I may sometimes joke about not being a real woman as I don’t know what it’s like to have a contraction or go into labour but it is exactly that: a joke, a big Prabulous joke. I have never felt guilt or shame over my c-sections.
Why talk about this? Well, April was caesarean awareness month. It’s also when I came across blogger Next Life No Kids who is spearheading the Mommitment movement, aimed at stamping out the societal/cultural habit of Mum-shaming.
It got me thinking about one of the biggest mum-shaming obsessions perpetuated by society (notably and regrettably, mothers themselves): yes, the passive-aggressive view that women who have c-sections somehow failed at childbirth. For goodness sake.
Here’s the thing…
Whether a woman has a home birth/hospital birth/gas and air/no gas and air/epidural/no epidural/a scheduled caesarean/an emergency caesarean/a super quick labour/days of hell in labour/a doula/a state midwife/a private doctor/a water birth/a squat on the side of the road and just get it out birth, there is literally ONLY one thing that matters:Â
That a child comes into this healthy and safe. If it does, that is one lucky child and one lucky mother.
Yes, natural birth is best. It just isn’t always the best option…as I found out:
With my first pregnancy, it was discovered at 37 weeks that the baby wasn’t thriving as my placenta was no longer viable; I was told she was too underweight to stand much chance of making it out of the birth canal alive and was sent home to pack my things for a c-section that the doctors ordered for the next day.
We had moved to Malta, land of c-section obsessed doctors, when I got pregnant with our second.  I was told that VBAC was too risky (and was given some flimsy excuses as to exactly why). By the time it came to my third, my fate was sealed; if the Maltese doctors wouldn’t hear of me having a second child naturally, they sure as hell wouldn’t consider it for my third.
As it turned out, all three babies were breach. All three had the cord around the neck several times…one of my absolute biggest birthing paranoias. So I can honestly say I was totally relieved at avoiding natural birth.Â
But a walk in the park those c-sections were not!
Spinal block, huge needles – I mean HUGE NEEDLES – ice cold operating rooms, catheters, stitches. Granted, my c-sections just involved uncomfortable tugging rather than the searing pain of pushing a human out of one’s nether regions…nevertheless no walk in the park!
And then ‘the everything else’: trying not to shiver and shake while the anaesthetist inserted that blooming huge needle. Being lifted and rolled onto my bed as I was temporarily paralysed from the waist down. Trying to feed baby without placing baby anywhere near my sore tummy. Trying to sleep with a catheter and needles in me. The blindsiding tear-inducing pain of trying to walk once the feeling returned in my legs…just the most painful, humbling experience of my life.
Of course, much later, kneeling on the kitchen floor wiping up food and begging a toddler to eat just one frickin’ mouthful would become the most painful, humbling experience of my life, hey hey.)
I begged the doctors, nurses, cleaners, the woman in the next bed’s visitors – heck anyone who walked past me – for pain relief. Yep, Alternative-Medicine Prabs was replaced by Desperately-Seeking-Any-****ing-Drugs Prabs. What can I say? Morphine, Voltarol, Co-dydramol, Anythingamol and I became friends.Â
Talk about mum-shaming…I think this mum just shamed herself…
Oh and laughing, sneezing, coughing and just plain breathing? Â
Anyone who’s had a c-section knows those simple acts feel like extreme sports due to the air that gets trapped while you’re open on the operating table, causing shocking stomach pains once the belly is stitched back up (as if that poor sucker hasn’t been through enough!).
After all that TMI, I bet you’re really wondering how or why I could possibly be glad I didn’t give birth naturally? Here are a few reasons why I’m glad I had c-sections:
1. Who doesn’t want a four day break from dishes, laundry?
I count how many mothers I know – or have read about – who were desperate to get home the same day they gave birth.Â
I couldn’t think of anything worse!  As far as I was concerned, staying in hospital gave me a break from domestic drudgery. Just as I knew my heart was full to the brim with love for my brand new baby, I also knew my days would be be full to the brim with even more cooking, cleaning and housework due to this new addition. Then once I got to my second birth – even if I missed toddler Musical M like crazy and dissolved in tears when I finally saw her, those four days in a quiet room with my beautiful son Doe-eyed D were heaven. What’s not to like about not having to deal with domestic drudgery and a needy toddler for a few days?
By the time it came to Cheeky K, the easiest roomie who just slept all day and didn’t yell “Mama, mum, mummy, MAMAAAA!!” every few minutes, I swear it was like a mini holiday. (The only thing missing was the minibar.) Â
I asked for a fifth day.
2. Being unable to drive or lift heavy things for several weeks was almost liberating.
I had the ‘luxury’ of cocooning at home with a newborn (if you can call surviving on next to no sleep cocooning) as I couldn’t go far without a car and my driver (aka ‘he who got me pregnant’) was at work. I could wear pyjamas all day (if I wasn’t getting any actual sleep in them, at least I could use them as daywear) as I wasn’t going anywhere and could watch trash TV (albeit with a baby clamped to my breast) because hoovering the floor or unloading the dishwasher involved lifting. And I wasn’t meant to lift, right?
3. My biggest fear in life was the agony of childbirth so I wont lie: I WAS relieved when the docs decided I had a date with Edward Scissorhands.
I can’t deny I played at wanting a natural birth. You are expected to want it…because it’s natural… People have different fears: spiders, flying, heights, whatever. Honestly?
I didn’t view the act of pushing a rather large thing out of a rather small hole as natural. Nope. Not one bit.Â
Of course the irony is that despite my pathetically low pain threshold, I was nevertheless able to tolerate being cut open three times. Go figure.
