Confession: I liked my C-section…A lot.
I know, I know, I’ve read all the literature on the benefits of a natural birth, the drawbacks of a cesarean delivery, and there are definitely a lot.
This is especially hard to admit because I’m clearly about raising my children in a natural or holistic way. Entering the world is a huge part of that.
The truth is, it was the only part of my pregnancy (aside from Aram) that I actually liked.
The procedure went smoothly, my recovery was easy, pain was minimal ( they forced me to take the Ibprofen the first day, but nothing after that- I never took the vicodin), and my scar has basically vanished without a trace (makes me sad because I felt like I earned it)….And the most important thing is Aram is completely healthy developing ahead of his age.
I’ve decided I don’t need to make excuses for liking it. I’m a rare case where I actually needed it. Without a doubt, Aram and I would have died without it.
Since I had to have the surgery I am allowed to enjoy it. Yep, those are the rules.
So there :-p
Stopping in from SITS! I’m just about to give birth any day now and am trying to avoid the knife if possible that’s just because I’m a scaredy cat of surgery. Hate it! But you know what, you’re allowed to enjoy it…most people do
Congratulations on your new baby!!!
I bet you won’t need a C-section. Most of them are completely unnecessary. If you are educated in it, or have a great doula, midwife…even a lot of doctors are converting- you won’t get one unless you need it!
And if you do need one, don’t worry! I’m clearly a fan. It is natural childbirth that scares the bejeezus out of me.
This is such a great topic, I’m going to post a reply on my blog as well!
I have a confession, too. I loved my 2nd c-section as well (third baby – I had a totally natural VBAC between #1 & #3), because it was absolutely necessary for the safety of my baby. And as a doula and childbirth educator, I can unequivocally say that it was necessary, without any debate. There was nothing I could have done differently. There was no intervention that caused her heart rate to plummet. We tried everything we could to get it back up to a safer range. I was planning another natural VBAC, I very strongly preferred another natural birth, but I loved my cesarean because at the very least it spared my daughter from brain damage… at the best it might have saved her life.
Now, my first cesarean (with my first child), I hated. It was complete BS. I felt lied to (I WAS lied to), set up, and cheated. And the difference about how I feel regarding my two cesareans lies in the fact that the first time, my options and preferences were taken away… not for the safety of the baby, but because my OB was a jackass. During my third birth, my options and preferences very quickly changed. I don’t perceive them as having been taken away, in this case – just changed – for the obvious benefit of the baby.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with loving your cesarean – whether because it was necessary, or because it’s what you truly feel would be the best birth experience for you as an individual.
What I do hate, is when women who really don’t want or need a cesarean (or induction, or epidural, etc.) are led right into one with misinformation, bullying, and no valid medical justification. This is why I became a childbirth educator.
Believe it or not, even though my classes focus so heavily on natural birth, I don’t think it is wrong for a woman to just plain prefer a cesarean. I believe that every woman should have the choice to decide what an ideal birth would be for her. The discrepancy lies in the fact that if a woman strongly prefers an epidural and pitocin, it’s not going to be any sort of fight to get that. Hell, the hospital will probably thank her. However, if a woman prefers a low-intervention natural birth in a hospital, it’s usually going to be a HUGE challenge. And that’s why I’m so passionate about natural birth. Not that every woman SHOULD want one, but that every woman who DOES want one should have a real chance at having that experience without having to constantly fight.
For me it all comes down to women having the freedom of choice. In our society you have the freedom to choose a completely medicalized birth, but you generally have much more of a challenge ahead of you if you would like to just let the process happen naturally. Not a challenge because of the natural process itself, but because hospital policies are not generally conducive to natural birth. And I think that’s where we need to change – so ALL women can truly choose to plan the birth that they feel best about, and have a reasonable chance of actually experiencing it.
So get down with your bad self! There is absolutely nothing wrong with loving your cesarean! In your case it was the only possible way to a healthy mom and healthy baby, and I am so thankful that we have that technology available so you can continue to entertain me and feature my boobs on your blog, and such.
But even if a mom had her own personal, non-medical reasons why she would feel that a cesarean would be a more fulfilling/better/happier experience for her, there is nothing wrong with that either. I just want those who do desire a natural birth to ALSO have a realistic chance of experiencing the birth they are dreaming of.
Oh this is such a great response! Check out Mandi’s page where she talks about this today!:
http://peachykeenbirth.com/
If someone lied to me and forced an unneeded C-section I would have a whole different view and experience. Sorry you had a crappy doctor!
I liked my c-section too. *raises glass*
I was planning on doing a vaginal birth, but you know, sometimes things happen. Aidan’s heartbeat plummeted, and I started losing a LOT of blood. They got me stabilized, but I wasn’t progressing. So off to the OR I went.
I wasn’t upset. I just wanted Aidan to come out healthy. I was prepared to die to save him. I’m glad I didn’t have to.
Yay Ronni! *cheers*
So glad you’re both healthy!
C-sections really do save lives under the right circumstances. They are a blessing.
So do you still have those Vicodin? LOL
Sorry Spank, I know that you have to appease your new bestie (lindsay lohan)…but I’m fresh out.
I sold them to Dr. Murray.