BACKGROUND Sexual function is an essential component of life and yet very little is known about the relationships between the female sexuality and the mode of delivery. OBJECTIVE To compare sexual outcomes after vaginal delivery and cesarean section. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted on women in two stages; early pregnancy and 3 to 6 months after delivery in health centers. Fema...

Operative vaginal delivery is used to achieve or expedite safe vaginal delivery for maternal or fetal indications. Examples include maternal exhaustion and an inability to push effectively; medical indications such as maternal cardiac disease and a need to avoid pushing in the second stage of labor; prolonged second stage of labor, arrest of descent, or rotation of the fetal head; and nonreassu...

Despite a shift in clinical practice favouring cesarean section for breech presentation, adequate skills are still needed for a safe vaginal breech birth. This case report illustrates the physiological mechanism of vaginal breech birth. The accompanying pictures are a testimony to the "hands-off" approach and could be used for educational purposes.

OBJECTIVE We sought to determine the long-term effect of mode of delivery on the prevalence and severity of pelvic pain. STUDY DESIGN Six to eleven years after a first delivery, pelvic pain (dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and pelvic pain not related to menses or intercourse) was measured using the Oxfordshire Women's Health Study Questionnaire. Obstetrical exposures were assessed by review of the...

BACKGROUND Although the impact of emergency procedures on the childbirth experience has been studied extensively, a possible association of childbirth experience with indications for emergency interventions has not been reported. OBJECTIVES To compare the impacts on childbirth experience of 'planned' delivery (elective cesarean section and vaginal delivery) versus 'unplanned' delivery (vacuum...