4. My stomach may be shot to pieces but I now have a shelf to rest my coffee mug.
Visible scars aside, I sprang back into shape super quickly after my first two c-sections. But that third child. Mercy me, that third… I now have the delightful ‘too many c-sections shelf’. Let’s just say when I lie on my side…well…I just shouldn’t. When I lie on my back, I can’t say it’s that much better. Ah, the beauty of the post-caesarean ‘overhang’. The only way to avoid it: big girl panties. But what’s the point of that when I need that shelf for my coffee mug?
5. I may be lazy with kegel exercises but I don’t wet myself every time I cough or laugh or run, thanks to my lady region not being destroyed by pushing three humans out.
Major props to my natural birth sisters but sorry, that is definitely something to be thankful for. I didn’t say it doesn’t happen. It just doesn’t happen every time…Â
Seriously though, I know c-sections are no laughing matter. Mine were carried out based on medical decisions made by the doctors. Each successive operation can be more tricky and of course I would have conquered my fears and given birth naturally if circumstances allowed. But that’s not the way things worked out.Â
I spent only a millisecond feeling less of a woman for not achieving the ‘trophy-worthy’ natural birth before snapping out of it and realising I had still very much given birth and was crazy lucky to have each of my little bundles of joy. (Anyway, undergoing major surgery three times is deserving of a trophy in my book.)
Oh and that not being a ‘real woman’ thing. It isn’t because I had c-sections. It’s because I never got my boobs.
21 comments
i just had my first c-section last year and I was terrified but all in all it wasnt that bad of a procedure and it helped to make sure my baby was born in the safest way possible
Exactly. All the competition over natural and ‘no meds’ etc…who cares as long as the baby is born safely!
It’s not something I’ve ever had to consider (yet anyway). Personally I’m in awe of every woman every time she expels a baby, whichever method is taken. It’s coming out one of two ways, and neither is a walk in the park. Great post! X
That last line!! Fab.
I had C-section because doctor told me that my baby’s neck has 2 loops. But in hindsight I am happy. The pain was minimal, I have no visible scares, healed very quickly..while my friends who had natural birth around that time were complained for a long time
Whatever it takes as long as baby and mum are ok. Thanks for reading.
Brilliant! I had two sections (one emergency, one elective). On both occasions they saved the lives of both my children. I hate the view that I’m not a “real” mother. Had my babies died, would I get the title then?!
Great post (as always).
Awww thanks for the comment Tori and yes I just don’t GET the real vs not real mother thing. What a waste of energy.
Well, hello – thought I would pay you a visit, and now I can’t leave. Thanks a bunch, I was supposed to be folding the washing.
As someone who has pushed a baby out and also had a section, I can still honestly say I don’t know which I would rather have again (Note: There will be no more babies coming out of me, EVER). With my section that was planned (due to the injuries from my first) I was so nervous that I maybe would’t bond with my baby as well, or I would’t feel such a sense of achievement.
All. Total. Bollocks.
It changed nothing, it was a total bitch to recover from, yet so was my first birth, I still have physical scars from both AND I bonded with my babies as much as each other no question.
However you give birth, you give birth, it is the SAME. If you and your baby are healthy, then drink them in, snuggle them close – and Fuck the shamers.
The end.
Cat
http://www.breedandwrite.co.uk
OMG they should have a blogger award thingy for best comments. Brill!
I totally get this. I really wanted a natural birth and had done since I realised in childhood that it was possible to get a baby out without a scar (my mum had three C-sections and I thought that was just the way all babies were born). And then finally the times comes and…..emergency C-section. Oh well!
But all’s well that ends well right? 🙂
Great post. I can definitely relate. I really wanted a natural water birth at home. But, after having low amniotic fluid and being 2 weeks overdue.. I was induced. I tried so hard to have a natural birth, but after 2 1/2 days.. my doctor said I had to have a c-section. It turned out that my pelvis was too small. Since we were in the hospital for 2 nights and then 2 more days, we couldn’t wait to get out of the hospital. But, they wanted to make sure I was okay. But, I do get that you did want a break from the kids.
As long as they get here in the end huh? Thanks for reading.
I can totally relate to the 5 reasons why you’re glad! I had to have an emergency section with Arjun and I’m so tempted when and if I have a second to go for an elective! Ps high 5 fellow Punjaban x
Ah nice you can relate. A lot of people do. High five back lol. Thanks for stopping by.
I tried for natural but ended up having an emergency c section. And darnit I’m glad. After 12 hours of labour and just 1cm dilated I was already traumatised and it was becoming clear to me every moment that passed just how low my pain threshold was. (Low = non-existent.)
Of course you don’t want a touch-and-go situation like mine when you’re put under but it all happened as it was supposed to and was all good in the end. I would opt for the sunroof method again if I went for baby 2.
I too had 3 c sections…in 3 years…mine due to my pelvis not spreading. I had a very military type doctor too who signed my release from the hospital the day after having said c-sections…which was fine I hated being in the hospital and woke up every few hours to check my vitals. Because of course it would always be after I had just got the baby fed and to sleep. I agree though that my who ha is still the same…no bladder problems…not stretched out anything down there lol and my doctor was so awesome that my scar is so low that you can’t see it and it’s almost invisible. I have thought about getting a tattoo across it of a chain with a lock at the end. Cause there are no more babies coming out of there. Hubby is fixed and the next person that tells me about a story of so and so who’s husband was fixed and they got pregnant I am going to slap. Thanks for sharing with #momsterslink.
The tattoo!! You are hilarous. I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks so much for #momsterlink.
There are always good reasons to have a c-section and it in no way makes you less of a woman. Good post! Thank you for linking on #effitfriday
Cheers matey.