Does giving birth vaginally make you a better mom?

Add another log to fan the flames of the Mommy Wars. A new study by Yale University suggests that women who give birth vaginally bond more with their babies. The research points to the release of oxytocin during contractions as the reason for more intense bonding between these moms and their newborns. The study used brain scans of a whopping 12 women, so the methods definitely leave something to be desired. However, according to a professor from the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, doctors have long recognized that women who have C-sections do sometimes have trouble bonding with their babies. Skin-to-skin contact after birth should be encouraged for women who have C-sections, as well as breastfeeding.

There is no doubt that women who have C-sections go on to be loving and bonded mothers to their children, but it does appear to make mothering and breastfeeding in the early weeks more difficult.