I really liked this article - a really good lay-person explanation of how normal vaginal birth is needed for mother's bacteria to innoculate the sterile gut.  Also discusses breastfeeding's role in immunological health.
Janice Reynolds

C-Sections, Breastfeeding and Bugs For Your Baby
[Opinion] What the doctor probably won't tell you

http://english.ohmynews.com/ArticleView/article_view.asp?menu=A11100&no=270919&rel_no=1&back_url=

[This is the conclusion, which is a good summary of the editorial]:

It's important that expecting parents to understand some of the basic evolutionary processes of bringing a new member of our species into the world. A few snips and stitches, followed only by a small number of sips, ain't going to cut it. The physical, nutritional, and metabolic features that make us uniquely human have been shaped by millions of years of evolution. While we are culturally and socially modern, driving around in hybrid cars and arguing about stupid things, we are literally and biologically ancient hunter-gatherers. Just as lack of exercise (something we always did) and excess caloric intake (something we rarely did) will make you fat -- and probably cause a number of other ailments and disease -- we just can't simply up one day and start delivering babies through the stomach and not breast feed them. Such things have consequences, they always do.

If physicians and care givers whom we entrust the safety of the mother and child were required to have some basic understanding of Evolution 101 -- as it applies to birthing and infant health and biology -- we might all be healthier. Or at least, better rested.

(see link for full editorial)

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