty has sparked conversations around childbirth choices in India. Reflecting on his daughter Athiya Shetty’s natural delivery, Shetty told News18, “In a world where everybody wants the comfort of having a caesarean baby, she chose not to do that… every nurse and pediatrician in the hospital said that it’s unbelievable how she went through the whole process.”

While the comment may have been intended to praise his daughter’s experience, it inadvertently reinforces a common and misleading idea, that choosing a vaginal birth is a sign of greater strength or superiority. Yes, vaginal birth is biologically the more natural process, but that doesn’t mean opting for a C-section reflects a lack of strength. Birth, in any form, is a deeply personal and medical decision, not a measure of a woman’s courage or capability.

This perception, health experts say, is not only medically unfounded but also emotionally unfair to millions of women who undergo C-sections for reasons beyond their control.

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C-Section rates in India

According to the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5), 21.5% of all births in India are C-sections. However, there is significant variation across states—Telangana, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh report C-section rates of over 40%, while states like Bihar and Meghalaya remain below 10%.

Administrative data from the Ministry of Health’s HMIS 2021–22 further shows that C-sections are particularly common in private hospitals and urban settings.

But here’s the key: not all C-sections are elective. Many are life-saving, performed in response to fetal distress, maternal complications, or previous high-risk deliveries.

Medical professionals agree that the best delivery method is the safest one for both mother and child. Vaginal birth is not always possible, and opting for or needing a C-section does not make a woman less strong or less maternal.

“Childbirth is not a competition,” says Dr. Neha Verma, a senior obstetrician. “There is no gold medal for enduring more pain. Whether you deliver in 10 hours of labor or through a 45-minute surgery, the courage it takes is the same.”

What needs to be discouraged is not a method of birth, but the cultural pressure that assigns moral value to it.

A Message to New Mothers: You don’t owe anyone an explanation

Motherhood is a deeply personal experience. Comparing delivery stories or using one type of delivery as a benchmark for strength only adds unnecessary pressure on women who are already navigating the physical and emotional challenges of childbirth.

Your strength is not determined by how you gave birth, but by what you went through to bring life into the world.

Let’s stop framing childbirth choices in terms of bravery, convenience, or ‘realness.’ There is no ‘easy way out’, every birth has its challenges, risks, and triumphs.

Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. For medical decisions regarding pregnancy and childbirth, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

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