Things that have been on my mind

Thursday, July 17, 2008

So it seems to me that there is some level of not "getting it" when it comes to cesareans. For those of you have not experienced this particular thing, let me enlighten you. I apologize in advance if any of this comes off as snarky. This is a hot hot topic for me. First of all, don't assume that a woman who has had a cesarean has not experienced labor. Most have, myself included. Most women do not have scheduled cesareans for their first baby. Second of all, it is not "pain-free" or an easy way out. I can assure you that having your abdomen cut open, all through your abdominal muscles, is not pain-free or easy. The procedure itself can be painful for some women, if the anesthesia doesnt work properly, and for almost all women, there is a great deal of pulling and tugging, which is a very wierd and sickening sensation. A big thing is having that curtain up. You are totally separated from the event of your child's birth. Think about that.I would take a torn vagina over that any day, I really would. And for those of you who have had that, I am not disparaging your experience or your hard work. I just think that there is a natural expectation of your mind and body and if that continuum is interrupted it can have long-term physical and psychological effects. If you are lucky, the OB might hold the baby up for two seconds for you to see. After all this is done, you get taken to recovery where you get to shake for an hour and if you are lucky and if you know that you have rights, you can demand to have your baby brought to you. But if you dont, you probably wont see your baby for a while. Then you get to deal with recovery. You might not be aware of how much you use your abdominal muscles until you cant use them! Sitting up, rolling over, coughing, sneezing, laughing, using the bathroom. Everything involves them.

I am not saying vaginal births are a party. I know women who have had traumatic natural births. But I also know a lot of women who have done it both ways, and the vast majority choose vaginal birth over cesarean birth. I am also not saying c-sections are the worst thing in the world, and yes of course the disclaimer is that they save lives. For a woman whose baby is in real distress, a cesarean is a life-saving operation. But they are way overused. Our cesarean rate in this country hovers around the 32% mark. The WHO target is 5%. Vaginal birth is the natural and optimum way for a child to be born. A child who is not born vaginally often has respiratory distress and may have to go to the NICU because they dont get the fluid squeezed out of their lungs on the way out of the birth canal. C-sections are safer today then ever, to be sure. But they still carry all the risks of major surgery, like:
heavy bleeding
damage to the bladder or intestines
major infections of the uterus, kidneys, lungs, or other areas
injury to baby's scalp
opening up of the skin incision
blood clots around the uterus or in the leg veins or lungs
an inability of the blood to clot
damage to the uterus.
The uterus is a large, muscular organ that has an enormous blood supply. When an incision is made into the uterus, there can be a lot of bleeding. medications and stitches can stop this, but even so, there are some women who need a blood transfusion during a C-section. the blood loss is at least twice as much as during a vaginal delivery.
A number of women develop uterine infections, requiring extra days in the hospital and powerful antibiotics.
Not all problems occur during a C-section; some occur later. These include pelvic pain or pain with intercourse from scar tissue (adhesions), difficulty using "sit-up muscles," and development of scar tissue between the afterbirth and the uterine lining in later pregnancies (which can lead to hemorrhage or emergency hysterectomy).

Did you know that approximately 95 percent of women in the U.S. give birth under the care of an obstetrician in the hospital and with this care, the U.S. has the second worst newborn death rate in the world, and ranks 41st in maternal deaths among all nations? Infant mortality is related to c-sections. Then of course you have the lies perpetrated by the obstetrical community regarding VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). VBAC IS SAFE. Do your OWN research. IT IS SAFE. Doctors are NOT God. It is so safe that I felt totally comfortable planning a homebirth for my third child. It did not work out (long story) but I would do it all again. I did not plan or schedule any of my three c-sections. The first was after 33 hours of labor, the second was at 42 weeks (labor didnt begin on its own) and the third was a planned homebirth that didnt work out, which is a long long story that I just dont feel like getting into right now. Liam was born at 42 weeks and 3 days and I am damn proud that I gave him the chance to come when HE was ready, not some OB.

I think I am done ranting for now. I may address it again in the future. I guess my whole point is, dont judge a cesarean mother for being unhappy about it. The majority of cesarean mothers are not happy with the fact that they gave birth via c-section. Some of the moms I know are thrilled about it. Everyone is different, so dont think a woman is crazy and ungrateful for a healthy baby.

My other point is, please do your own research and reading before trusting yourself, your baby and your body to other people.